Roemische Kelteranlage

Beschreibung

The large Roman wine press at Piesport Site: Piesport (Bernkastel-Wittlich district), "Im Briech", 1985/86, 3rd/4th century AD. The municipality of Piesport was already one of the villages in the Moselle valley that could fall back on a relatively early tradition of vineyards. According to this source, which dates back to 776/777, a certain Walac bequeathed two small vineyards on the banks of the Moselle near Piesport to the Prüm abbot Assuerus, along with other properties: "...vineolas duas super fluvium Mosella (!) ad porto pigontio...". In 1985, a fortunate new discovery not only confirmed this document, but also provided archaeological evidence that wine had been cultivated in Piesport since the 4th century AD. Extensive investigations carried out by the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in 1985/86 revealed more than ten rooms and seven basins or vats of a larger Roman wine press on the western edge of the village ("Im Briesch" corridor). The building, which had been extended several times over the course of time, ultimately measured more than 44 metres wide and at least 20 metres deep. The front of the building complex could not be captured, as it probably originally extended to the banks of the Moselle and fell victim to the recurring floods in the post-Roman period. The special feature of the complex is the large number and arrangement of the basins, all of which were covered with a screed made of a lime-brick mixture, with the corners additionally sealed by a quarter-round bar. The keltran complex initially comprised six pools of different shapes, which were laid out in pairs at three different terrain heights. The uppermost, almost square basins (2 and 3) had a capacity of at least 11,000 and 12,000 litres respectively. It was no longer possible to determine whether they were connected to the quarter-circular basins (5 and 6) below via a supply line, as the wall had broken out at the crucial points. These much smaller basins only had a capacity of around 4,000 litres. They were located within larger rooms (7 and 8), of which at least the western one provided evidence of a tree press installed there. Massive postholes with a diameter of 0.60 metres, a stepped platform uncovered next to it and a sandstone weighing more than 20 centners with lateral grooves that served as a suspension apparently form the remains of a former tree press. From each of the quarter-circle basins, which can therefore be regarded as winepress basins, a drain led to a smaller collecting basin located lower down, of which the western one fell victim to later remodelling. The outflow from the western wine press basin was therefore diverted into the eastern collecting basin. It was this drain that yielded the first Roman grape seeds from the Moselle valley. The common collecting basin (4) held up to 2,500 litres. The must could be siphoned off and bottled from two sides. On the two sides that were not accessible, there was a step-shaped ledge in the basin, which was presumably only entered when the last of the must had to be drained. The imprint of a box-shaped collector, which was probably perforated like a sieve and had to collect the pips and other press residues, can still be recognised in the area of the inflow. Over the years, the capacity of the wine press was evidently insufficient, so that a further basin (1) with a volume of 7,500 litres had to be added on the east side. The spatial arrangement of the basins is unparalleled in the Roman Rhineland, although a similar but much smaller facility was discovered at Maring-Noviand. If there were other larger basins in Piesport, these may provide an indication of the grapes processed there. This could be red wine, as it had to macerate for a long time before being pressed. Even 19th century descriptions of the Moselle still mention the cultivation of red wine on various occasions, although the last red wine is said to have been made in Piesport around 1910. The Piesport winery therefore comprises two or three mash tanks, two pressing tanks and two, later only one, collecting tanks. It should also be considered whether the two pressing tanks were used for different processes, with the mash being pressed out in the western tank and the marc (pomace) in the eastern tank after it had been crumbled. In the eastern basin, the press beam of the Baumkelter also had a greater leverage effect, as the beam was apparently embedded or fixed in or in front of the eastern wall of room 8, whereas the weight stone pressed on the western end of the beam.