Although the Fossé des Pandours has yet to be fully excavated, several factors indicate that it was the largest oppidum of the Mediomatrici in Alsace, at least until the arrival of Ariovistus in the region.

The site's name originated in the 18th century when it was used to refer to the Pandours of Baron von Trenck during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1744).

This conflict originated from opposition to the Pragmatic Sanction, a decree issued by Emperor Charles VI of the Holy Roman Empire that bequeathed the hereditary territories of the House of Habsburg to his daughter, Maria Theresa of Austria.

The Vosges Mountains constitute a substantial barrier between the Lorraine Plateau [fr] (part of the eastern Paris Basin) and the Rhine Plain.

This region, which the Romans later named Gaul, was occupied by the Mediomatrici between the Meuse and the Rhine, from Argonne to the Black Forest.

[6] The territory of the Mediomatrici exercised control over a trade route between Gaul and Germania,[H 1] which included the Saverne Pass.

In the 2nd century BC, they constructed a fortress at this location, presumably to monitor the pass[7] and take advantage of a rocky promontory overlooking the site.

[A 3] The Fossé des Pandours, due to its considerable size, may represent the largest site or even the capital of the people.

[A 2] A possible sign of the site's decline is the lack of restoration of the murus gallicus, which normally requires repair or rebuilding every 30 years.

This Baerenkupel wall was built later, during a phase of settlement contraction to the two peaks of Barbarakopf and Baerenkupfel, leaving Koepfel outside the main enclosure.

[A 4] Restorations and modifications may have taken place in the 9th and 10th centuries; in particular, the two sections of the wall between Baerenkupfel and Koepfel are thought to date from this period, according to the Mérimée database.

[C 1] During the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1744), mercenaries in the service of Austria under Maria Theresa - Hungarians or Croats, according to Heitz[C 1] - occupied the site for a time in 1744 and gave it their name, Pandours.

[A 1][B 1] Excavations of the oppidum commenced in 1995[C 2] as part of a field school directed by the archaeology department of the University of Strasbourg.

[C 6] This refined facing is a distinctive feature of the Alsace site, as stones are typically laid in dry-stone construction and are not carved.

[G 1] The pink sandstone cladding protected the wooden structure, although the ends of the perpendicular beams were initially visible.

[C 6] Excavations conducted in the Barbarakopf region have revealed that the clay soil was reinforced with stones to support the weight of the rampart,[E 4] indicating the involvement of "significant earthworks.

[E 6] The sand fill has been observed to include beams fastened with nails,[E 7] suggesting that these additions were introduced to stabilize the rampart.

[E 1] This rampart had "low defensive value", its importance being more closely related to the "monumentalization of a symbolic boundary between the rural outside and the urban inside of the oppidum.

[A 6] The gate was an "obligatory passage point",[G 4] and like those identified in other Gallic fortresses, it likely had a long corridor and a gatehouse tower, which served to emphasize the desired display of power.

[G 4] While the walls may have been equipped with "walkways" on top, these are difficult to detect due to the destruction of the upper parts of the ramparts or towers built on beams atop the murus gallicus.

[G 5] The internal organization of oppida into specific quarters has been a topic of scholarly interest since the early nineteenth century.

[A 12] The excavation of the well also revealed the presence of broken amphorae and coinage, which suggests that the site served as a "commercial hub" and that a mint workshop was in operation there.

[A 13] The construction techniques utilized at Fossé des Pandours may have served as a model for the oppidum at Manching, located in present-day Bavaria.

The excavation of a small area yielded approximately a hundred amphorae, which provided insight into the importation of wine.

[A 15] It is plausible that the Mediomatrici exported salt, which had been a valuable commodity for centuries due to its extraction from the saline springs in the Seille Valley.

[A 16] The major sites in southern Germany collapsed in the second quarter of the 1st century BC,[A 5] which may have affected the dynamism of the Fossé des Pandours oppidum.

[A 18] In addition to potins, the workshops produced a range of other products, including iron, bronze, glass, ceramics, wood, leather, and bone items.

Most products were located along roads, which provided convenient access to materials and facilitated sales to visitors and potential customers.

"[G 6] The considerable dimensions of the fortress, the evidence of a mint, and the quality of the wall's construction indicate that this was a prominent oppidum within the Mediomatrici region.

[A 11] The lack of wooded areas would have accentuated the fortress's ostentatious character,[G 6] particularly given the finely carved external stone blocks.