Ipf (mountain)

The Ipf is a mostly treeless mountain (668 metres (2,192 ft) high), near Bopfingen, Ostalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, with a prehistoric hill fort on its top.

Elevation668 m (2,192 ft)

Coordinates48°52′14″N 10°21′23″E

LocationBaden-Württemberg, Germany

Parent rangeSwabian Jura

Quick facts Highest point, Elevation ...

Ipf
Ipf
Highest point
Elevation	668 m (2,192 ft)
Coordinates	48°52′14″N 10°21′23″E
Geography
Ipf Location within Baden-Württemberg
Location	Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Parent range	Swabian Jura

Close

The fort is situated on an isolated hill, with a flattened summit surrounded by a stone wall, ditch and large counterscarp (outer bank). The overall diameter is about 180 metres (590 ft). Extensive ramparts traverse the slopes to protect a large enclosed area and entranceway. There is evidence of occupation from the Bronze Age (Urnfield culture) through the Iron Age to the early Celtic La Tene period, a span of almost a thousand years (1200 BC – 300 BC).^[1] The summit was already levelled, fortified and densely settled in the Urnfield period.^[2][3] During the early Iron Age Hallstatt period and into the early La Tène period the Ipf was an important 'princely seat' – a regional centre of power and aristocratic residence with long-distance trade connections, including with Greece and Italy.^[4]