Oppidum du Fossé des Pandours

The Oppidum du Fossé des Pandours is an urban center of the Celtic people known as the Mediomatrici. It was established near the Saverne Pass, within the territory of the modern communes of Saverne and Ottersthal (Bas-Rhin). It is the largest oppidum in the region of Alsace. The territory of the Mediomatrici is home to several oppida. Although the Fossé des Pandours has yet to be fully excavated, several factors indicate that it was the largest oppidum of the Mediomatrici in Alsace, at least until the arrival of Ariovistus in the region. The Fossé des Pandours is one of two known archaeological sites at the Saverne Pass, the other being the Gallo-Roman station of Uspann. A Gallo-Roman necropolis was also discovered to the west of the oppidum. The site's name originated in the 18th century when it was used to refer to the Pandours of Baron von Trenck during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1744). This conflict originated from opposition to the Pragmatic Sanction, a decree issued by Emperor Charles VI of the Holy Roman Empire that bequeathed the hereditary territories of the House of Habsburg to his daughter, Maria Theresa of Austria. In 1744, these mercenaries, serving under the command of Maria Theresa, successfully occupied Saverne.

Archaeological site data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).