Recent excavation work at Hohenaschau Castle in Aschau im Chiemgau, Germany, has uncovered evidence that the site was inhabited far earlier than previously believed, with traces of human activity dating back more than 4,000 years.
Archaeologists working in the castle’s inner courtyard discovered pottery dating to around 2300 BC, placing the first known settlement on the hilltop to the Bronze Age.
The location, perched on a limestone outcrop high above the Prien Valley, appears to have attracted early communities because of its natural advantages.
The terrain itself posed a challenge. The rock is uneven and split by cracks. Evidence suggests early occupants packed those gaps with a mix of sand and clay, levelling out enough space to build and live. Until now, Bronze Age objects had turned up only in the surrounding countryside, not on the hilltop.
The current dig began in late 2025 as part of routine maintenance. Teams from regional construction offices, heritage authorities and a private excavation firm worked side by side. The property belongs to the federal government’s real estate agency, which approved the investigation.
Pottery from the 9th to 11th centuries came to light in debris linked to a dismantled kiln. Its purpose remains unclear, but the find shows that the hill was in use well before the castle entered written records.
Closer to the surface, the team found remains from later periods—sections of wall, old paving and soil marks outlining a rectangular structure. Bits of painted plaster hint at decorated interiors. A carved stone fragments likely once formed part of an arcade added in a later phase.
Historical sources first mention a fortress here in the late 12th century. The new evidence suggests the location had already been occupied for centuries, perhaps chosen again and again for the same reasons: height, visibility and natural protection.
Header Image Credit : Nikolas Lorenz
Sources : Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation
