4th c. B.C. wood and stone structure found in Germany

The structure was discovered on the banks of the Main River in Aschaffenburg, Germany, and dates to the 4th century B.C. The first ten wooden beams were recovered 26 feet beneath street level during March 2026 civil engineering works for a stormwater overflow basin. The Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD) conducted archaeological excavation after the find was reported. Dendrochronology of oak beams matched known ring chronologies, showing the trees were felled in the 4th century B.C. Early profiles indicate a structurally sophisticated, likely monumental edifice using many massive oak beams, ending in a dry-stone wall facing the Main. Stone masonry is extremely rare for the Iron Age, and comparable stone features usually appear as parts of fortified complexes such as timber-laced walls. The site had been cleared for construction under the mistaken belief that no archaeological remains were present, forcing rapid documentation and recovery in a 30-foot-deep pit under difficult conditions.

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