Discoveries in Wintrich

Annual reports State Museum of the Rhine Trier

Archaelogical Dicoveries in and around Wintrich

In the community forests of Wintrich, in Krinkelt district, a group of 12 extremely worn burial mounds were found.

In Moosbruch district about 800 m north of the Ausonius road there is a large burial mound of 18 m in diameter and 1.50 m in height. A second burial mound is presumed to be nearby.

In Spießbaum district about 320 m away from the Moosbruch finding there are two superb burial mounds.

1934 – Several burial mounds north of Richterborn were discovered.

On the way from Staudemühle to Kasholz there are the remains of three settlements lying next to each other. Some lead artifacts were found here.

On the Roman road not far from the manor house Kasholz a Roman stone wall was found.

At the southern entrance of the village the remains of a settlement were discovered during excavation work. The same place was obviously used as a grave later. There were also two skeletons found in graves at the same place in 1841 at the foot of the hill on the way from Wintrich to Geierslay quite near the village. Ample burial objects were not separated and included two richly-decorated bronze handles and a late Roman sigillat jug with a formed spout.
Two stones used as grave edging bore the seal
CRESCENT and SVPETIVS (CIL XIII 12741 und 13017)

There are extended building remnants to be found at “Kanngießerkopf” in the state forest. A room of 2.50 m by 2.50 m with a surrounding wall can be identified. Building parts and bricks found around the area indicate a Roman settlement.

In the woods near Rockend some huge heaps of stone rubble were found during clearing work at two places south of the walls already discovered in 1956 and which may possibly be part of an ancient temple. Unfortunately, before any examinations could take place the heaps were flattened making the date of the excavations uncertain.

In the land lot “Kollert” a bowl and some shards and slates dating from imperial times were unearthed during ploughing.

In the fields at “Ober dem Kollerter Weg” Roman bricks and Roman shards were discovered in 1976 during ploughing.

Also in 1976 during sewerage work at the crossroads in the main road (today the Moselle Wine Route) and in the Moselle and Berg roads some Roman bricks were found 4 metres’ depth.

During construction work for the parish centre north and north-east of the church a medieval wall and some floor pavements of a Roman building were discovered.

The Electoral Cross

Albus (Weißpfennig). 3-Albus coin
were last minted in the Electorate in 1793
one year before the French arrived.

(The original coin is in the possession of Arnold Kilburg)

Both bronze handles were found in 1841 in the Roman graves “at the foot of the slope on the way from Wintrich to Geierslay” and demonstrate excellent handicraft and the shape and design are agreeable and satisfactory.

The decorations are divided into three sections as fitting for the use of the handles:
The neck at the edge of the vessel
The rounded grip
The point where the handle was fastened to the vessel

The upper part is made up of two birds’ heads which are connected to the neck of the urn as a small freestanding loop. Both birds’ heads appear to be goose heads as the completely preserved bird’s head shows the eyes and beak. The projectionserved as a thumb holder and was used to avoid spillage.  The leaf-shaped decoration completes the upper part and the transition to the grip through a double ridge with wreaths extending the length. We observe an unusual building on it; above the floor on two, fluted, short columns whose bases we can recognise but the capitals cannot be identified and perhaps are hidden under the roof. This is round and has the shape of an umbrella covered with a flowered pyramid bearing a sphere. On both sides a tree is hardly recognisable, but perhaps a cypress tree; under that there are some flowers and a cypress and pine cone.


At the lower end, slightly deformed in the relief, there is a half-naked figure with a headdress and a stake in the left hand, a thyrsus, the position and mainly through the positioning of the cloth identifies this person as a bacchant. There is some doubt as to whether the building should be seen as a temple or as a grave monument, whereby the latter is more likely.

Furthermore, other bronze utensils were found: two small handles, a small bowl and a larger, damaged lock. In between these pieces lay a piece of a bottle.

Two brick slabs used as a grave edging bore the seal
CRESCENT and SVPETIVS (CIL XIII 12741 und 13017)