A massive fortified settlement from the early Celtic period has been discovered at Heuneburg in southern Germany. The site features mud-brick walls—a technique typically associated with Mediterranean cultures—indicating that the Iron Age Celts had much deeper architectural and cultural exchanges with the Greeks and Etruscans than previously assumed.
Excavations have revealed a 'Princely Seat' containing exquisite gold jewelry, amber beads from the Baltic, and imported Greek wine amphorae. The sophisticated urban planning of the site suggests that Heuneburg was a major political and economic power center in Europe around 600 BCE, challenging the 'barbarian' stereotype of early northern tribes.