First Roman marching camp discovered in Saxony-Anhalt –

The remains of four Roman marching camps have been discovered in Saxony-Anhalt, providing the first archaeological evidence of Roman legions reaching the Elbe in the third century. They are the northeasternmost camps in Germania.

After the failure of Emperor Augustus (r. 27 BC to AD 14), who attempted to conquer the Germanic tribes east of the Rhine and met Rome’s defeat at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, Roman military operations in Germania were essentially restricted to the empire’s borders (boundaries). They take defensive measures against intrusions and deter future intrusions through punitive measures.

Ancient sources do record battles in Free Germania (“Free Germany”), but they are few and of questionable reliability. Archaeological evidence is therefore crucial to determining the accuracy of historical accounts and to developing a more complete understanding of Roman campaigns beyond Germany’s borders.

The Saxony-Anhalt Office for Heritage Management and Archeology (LDA) worked with volunteer archaeologists to use satellite imagery and aerial surveys to identify marching camps through marks left on the ground.

Roman camps were highly standardized facilities. A typical rectangular camp fence has rounded corners. The main camp road, laid out at right angles, leads from the gate to the interior. At the intersection of these roads stands the headquarters building, the Principia. A typical feature of a marching camp is the so-called title – A section of ditch with its ramparts in front of the gate passage. The standardized floor plan can be clearly distinguished from other prehistoric or historic structures recorded in aerial photographs.

By examining aerial and satellite images, archaeologists discovered two potential marching camps near Aken, one near Trabitz and one near Dersheim. They conducted geophysical surveys and metal detector exploration of the sites.

During the course of metal exploration, more than 1,500 individual finds were discovered and recorded. Most of the finds were iron artifacts. The proportion of legible modern material can be said to be relatively small. The sheer number of nails and bolts is astounding. A number of fibula fragments and coins were also found that helped date the site.

Geophysical measurements not only confirmed the information obtained from aerial photographs, but also significantly expanded it. While the entire structure was captured in the survey images of Delsheim, the header of the ditch and the presence of fillets were confirmed in Trabitz.

Targeted excavations confirmed the discovery, with Roman V-shaped defensive ditches uncovered at all four sites. Radiocarbon dating results indicate that the camps were built in the early third century. Coins found there date from the same period.

The Saxony-Anhalt State Office for Heritage Management and Archeology is continuing an in-depth study of the newly discovered Roman marching camp, which promises to shed new light on the presence of Roman armies in the central Elbe-Saale region. If it is confirmed that these battles date back to the time of Emperor Caracalla, then the opinion of historians, who believe that the Germanic wars at Caracalla occurred only near the Lime River, needs to be revised.