Die Speichergruben der späturnenfelderzeitlichen Wallanlage von Stillfried an der March

The fortified Late Urnfield Culture “central place” Stillfried an der March (1000–800 BC) owes its significance to its outstanding location on a loess plateau above the River Morava at the crossroads of two major trade routes. In order to explore the organisation of such a political, economic and religious centre, the defining group of finds, the truncated cone-shaped pits, were subjected to a comparative investigation. The systematic examination of the total of 94 pits, which were excavated under the leadership of Fritz Felgenhauer between 1969 and 1989, provided evidence of their initial use as grain stores. Various ethnological storage models are presented and whether they can be transferred to the archaeological finds at Stillfied is assessed. The basis of this study is the recording of all aspects of the pits. This includes any traces of plaster on/from the walls, impressions from tree trunks used for climbing into and out of the pit and the precise documentation of the fill layers that were ultimately reached and any later interventions. The pits contained very little settlement waste, but what there was included an exceptional number of notable finds (e.g. halved ceramic vessels, grindstones, the skeletons of wild and domesticated animals that had been discarded and human remains). This uniform picture suggests clearly prescribed rules in relation to the abandonment of these valuable storage spaces and is debated and discussed from a range of perspectives. A comprehensive catalogue at the end of the volume presents all of the pits in a newly devised standardised manner.