STUDIA I MATERIAŁY – STUDIES AND MATERIALS Acta Militaria Mediaevalia XVII Kraków–Sanok–Wrocław 2021, 87-101. DOI: 10.48280/AMMXVII.2021.006. Felix Biermann* Normen Posselt** Abstract: Near Bargfeld-Stegen in Stormarn (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) lies Stegen Castle, a large motte and bailey castle with four mounds. According to written tradition, it belonged to a squire named Johann Hummersbüttel who pursued very th committed and successful politics in the 14 century, but came into conflict with the larger powers of the region. A treaty between the Counts of Holstein and the City of Hamburg concerning the siege of Stegen Castle is recorded for the year 1347. Archaeological research, especially in 2019, provided evidence of this martial action: crossbow bolts, other militaria, destruction layers and fire debris, as well as siege redoubts. The paper provides an overview on the castle, its historical background and the archaeological traces of the 1347 siege. Keywords: Stegen Castle in Stormarn, motte and bailey castle, crossbow bolts, sieges and their archaeological evidence. Received: 30.05.2021; Accepted: 30.06.2021; Revised: 12.09.2021. Citation: Biermann F., Posselt N. 2021. The Siege of Stegen Castle in Stormarn in the Year 1347 and Its Archaeological Evidence. “Acta Militaria Mediaevalia” XVII, 87-101. DOI: 10.48280/AMMXVII.2021.006. THE SIEGE OF STEGEN CASTLE IN STORMARN 1 EVIDENCE IN THE YEAR 1347 AND ITS ARCHAEOLOGICAL Introduction Archaeological investigations of late medieval castles repeatedly reveal evidence of warfare. This is not surprising in the case of buildings serving a military purpose, but it is nevertheless remarkable: in recent times, research has often emphasised the symbolism of rule, the economic and administrative tasks, the residential and representational purposes of the buildings, while the warlike function of the castles was at times considered almost a secondary matter. In recent years, the military function of castles has once again come into focus (cf. Zeune /ed./ 2015; 2018; Biermann, Posselt 2016a). This is supported by the fact that metal detectors are being used in the context of more and more archaeological excavations of castles, contributing to a sharp increase in the number of weapons found – such as crossbow bolts and arrowheads. In addition, advances in airborne laser scanning technology facilitate to include the surroundings of castles in research through digital terrain models. For example, siege works have recently been discovered in remarkable numbers. Of particular interest are castles where there is written evidence of fighting or sieges. One such place is Stegen Castle near Bargfeld-Stegen (District of Stormarn, Schleswig-Holstein), just north of the Hamburg state border, Germany (Fig. 1). The extensive motte and bailey castle, which was built and owned by a nobleman named Johann Hummersbüttel, was the target of a siege by the Counts of Holstein as well as the City of Hamburg in 1347, during which siege equipment was also to be used. We know the plan and later lore, but whether the siege took place was long unclear. Archaeological research from 2019 has now answered this question, by providing evidence of this event: weapons, layers of destruction, siege works. Stegen Castle is an exceptionally large stronghold with a total of four mounds on an area 2 of 190 × 120 m. The fortification lies in the marshy * Institute of History, Uniwersytet Szczeciński, Szczecin, Poland; ORCID: 0000-0001-9616-0620; e-mail: felix.biermann@usz. edu.pl. ** Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachen-Anhalt, Halle (Saale), Germany; ORCID: 0000-0002-2572-9805; e- mail: normen_posselt@yahoo.com. 1 The preparation of the paper was a private initiative and was not financed from any institutions. Percentage share: Felix Biermann – 50%, Normen Posselt – 50%. 2 Most of the late medieval motte and bailey castles in Schleswig-Holstein are much smaller and have only one artificial mound. An overview is given by Dähn (2001).