<p>The oldest evidence for a settlement at Passau is an artificial reinforcement of the southern bank of the Danube. This photograph shows the four and a half metre long beech-wood beam that dates back to around 1800 BC. It was attached to an abutment on the riverbank and may have been used to moor rafts and boats in order to unload their cargo. There are more finds that prove the existence of prehistoric settlements at Passau. Parts of a fortification on the Domberg and a bronze pin are associated with the so-called Urnfield culture. The urn, the iron belt buckle and the two bronze bangles you see here were found in a grave dating back to the Hallstatt period. In general, our understanding of the earliest human activities in Passau is limited. Over several thousands of years, the ground beneath the current Old City has literally been dug up again and again, making prehistoric finds extremely rare.</p>
