Altenberg Medieval Castle Ruin

En un regard

Le château en bref

The ruins of Altenberg stand above Füllinsdorf, in the Ergolz valley (Basel-Country), at an altitude of about 530 m. It is a late first-millennium residential tower castle, known only through archaeology: no medieval document mentions it, and both the site's name and that of its lords have been lost. Built around the year 1000 and abandoned around 1080, it has been dated in particular thanks to three silver coins from Basel. The keep measured about 9.5 × 15 m, with very thick walls, several storeys and a raised entrance; it overlooked an enclosed courtyard equipped with a bath-house oven, a cellar and latrines, protected by several ditches and earthworks. A fire around 1050 led to partial reconstruction. The abandonment was ordered, with no trace of combat. Rediscovered through trial trenching in 1982, then excavated in 1986–1987 by Archäologie Baselland, the site has yielded exceptional finds (more than 75,000 bones, more than 6,000 potsherds, knightly equipment). The consolidated remains are freely accessible.