Registration for historical monuments 24 septembre 2015 (≈ 2015)
Protection of all remains.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Wasserwald site: The Gallo-Roman remains in total, as shown on the plan attached to the decree, on their plot plate, archaeological reserve: buildings, enclosures, necropolises, sanctuary, cella, viehweg in particular (ca. 13 15, 22, 23): inscription by order of 24 September 2015
Key figures
Nicolas Meyer - Archaeologist (Inrap)
Author of studies on the site.
Antonin Nüsslein - Archaeologist (Inrap)
Co-author of the research.
Origin and history
The Wasserwald site is a Gallo-Roman archaeological complex located in the Haegen forest, in the department of Bas-Rhin (Great East region, former Alsace). This site illustrates the agricultural organization of the northern Gauls during the Roman period, with a network of walls organized perpendicularly to a road of nearly 800 meters (called Viehweg or "the cattle road"). These vestiges, dated from the High Empire, reveal an intensification of agricultural practices in the terroirs of the cities of the Mediomatrics and Triboques, two Gallic Romanized peoples. The forest allowed for exceptional conservation of these structures, providing rare evidence of the habitats and land divisions of the period.
The site was listed as a historic monument in 2015 to protect all its remains, including buildings, enclosures, necropolises, a sanctuary, a cella (a hall of worship), and the Viehweg. Excavations and studies, such as those carried out by Nicolas Meyer and Antonin Nüsslein (Inrap), have enabled these structures to be mapped and linked to a structured rural occupation. The site is now considered to be a representative example of Gallo-Roman agricultural land use in the northern Vosges, on both sides of the Saverne threshold, a strategic crossing area between the Alsace plain and the Lorrain plateau.
Located in the municipality of Haegen (Insee code 67179), the Wasserwald is located in a wooded environment that has limited modern disturbances. Its inscription as an archaeological reserve aims to preserve these traces for future studies. Although the sources indicate "a priori satisfactory" location accuracy (level 6/10), no exact address is communicated to the public and its access or visit is not detailed in the available documents. The site is part of a larger corpus of historical monuments of the Lower Rhine, reflecting the richness of the ancient Alsatian heritage.
