During construction work in Aschaffenburg, archaeologists discovered the surprisingly well-preserved relics of a structure made of oak beams and stone masonry on the banks of the Main. The wood used comes from the 4th century BC, and the elaborate construction suggests that this complex was once part of a large, representative building from the Iron Age. But who built this complex and what role it played for the early La Tène period settlement not far from this site is still unclear.
The city of Aschaffenburg was already a settlement in the Iron Age, as archaeological finds show. During excavations in the area of today’s old town, archaeologists discovered individual building remains from the early La Tène period as well as an animal head brooch and a gold finger ring. The favorable location of the settlement on the Main and these finds have long suggested that there may once have been an Iron Age center of great importance in the area of today’s old town of Aschaffenburg. However, the sparse finds have not yet provided sufficient information about settlement structure and size.
Oak beams from the 4th century BC
Now there is a new find that could offer more insight into Aschaffenburg’s Iron Age past. Like many archaeological discoveries, this one was made during construction work. In March 2026, while working on a storm overflow basin on the banks of the Main in Aschaffenburg, workers discovered an old-looking wooden structure around eight meters deep. They then notified the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD) and archaeologists began to carefully uncover the find. Due to the unusually good state of preservation of the wood that was uncovered, the scientists initially assumed that it was an early modern to modern building.
But when the team examined samples of some oak beams more closely and dated them using annual rings and other methods, something surprising emerged: the wood used in the facility on the banks of the Main came from trees that had already been felled and installed in the 4th century BC. The complex therefore had to come from the Iron Age. It could therefore have been part of the settlement from the early La Tène period. The newly discovered archaeological structure on the banks of the Main therefore has exceptionally high scientific potential, as the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation explains.
Unique find to date
There are also some unusual features of the newly discovered complex: What is unusual for the Iron Age is, on the one hand, the large number of oak beams used and, on the other hand, a wall made of stones that closed off the area from the river. “Stone masonry is extremely rarely documented for the Iron Age. When stone constructions from this period are documented, they are usually components of fortified structures, such as post-slot walls,” explains Stefanie Berg from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation. “The combination of the extraordinary location on the banks of the Main, the excellent preservation, the previously unique wood-stone construction and the Iron Age dating make this finding unique.”
However, it is still unclear what purpose this Iron Age building once served. The archaeologists hope that during the ongoing excavations they will be able to find out more about the function of the complex and the connection between this complex and the Iron Age settlement in the area of Aschaffenburg’s old town.
Source: Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation