Erdstall
An erdstall is a type of tunnel found across Europe. They are of unknown origin but are believed to date from the Middle Ages. A variety of purposes have been theorized, including that they were used as escape routes or hiding places, but the most prominent theory is that they served a religious or spiritual purpose. Etymology There are very few historic references – a document from 1449 names the area above the tunnels as (lit., "atop the soil tunnels"). Although the modern term uses (stable, shed), this stems from the word (spot, location – cognate to the English "stead") and the related ("tunnel in mining"), and this is combined with (soil, ground – cognate to the English "earth"). Alternative regional names are (Bavaria), and (Austria), that carry the regional names for dwarfs that folk belief has connected them to. Construction Erdstalls are very low and narrow – they have a height of and a maximum width of about . Additionally, they feature very tight passages connecting one tunnel to a lower tunnel called a (slip out), which are typically extremely narrow and impassable for some, as crawling under the slip hole, and then standing up to slide the shoulders through, is necessary to crawl into the higher tunnel. There is only one narrow concealed entry point, with no second exit tunnel as is common with an escape tunnel system. Some tunnel systems feature loop tunnels at the end of a tunnel. Most tunnel systems are no longer than . Classification In his 2000 publication , Herbert Wimmer created a rough classification system for varying types of erdstall: Type A has a single long gallery with slip passages and short side slopes Type B has multiple levels connected at multiple places by vertical slip passages. Auxiliary construction tunnels have been found that were closed after completion. At the end of each tunnel, seating niches have been cut out or the tunnel is widened with a longer seating bench. Type C has multiple horizontal slip passages and there is a round trip tunnel at the end or in the middle that is high enough to walk through upright. Type D has multiple chambers that are connected through tunnels. The slip passages are mostly horizontal in this type. Archaeology There is almost no archaeological material to be found in the tunnels, although erdstall tunnels exist in abundance in central Europe, with over 700 in Bavaria alone. This makes it highly unlikely that they were ever used as dwellings, such as a hiding place in times of war. The archaeological evidence is so slim that even age determination is difficult. Coal from a fire pit at has been dated between 1030 and 1210. Coal from a heading in has been dated between the late 10th and mid-11th century. A slip passage at has been enhanced with stones to make it narrower with the stone additions dated to between 1034 and 1268. Coal from was dated 950 to 1050, coal from was dated to