The Early Medieval Settlement in the Dornheimer Grund
Archaeology Lecture by Dr. Michael Marchert
On July 24, the Museum of Franconia will host a lecture on the excavations and related research at Dornheimer Grund.
In his lecture, Dr. Michael Marchert (Friedrich Schiller University of Jena) will discuss the unique features of the early medieval settlement in rural Lower Franconia.
Archaeological investigations have been underway since 2012 in the Dornheimer Grund area near the town of Iphofen in the Kitzingen district. The collector Karl Alt from Fischdorf, who passed away in 2010, had already discovered numerous archaeological artifacts here, which led to geophysical surveys, site inspections, and further archaeological excavations on the grounds.
The artifacts recovered so far date from the Merovingian period, that is, from the sixth to the early eighth century A.D. In addition to pottery shards, the finds include objects made of bone, glass, and metal, pointing to a settlement from the period following the Frankish conquest that was abandoned at an as-yet-unknown date and was not built over in later centuries.
This situation is virtually unique and offers researchers excellent conditions for studying the settlement structures of this period. In particular, in the area north of the Zettelbach spring, numerous findings from an Iron Age and an early medieval settlement have been uncovered. The dense settlement pattern, the documented crafts, and exceptional individual finds suggest that this early medieval settlement held a prominent position. Whether the settlement can be linked to the town of Dornheim—first mentioned in written records in 741/42—will likely only be clarified through further investigations.
July 24, 7:30 p.m. Archaeology Lecture: The Early Medieval Settlement in the Dornheimer Grund, Iphofen
Free admission
Registration at bs@museum-franken.de is requested.
