Alcimoennis
 Location in Germany
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| Alternate name | Alkimoennis |
|---|---|
| Location | Kelheim |
| Region | Bavaria |
| Coordinates | 48°55′8″N 11°51′36″E / 48.91889°N 11.86000°ECoordinates: 48°55′8″N 11°51′36″E / 48.91889°N 11.86000°E |
| Type | Oppidum |
| History | |
| Periods | Late La Tène |
| Cultures | Celts |
Alcimoennis (aka Alkimoennis) is the name widely attached to a Celtic Oppidum, or hill fort above the modern town of Kelheim in Bavaria, Germany. The name comes from Ptolemy, who in his Geography only mentioned the name and described the location of the settlement. There is some controversy over the identification of the Kelheim remains with Alcimoennis, but it is still widely accepted.
The oppidum was located on the Michelsberg hill, dominating the peninsula at the confluence of the Danube and the Altmühl rivers near Kelheim.
The peninsula has been more or less constantly inhabited since 13,000 BCE and the Celts built there as early as 500 BCE.
Findings indicate the presence of an early La Tène period settlement near the Altmühl delta. Numerous storage cellars have been found, interpreted to have been part of three farms with at least 15 buildings from the period of 450 to 380 BCE. For the middle La Tène period (380 to 150 BCE) few signs of local settlement have been discovered: a grave yielded four mid-La Tène fibulae and another a sword with scabbard from the 3rd/2nd century BCE.
However, the actual oppidum dates to the late La Tène period and it is estimated that it was abandoned some time around the middle of the 1st century BCE.
Who exactly inhabited the oppidum is unclear. It could have been the central settlement of an unknown tribe, possibly a sub-tribe of the Vindelici centered in the nearby (and equally sizeable) Oppidum of Manching.
Economically, the Alcimoennis thrived on iron. The surrounding soil contains large concentrations of iron, and the thick forests on all sides delivered adequate fuel for the smelting process. The landscape to the west of the settlement is literally covered in pock marks left by shallow mine shafts and pits. The valleys around the city contained vast fields for farming as well as livestock, most notably swine. Fishing probably played an important role in everyday life.
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Wikipedia