in the Fuschlsee Lake, 450 – 630 AD – a rare Archaeological find
»The fascine structure in the Fuschlsee Lake is one of the most important historical monuments of the Early Middle Ages in the Alpine region. The fact that it was preserved nearly intact is of public interest given its historical and culture significance.«
Quote from the notice by the Federal Office for Listed Buildings on 12 March 1998
Fascine structures were used to protect people, livestock and food stocks
These are the remains of pile dwellings, so-called fascine structures, which were built by Romanic settlers in the shore area immediately in front of today’s Fuschl Castle in around 450 – 630 AD. These fascine structures were probably connected to fishing on the Fuschlsee Lake. They provide evidence that the lake was inhabited again at this time.
The remains of the so-called fascine structures reach from the shore area in the parish Hof near Salzburg along the neighbouring lake region to the parish Fuschl am See. It is likely that the purpose of these fascine structures was to protect people, livestock and food stores from wild animals and looters. According to an expert, Austria and Bavaria have no comparable water structures.
In 1871/72, the Viennese lawyer Dr. Matthäus Much (1832 – 1909), who was also a successful archaeologist and conducted research into fascine structures, discovered an island with a diameter of around 50 m which was definitely man-made. This is situated approx. 250 m to the west of Fuschl Castle, at the eastern edge of the golf course.
Based on their design, he classed them as fascine structures because he identified that the island had been built on alternating layers of branches from coniferous trees (with their stalks facing outward) and layers of mud and earth. At the time, it was separated from land by a narrow channel which is still somewhat visible today. Now, much as when it was discovered, it is covered in trees and shrubs. Back then, Dr. Much was not able to establish the time of its construction.
Manmade island built in Fuschelsee Lake between 460 and 640 AD
But in 1972, the Federal Office for Listed Buildings conducted a detailed investigation of the fascine structures and their environment. The radiocarbin method revealed that the island was built in the period between 460 and 640 AD. These dates suggest that the island was established after the Romans had left and before the Bavarians settled the region, by a small Romanic population group which had remained in the area.
Verwendete Quellen und Literatur:
Gschwandtner, Martin: »Eine künstliche Insel im Fuschlsee – eine archäologische Rarität, in: »Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Salzburger Landeskunde«, 156. Vereinsjahr, Salzburg 2016.
