Since the 19th century fortifi ed hilltop settlements are in the focus of prehistoric research in Jena. Friedrich Klopfl eisch (1831-1898), founder of our Institution and Nestor of prehistoric research in Thuringia, made numerous inspections and minor excavations on the hills around Jena and the Saale valley. Almost every professor of Pre- and Early History in Jena dealt with the height fortifi cations. The hilltop settlements in central Germany were recently examined in a project founded by the DFG. The research in and around the Alter Gleisberg near Graitschen is an important part of the Jena research and teaching. The visit of Dr. Zanoci as a EMERGE (Erasmus Mundus) scholarship at our Institute has not only attracted the interest of our staff and students on the Moldovan Prehistory, it also gives us the opportunity to start an exchange of both, research results and students/ scientists due to the similar research focus of our institutions . As a fi rst positive aspect, a small delegation has already traveled to Saharna Mare for talks with local colleagues. The results of this work are summarized discussions in this edition. They show that the amount of settlements of the Bronze Age and early Iron Age off er a promising, broad and still untapped fi eld of research for the future. This book was created as the fi rst characterization of a good cooperation and we hope to enter into an even more intensive and extensive exchanges in the coming years