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In the beginning of the 2nd century AD, four members of a rich, feudal family died one after the other. They were cremated and buried in the same spot, close to the road that led from Adrianoupolis to Philipoupolis. In this location a great burial tomb was constructed to keep the memory of the dead alive.The area belongs to the municipality of Orestiada today and is situated close to the villages Mikri Doxipara and Chelidona.
The excavation revealed four big ditches that contained the cremation residue of three men and one woman together with numerous offerings such as clay, glass and bronze pots, bronze lamp stands and lamps, weapons, jewelry, wooden boxes etc. The five carriages in which the dead were transported were buried in the same space together with the horses. Next to them, another five horses were buried. The metal functional and decorative parts of the carriages remain intact, whereas the wooden parts can still be seen in two of them.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.