Hitting the jackpot on a dig in Gernsheim: Long lost Roman fort discovered

ScienceDaily ^ | September 15, 2014 | Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

[SunkenCiv]

In the course of an educational dig in Gernsheim in the Hessian Ried, archaeologists from Frankfurt University have discovered a long lost Roman fort: A troop unit made up out of approximately 500 soldiers (known as a cohort) was stationed there between 70/80 and 110/120 AD. Over the past weeks, the archaeologists found two V-shaped ditches, typical of this type of fort, and the post holes of a wooden defensive tower as well as other evidence from the time after the fort was abandoned.

An unusually large number of finds were made. This is because the Roman troops dismantled the fort and filled in the ditches when they left. In the process they disposed of a lot of waste, especially in the inner ditch. "A bonanza for us," according to Prof. Dr. Hans-Markus von Kaenel from the Goethe University Institute of Archaeology. "We filled box after box with shards of fine, coarse and transport ceramics; dating them will allow us to determine when the fort was abandoned with greater accuracy than was possible before."

...The Romans built the fort in Gernsheim in order to take control of large areas to the east of the Rhine in the seventh decade of the 1st century AD and to expand the traffic infrastructure from and to the centre of Mainz-Mogontiac. The fact that Gernsheim am Rhein was very important during Roman times is supported by its favourable location for travel: A road branches off from the Mainz -- Ladenburg -- Augsburg highway in the direction of the Main Limes. One can assume that a Rhine harbour existed as well, but this couldn't be verified during the course of this dig.

[left that other site]

not as bad as Moon Unit Zappa.

[GeronL]

lol

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Domangart]

In other news: that drill is still stuck for six more months.

[colorado tanker]

An unusually straight road, for Germany, goes from Worms to Mainz and passes near Gersheim. I wonder if that’s the path of an old Roman road?

[SunkenCiv]

Roman Germany keyword topics, and a couple more, from the FRchives:

• The Romans in Ireland
• Buddha statue from 6th c found in Viking hoard in Helgo, Sweden
• Gibbon on global warming [Limes in #8]
• Graves Hint At Contact With Romans (Sweden)
• Crystal Amulet Poses Question On Early Christianity (Denmark - 100AD)
• Report: Ancient Roman graveyard found in suburban Copenhagen
• Ancient Roman battlefield excavated in Lower Saxony [Germany]
• Gold-plated Roman horse head found (near Frankfurt) [Limes in #6]
• 2,000-year-old statue of Emperor Augustus on horseback found in stream
• Near Army construction site in Germany, a trove of ancient Roman artifacts
• New finds suggest Romans won big North Germany battle [ Maximinus Thrax ]
• German battlefield yields Roman surprises
• New Iron Age Sites Discovered in Finland [Roman era]
• Ancient Roman Military Camp Unearthed in Eastern Germany
• Archaeologists discover 'Roman Village' in Gernsheim

[SunkenCiv]

and one more:

Students find rare Roman temple on practice dig [Poppelsdorf, Germany]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2883990/posts