The State Office for Monument Preservation presented the latest finds on Wednesday from the Oppidum of Manching, one of the most important Celtic settlements north of the Alps.
The dig took place between 2021 and 2024 as part of construction work on Federal Highway 16. On a 7,000-square-meter site, researchers discovered numerous artifacts from the La Tène period. The most spectacular find is a small bronze statue depicting a naked, running Celtic warrior with a shield and sword. A ring loop on its head suggests the figure may have been worn as a pendant or ornament.
“The statue showcases the Celts’ impressive metalworking skills,” says excavation leader Sebastian Hornung. However, its exact purpose remains unclear—it could have served decorative, cultural, or ritual purposes.
Alongside the warrior statue, archaeologists recovered over 40,000 artifacts, including:
✔ Thousands of metal fragments
✔ Amber and beads
✔ Animal and human bones
✔ Fish vertebrae (first-ever discovery at the site)
“The fish vertebrae prove the Celts in Manching ate fish—something we suspected but now have archaeological evidence for,” Hornung explains.
The Oppidum of Manching was one of Central Europe’s largest Celtic settlements (150–100 BC), housing up to 10,000 inhabitants. Since 1903, excavations at this key site have provided new insights into Celtic life over 2,000 years ago.
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