Bone writing pen found in Celtic oppidum – history

A bone pen used for writing on wax tablets was unearthed during first-century BC Celtic excavations at Altenburg-Lehnau in southern Germany. A stylus discovered during last year’s excavation season is rare archaeological evidence that writing took place in oppidum, a necessary skill for trading with the Mediterranean.

Located on the border of Germany and Switzerland, Oppidum was one of the largest late Celtic cities north of the Alps. Excavations in the 1970s revealed that Apidum consisted of two settlement structures occupying two peninsulas: Swabia (in what is now Germany) and Austria (in what is now Switzerland). The Swabian side covers 233 hectares; the Au side is smaller, covering about 88 hectares. Both parts are surrounded by defensive walls.

From August to October this year, the Office for the Protection of National Monuments (LAD) of the Stuttgart Regional Council conducted excavations in the area near the defensive wall on the Swabian side. Archaeologists discovered several large cylindrical pits up to eight feet deep with multiple layers of fill. The walls were lined with organic materials, suggesting they may have been used for food storage.

In addition to the bone pens, excavations at LAD have uncovered a number of artifacts, including wine bottles imported from Italy, which confirm Apidum’s connection to Mediterranean trade.

“Wine from the Mediterranean was a sought-after luxury item among Celtic high society and the basis of a lucrative trade,” [reports project leader Dr. Günther Wieland.] Against this backdrop can also be seen the large number of Celtic coins found: “The coin economy was an important factor in flourishing trade,” says Wieland. Some Art Deco clothing components made of bronze and iron, such as numerous fibulae (costume buckles) and belt components, provide insight into the everyday culture of the late Celtic period. Their chronology clearly shows that the oppidum of Altenburg-Renau must have existed in the first century BC, when most Celtic settlements in southwestern Germany had been abandoned. […]

The discovery of a large number of well-preserved animal bones also provides insights into Apidum’s economic system, settlement organization and long-distance relationships. These mainly include cattle bones, suggesting organized animal husbandry and specialized meat production.