Einwilligung zur Nutzung.

Late Iron Age

The stone structure found in the necropolis of Mönau-Forst near Kosbach remains a unique discovery until today. This stone arrangement was built as an extension to a burial mound used over several centuries. It is carefully crafted from sandstone blocks, its long edges aligned with the cardinal directions.

With some reservations, this stone arrangement can – on account of its orientation and composition, because it supersedes an earlier structure, and due to its location in a grave field – be designated a sanctuary. However, the excavator's interpretation of the structure as an altar with a central phallic symbol is not convincing.

In naturist belief systems, however, sacred sites can be identified with some certainty based on similar findings across locations. This applies to pinnacles and caves in karst areas such as the Franconian Jura mountain range. Pottery shards, animal remains, and the deposit layers containing signs of combustion found there indicate ritual acts.