Pillerhöhe

Field name
Site:	Fliess [from first object]
Coordinates:	47° 7' 8.40" N, 10° 40' 1.20" E [from first object]
Objects found here:	IT-8 potsherd (fairground) IT-9 fragment

Map

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Commentary

Topography

The findspot Pillerhöhe is the transition point of the connection between the Upper Inn valley near to Prutz resp. Fliess and the Pitz valley and in further consequence the Tyrolean town Imst. The crest Pillerhöhe is situated at an altitude of 1560 m and is clearly visible from afar. The findspot is around 80 km distant from Innsbruck. It is a flat area and situated in immediate proximity to an already in prehistoric times existing way which runs from Fliess resp. Prutz in the Upper Inn valley to Imst ("Alter Weg"). Cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 1998: 227; Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 637–639.

History of the excavations and interpretation

On 6 May 1992 the laymen Kassian Erhart and Franz Neururer report the discovery of several findings on the Pillerhöhe to the Institute of Classical Archaeology of the University of Innsbruck. In consequence of this announcement a survey was performed; immediately after the survey excavations were instructed. Since 1992 annual excavations accomplished by the University of Innsbruck are proceeded now. Cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 1998: 227; Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 636–637.
Concerning the archaeological records the findspot Pillerhöhe can be considered a sanctuary.

Sanctuary "Pillerhöhe"

The sanctuary was used over a long period of time. The findings indicate a cultic pratice from the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Antiquity resp. to the Early Middle Ages (cp. i.e. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 1998: 234–240).
Concerning the finds it can be stated that the sanctuary was used by men as well as by women (cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 665).
During an initial period the offerings were primarily sacrifices of animals or vegetables. Around the end of the Hallstatt period resp. the beginning of the La Tène period an augmentation of object sacrifices can be noted. Between the 4th resp. the 3rd and the 1st centuries BC appear exclusively object offerings (cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 652–664). Since the 1st century BC also offerings of value in monetary form come in addition (cp. for the different periods: Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 639–652).
The object sacrifices comprise all fields of the daily life: jewellery, components of the attire, weapons (resp. symbolic pars pro toto sacrifices in form of bronze plaques which imitate e.g. shields; cp. for this pars pro toto offerings i.e. the bronze plaque in shield form coming from Mechel / Meclo), implements and pottery. Moreover, there are objects which were produced exclusively for the sacrifice, e.g. the anthropomorphic bronze plaques (cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 657–661, fig. 10).
The entire sanctuary can be divided into two large areas (cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 1998: 230–234, fig. 2: map of the sanctuary on the Pillerhöhe; Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 638, ig. 2: map of the sanctuary on the Pillerhöhe): The area of the fairground (Festwiese) and the area of the altar where the acts of sacrificing took place. The fairground serves as whereabouts for the participants at the sacrifices, but in this area were also deposited objects offerings Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 1998: 231). The deposit of objects as offerings reasons the fact that these objects do not indicate burn marks (cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 665).

Inscribed objects

The three objects with Raetic inscriptions and/or characters listed in the Thesaurus Inscriptionum Raeticarum were discovered in the area of the fairground: IT-8 potsherd, IT-9 bowl, IT-10 potsherd. In the museum exhibition a photo on a poster presents the discovery of the bowl listed in the Thesaurus Inscriptionum Raeticarum with IT-10 potsherd.

Significance of the site

Because of the long duration of the sanctuary the findspot Pillerhöhe is of particular importance.
Probably the sanctuary on the Pillerhöhe must be related to the hoard from Fliess which dates to the Hallstatt period (cp. the marks on bronze axes kept at the Archäologisches Museum Fliess indicated in the Thesaurus Inscriptionum Raeticarum here below EX-82; furthermore Sydow 1995), the weapon deposits from Piller and Wenns as well as the remains of a prehistoric settlement situated more southern. All these findspots are located near the way which runs from Fliess resp. Prutz to Imst ("Alter Weg") (cp. Tschurtschenthaler & Wein 2002: 639).

S.K.