The Pyre of Ulten/St. Walburg (South Tyrol)

From 1988 to 2002 the Provincial Department of Monuments of the South Tyrol, Bozen, excaveted a pyre of the late iron age-period (5.-2. cent.) in St. Walburg, Ulten, a valley south of Meran. The structure of this place is an outstanding example among the contemporary sanctuaries.The altars are built of stones and lined up in rowes, a serie of places for burning and a building have been reveald. Direct models will be fund in the etruscian culture. Within the scope of rite bronze and iron objects were dedicated. Also pottery were fund, allways intentionally destroyed. A very important part of the rites was the immolation of animals. Craniums and parts of legs of domestic animals were dedicated to the godness and burnt on the altars. First analysis showed also the sacrifice of cereals and other food. This pyre is so far unique in alpine area and the Lower Alps. In case of the extraordinary preservation of it, this is an essential result for the exploration of pyres in Central Europe. Because of the mediterrane orientation, this place has a key position in southern influence for the alpine sanctuaries. Also we can see new details to the character of the sanctuary and the course of act of worship. The outcame calls for an extensive scientific analysis including all sanctuaries with burnt-offerings in alpine area. An accompanying project should work on the botanical assets, the definition of wood and the bones of animals. The excavtions on the pyre of St. Walburg/ Ulten produced in addition the remains of a late bronze-aged to iron- aged settelment (13.-6. cent.). This unique continuity in an alpine valley have to be proved with an analysis of pollensamples. The project will show the development of sanctuaries of the bronze- and urnfield-period and demonstrate the far- reaching alterations in the younger iron-age.

The term pyre plays an important role in pre- and protohistoric cultures. At such places ritual-religious procedures culminating in the cremation of various sacrificial offerings in the form of animals, plants and objects were undertaken. The phenomenon of sacrificial action has always characterized the cultural history of mankind. Fear of force of nature supported the growth in believe in higher powers respectively deities who seemingly had a determining influence on the people`s destiny. Through the establishment of an economically high structured society in the Neolithic intensified influences of higher beings such as e.g. bad harvest and epizootics strengthened the urge for having a favourable influence on the pantheon. In this way sacrifice traditions consolidated and as they continued for millennia they became of great importance to the archaeological investigation in the research area of the Alps. Even though these cultural places represented for a long period of time due to their rudimentary manifestation and the arbitrary interpretable situation a delicate research topic leading to highly controversial debates, current research results constitute steps towards a final solution. The research work within the framework of the FWF-project contributed not insignificantly to it. Pyres evolved to religious and at the same time arguably to political centres of society. Consisting of an extremely complex architecture most of these structures can be found in connection with topographically important settlement centres but also with particularly exposed places. Because of the high degree of preservation of an entire altar podium with several sacrifice areas including cremated remains arranged in a row the Iron Age pyre St. Walburg in Ulten is classified as a representative and comparable key site. Palaeozoological investigations accounted for sheep and goat to be the most frequent sacrificial animals, while cattle played a less decisive role. The assortment of the sacrificed body parts comprises of parts of the skull and the extremity in their organic components. The spectrum of floristic oblations ranges from cereals to legumes and oilseeds. Fruits with skin and wild fruits only had a low significance. These offerings clearly emphasize the pyre`s agrarian character. The fact that in most cases fresh wood for the firing was not cut down but was taken from stock is pointing towards environmentally sensitive measures. Endeavours preserving this unique inneralpine ceremonial centre and designing an exhibition on pyres are off the ground.