1. Earliest settlements - BC (little evidence to date): There are indications that settlements were established in this area and in the fluvial plains of the Kocher valley, possibly dating back to before the Bronze Age and at least from approximately 400 BC during the Celtic period. Visible evidence of Celtic settlements include the rectangular fortifications at Langenburg and Niederstetten and the refuge fort at Finsterlohr near Creglingen. 2. Roman times and early Middle Ages : Starting from the first century AD, the Romans built a defensive line, the so-called Limes, which passed the area around present-day Künzelesau about 20 km to the west.In the second half of the third century AD, the Alemanni overran and destroyed the roman defenses and settled also in this region. By the end of the fifth century the Franks had seized power over the area and had either repulsed the Alemanni or intermarried with them. Since then this region has been franconian. However, what exactly happened in the area of present-day Künzelsau up to and including the first millennium AD remains in historical darkness, due to the non-existence of reliable evidence.