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<< Our Photo Pages >> Nöthen Heidentempel - Ancient Temple in Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia

Submitted by Andreas on Thursday, 25 April 2013  Page Views: 5856

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Nöthen Heidentempel Alternative Name: Pesch Römischer Tempel
Country: Germany
NOTE: This site is 4.858 km away from the location you searched for.
Land: North Rhine-Westphalia Type: Ancient Temple
Nearest Town: Köln  Nearest Village: Pesch
Latitude: 50.533513N  Longitude: 6.703003E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 5

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Janek visited on 7th May 2011 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : View to the "cella" of the partly reconstructed Matrons' Sanctuary (April 2013) (Vote or comment on this photo)
"Heidentempel" (= "Pagan's temple") near Pesch and Nöthen is located on a ridge named Addig. It's thought that a holy tree, representing the beginnings of the cult place as a Tree Sanctuary, had been situated at the ridge's highest point.

Some early provisional excavations were made already in the late 19th century, followed by a first really scientific examination between 1913 and 1918.

During the 1st century AD, after the area became a part of roman province Germania Inferior (= "Lower G."), as a result of the integration of the Matrons and other local religious elements into the Roman realm of the gods, a cult complex of stone, containing various buildings, was built.

During the 1st century AD, after the area became a part of roman province Germania Inferior (= "Lower G."), as a result of the integration of the Matrons and other local religious elements into the Roman realm of the gods, a cult complex of stone, containing various buildings, was built.
A second phase of building activities took place (most probably) in the 2nd half of the 2nd century.

In spite of the meanwhile growing concurrence with Christianity the whole cult ensemble was considerably rebuilt about 330 AD. Its recently recognisable appearance, especially the partly reconstructed Matrons' Sanctuary, represents this last phase of the cult complex until its destruction about 120 years later.

The actual Matrons' Sanctuary was built in form of a typical Gallo-Roman temple.
Its core, the "cella", contained probably a life-sized statue of the Matrons.

The name of the local Matrons ("Matronae Vacallinehae") seems to relate to a Celtic tribe named Vacalli, maybe remains of the local Eburones who could have successfully endured Caesar's attempt of a genocide during his "Gallic Wars".
However, the appearance of the depicted Matrons seems to be based on the typical female attire and style of the Germanic Ubii. This cultural combination of Celtic and Germanic elements fits the impression that the cult of the Matrons usually appears in areas with a mixed celtic-germanic population and/or culture.

Directly neighbouring, south-east of the Matrons' Sanctuary, was a large cult court, situated around the highest point of the ridge with the (probable) holy tree.
Here lots of votive stones were found. Some of these stones survived at the strangest locations, for instance in the altar of the parish church at nearby Weyer village, where the stone was discovered in 1991.

The next south-eastern neighbouring building is thought to have been a meeting house or the like, with a size of about 13,7 x 13,7 m.

Furthermore there were two other buildings, both only with weak foundations. In both cases their remains are not visible any more. The exact purpose of these buildings is unknown.

A recent hague symbolizes the position of a former covered walk (with a length of about 120 m) at the south-eastern outer wall of the cult complex.

The destruction of the whole cult complex, including the Matrons' Sanctuary, about 450 AD seems to have happened with such an aggressive consequence that a religious motivation is rather probable. At that time this kind of conflicts between followers of the older pagan religions and the Christians (since emperor Theodosius' time representing the only official state religion) was not uncommon. But that's only one possible explanation. Alternatively plundering Franks (or maybe Alemanni) could have caused the destruction of the site.


Coordinates submitted by AlexHunger in 2005.
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Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : Some hypothetical impressions, showing possible activities at the site: above: a group of visitors, perhaps a family, arrives at the Matrons' sanctuary. They are bringing a votiv stone for the Matrons. below: an offering scene, depicted on a Matron's stone which was found at Bonn (pictures from an information-panel at the site, April 2013) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : Meeting house ("Basilica"), built about 330 AD: left above: the current state; left below: drawing, showing a possible reconstruction; right: ground plan and some further information (April 2013) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : Cult yard, built about 330 AD: It was situated on the highest point of the ridge. Perhaps a holy tree, representing the early (pre-roman) history of the cult place, had been situated at this point. left: the current state; right: drawing, showing a possible reconstruction, and some information (April 2013) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : The whole ensemble after the last building measures (about 330 AD): above: a model, shown in the archaeological exhibition at Nettersheim; from the right to the left: Matrons' temple, Cult yard, Meeting house ("Basilica") and a further building of unknown purpose which is not visible anymore below: drawing and ground plan of the buildings, depicted on the panels at the site (April... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : votiv stone (copy), found 1991 in the altar of the parish church at nearby Weyer; Here somebody named Lucius Caldinius Firminius had "gladly fulfilled his vow, as the Matronae Vacallinehae deserve". (pictures from April 2013)

Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : votiv stone (copy), found 1909 at nearby Nettersheim, for the Goddesses Aufaniae (meaning possibly something like "Goddesses from the far distant fen"). In this case Marcus Aurelius Agripinus, a kind of leading "street-police man" who belonged to the staff of the gouverneur, had "fulfilled his vow, gladly and gratefully, for the welfare of the undefeated emperor Antoninus". (pictures ...

Nöthen Heidentempel
Nöthen Heidentempel submitted by Andreas : drawing, showing the probable appearance of the Matrons' Temple between about 330 and 450, and some information (picture from an information-panel, April 2013)

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"Nöthen Heidentempel" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Nöthen Heidentempel by Andreas on Thursday, 25 April 2013
(User Info | Send a Message)
some additional information about the site:

"Heidentempel" (= "Pagan's temple") near Pesch and Nöthen is located on a ridge named Addig.
It's thought that a holy tree, representing the beginnings of the cult place as a Tree Sanctuary, had been situated at the ridge's highest point.

Some early provisional excavations were made already in the late 19th century, followed by a first really scientific examination between 1913 and 1918.

During the 1st century AD, after the area became a part of roman province Germania Inferior (= "Lower G."), as a result of the integration of the Matrons and other local religious elements into the roman realm of the gods, a cult complex of stone, containing various buildings, was built.
A second phase of building activities took place (most probably) in the 2nd half of the 2nd century.

In spite of the meanwhile growing concurrence with Christianity the whole cult ensemble was considerably rebuilt about 330 AD.
Its recently recognisable appearance, especially the partly reconstructed Matrons' Sanctuary, represents this last phase of the cult complex until its destruction about 120 years later.

The actual Matrons' Sanctuary was built in form of a typical gallo-roman temple.
Its core, the "cella", contained probably a life-sized statue of the Matrons.

The name of the local Matrons ("Matronae Vacallinehae") seems to relate to a celtic tribe named Vacalli, maybe remains of the local Eburones who could have successfully endured Caesar's attempt of a genocide during his "Gallic Wars".
However, the appearance of the depicted Matrons seems to be based on the typical female attire and style of the germanic Ubii.
This cultural combination of celtic and germanic elements fits the impression that the cult of the Matrons usually appears in areas with a mixed celtic-germanic population and/or culture.

Directly neighbouring, southeast of the Matrons' Sanctuary, was a large cult court, situated around the highest point of the ridge with the (probable) holy tree.
Here lots of votiv stones were found. Some of these stones survived at the strangest locations, for instance in the altar of the parish church at nearby Weyer village, where the stone was discovered in 1991.

The next southeastern neighbouring building is thought to have been a meeting house or the like, with a size of about 13,7 x 13,7 m.

Furthermore there were two other buildings, both only with weak foundations. In both cases their remains are not visible anymore.
The exact purpose of these buildings is unknown.

A recent hague symbolizes the position of a former covered walk (with a length of about 120 m) at the southeastern outer wall of the cult complex.

The destruction of the whole cult complex, including the Matrons' Sanctuary, about 450 AD seems to have happened with such an aggressive consequence that a religious motivation is rather probable. At that time this kind of conflicts between followers of the older pagan religions and the christians (since emperor Theodosius' time representing the only official state religion) was not uncommon.
But that's only one possible explanation. Alternatively plundering Franks (or maybe Alemanni) could have caused the destruction of the site.
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Re: Nöthen Heidentempel by Martin_L on Wednesday, 09 March 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
recommended guidebook (easily available as Antiquarian book): Führer zu vor- und frühgeschichtlichen Denkmälern, Bd. 26: Nordöstliches Eifelvorland, hg. v. Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum Mainz, Mainz 1974. Horn, H.G., „Das Matronenheiligtum bei Pesch“. S. 76–86.
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