Archaeological Open-Air Museum

The association behind the Roman Villa was founded in 1983 in order to safeguard in cooperation with the Bavarian Landesdamt für Bodendenkmalpflege the excavated walls and artefacts. As a second step, together with the Landesstelle für die Nichtstaatlichen Museen, one reconstructed the central complex of the Villa Rustica on top of the original foundations and exhibited all artefacts on the original spot.

Between Kelheim and Dietfurt, you will find the Archaeology Park Altmühltal (APA). While preparing for the construction of the Main-Donau channel, over the years 1976-1991 the lower valley was intensively researched on archaeological remains. The fascinating finds can now be found in three nearby archaeological museums.

In the first century AD, a Roman Villa Rustica was constructed at Hechingen-Stein. It remained functioning for 200 years. In 1973, traces of the forgotten villa were discovered by the mayor of Stein, Gerd Schollian in the Teufelbach forrest. The Landesdenkmalamt Thübingen excavated over the years 1987 – 1981 the main buildings and the baths. Since 1992 new excavations took place uncovering among others the temple.

Following the growing threat of invasions of their territories by the Vikings for example, the lords of the Middle Ages felt the need to protect themselves effectively. For this they have built castles. But long before the massive stone castles that we all know, smaller castles were made of wood and earth. These strongholds of the millennium are commonly called motte castles.

The Paléosite de Saint-Césaire is an interactive and modern museum, a combination of indoor and outdoor. July 1979 at archaeological excavations, bones of a young Neanderthal woman of 35,000 years old were found here, then named Pierette. The discovery led to new ideas about the Neanderthal people and the succession by modern home sapiens in Western Europe.

At Cambous, the Societé Languedocienne de Préhistoire manages a reconstructed Chalcolithic house with stone walls and stone roof. At this site, discovered in 1967, large excavations took place, uncovering Neolithic and Chalcolithic dwellings in what is called one of the oldest villages of France.

On the Roman Via Domitia (connecting Spain to Italy) there used to be a Roman villa, producing amphorae on a large scale. This villa was excavated in two campaigns (1980-1983 by the CNRS and 2000-2002).

Finland's largest and oldest reconstructed stone age village can be found at Saarijärvi. “Kivikauden Kylä” literally means “Stone Age Village” in Finnish.

At the Pukkisaari Island, an ancient trading post like it could have been like 1,000 years ago was built in 1998. It contains some dwellings, a market place and craft workshops. The development from open trade site without houses up to the founding of cities is explained here.

The Heltborg Museum is in the Thisted region in Northern Jutland and is active in researching and presenting local history and archaeology.