Aequinoctium fort
| Fischamend Castle | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name |
a) Aequinoctium b) Aequinoctaiae |
| limes | Upper Pannonia |
| section | Route 2 |
| Dating (occupancy) | unknown |
| Type | Alenkastell? |
| unit |
a) Ala I Thracum Victrix ? b) Equites Dalmatae |
| size | unknown |
| Construction | Stone fort? |
| State of preservation | archaeologically not proven |
| place | Fischamend |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 7 ′ 0 ″ N , 16 ° 37 ′ 0 ″ E |
| Previous | Ala Nova Fort (west) |
| Subsequently | Small fort Höflein (east) |
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Fort Aequinoctium was part of the Upper Pannonian Limes in Austria. It is located in the federal state of Lower Austria , Bruck an der Leitha district , in the municipality of Fischamend . In addition to the fort (equestrian camp), this article also describes the watchtowers of Fischamend, Maria Ellend and Regelsbrunn .
Surname
The ancient name of the fort means "night equinox". In antiquity, this denotes the equinox, i.e. the days in the annual cycle on which the daytime and nighttime hours are of the same length (spring and autumn equinox) and which also mark the beginning of the seasons. A plausible explanation of this remarkable naming has not yet been found. It is mentioned in the Tabula Peutingeriana , in the Itinerarium Antonini and in the Notitia Dignitatum ( Aequinoctiae ). The Austrian archaeologist Friedrich von Kenner (1834–1922) initially suspected a copyist's typing error , as he did not necessarily want to associate this term ( aequinoctium instead of aequilancium ) with a military base on the Danube border . Nevertheless, for him the unusual name of this place was due to the distance between Vindobona ( Vienna ) and Carnuntum ( Bad Deutsch-Altenburg ), as it was exactly between the two legionary camps. His suggestion of a copyist's error is difficult to understand, however, since three different ancient sources all testify to the name form Aequinoctium . If this fact is not the basis of the place name, so
- "... the meaning of the first part of the name (aequi-) is certainly aimed at the location of this post halfway between Vindobona and Carnuntum."
Kenner's view that the ancient name of Fischamend points to an equal distance from both directions was also shared by András Graf , Emil Höring and Wolf-Armin von Reitzenstein . Wilhelm Kubitschek (1858–1936) emphasized in this context that after Eduard Polaschek
- “... the name Aequinocto, probably derived from soldier jokes and seems to designate a military rest station. Here the legionnaires patrolling westward from the main camp Carnuntum to Vindobona reached and exceeded the zenith of their daily or multi-day repetitive east-west movement ”.
location
The historic core of Fischamend and its Roman sites are located on a gravel terrace that is divided by the Fischa . Even today there is a clear drop from the northern edge of the terrace to the alluvial land of the Danube, today's Schüttlau . This type of large gravel terraces characterize the landscape from Vienna to Bad Deutsch-Altenburg . The watercourses flowing towards the river pierce them and form small valleys with steep bank walls. The Fischa, which is created by the confluence of the Fischerbach and the Reisenbach , also flows on the bottom of such a valley floor - around three kilometers wide - to the Danube.
In ancient times the place was almost exactly halfway between Carnuntum and Vindobona . While the Tabula Peutingeriana Aequinoctium indicates 14 miles from Carnuntum as well as from Vindobona, the Antonini Itinerarium does not give any precise details of the distances ( Aequinoctio et Ala Nova in media ). It was evidently located on an important axis cross, which was formed by two (postulated) survey lines that started in Savaria and Carnuntum . For the choice of the settlement site in the mouth area of the Fischa, however, it was not these large-scale spatial relationships but certainly the local topography and the geomorphological conditions on site that were decisive. The place name also suggests that the Roman surveyors were well aware of these relationships.
Research history
Early observations
The first mention of the wall remains of a fort near Fischamend come from the years 1736–1737, when the Englishmen Jeremiah Milles and Richard Pococke traveled to Europe. On the way from Vienna to Petronell they also got to Fischamend. About a quarter of a mile before they saw a ditch on the right side of the road and the remains of a wall that surrounded a large piece of land on the banks of the Fischa. It had little mounds of rubble in its center, just like they'd seen in Petronell. This ruin site had already been described by Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli .
M. Klein also reports on the remains of an unusually large fort that is said to have been halfway between Maria Ellend and Fischamend. It is said to have been 1589 fathoms from Fischamend and 944 fathoms from Maria Ellend and extended up to 256 fathoms along the banks of the Danube. Johann Christoph von Jordan decidedly denied the Roman origin of the ruins, since he thought they came from the Middle Ages. Friedrich von Kenner , in turn, considered it Roman.
We know more news about the Roman fishing community from the antiquarian research of a certain FF Wachter, which he wrote around 1821 on the occasion of a trip to Petronell. A pastor told him about a number of burial mounds
- "... which lay at the eastern entrance in the stains close to a field chapel in which Roman coins and fragments of vessels were found".
Remains of a rampart were allegedly also found on the right bank of the Fischa:
- "... about 400 paces below the parish church". In addition to traces of a Roman road near Fischamend "parallel to the Poststrasse" and "... about as far as Ellend", traces of a whole chain of Roman forts are pointed out, "... with double walls from the cross to a hump on the left the Poststrasse. "
Small finds that have been made over and over again have been lost, such as a badly damaged Mithras altar , which is said to have been very similar to a specimen discovered in Schwadorf around 1850 , and a "columnar stone that emerged during the Götzendorf an der Leitha - Klein-Schwechat railway construction “With an inscription consisting of several lines, probably a milestone. After that, systematic excavations were often carried out or ancient finds were recovered during various earthworks.
1900 to 2000
1900–1901: The first scientific excavation was carried out by Colonel Maximilian von Groller-Mildensee . In front of houses Fischamend No. 1 and 2, a canal made of brick slabs ( Tegulae ) was observed when a new street paving was being laid . A 4 × 5 m brick floor was discovered in a farm building at Fischamend No. 1 and at Hainburgerstrasse 16. The brick stamps came from the Legio X Gemina , and a layer of fire was found. In the courtyard of the same, a transverse wall could be explored below ground level.
In 1901, Groller-Mildensee continued the excavations in the cattle yard and was able to uncover several remains of the Roman wall. A threshold made of cast iron and a square paved with Klaubsteinen are mentioned in this context. Various small finds could be recovered in a layer of fire rubble. South of the property, on a field of arable land, a red discolored rammed earth soil measuring 10 × 18 m was discovered; it was followed by a strip of gravel, which Groller interpreted as the remains of a road. Small finds, coins from Trajan to Septimius Severus , various ceramics, terra sigillata , iron fragments and bricks were found.
Further excavations took place at the Getreideplatz. Here Groller managed to uncover the remains of two buildings. Remains of glass flow were found in building A (two rooms, around 10.20 × 10.75 m). In building B (a wall corner of 6.4 m and 6 m) a heating duct and post holes in front of it could be recognized. Glass fragments, a copper pan, a lance tip, remnants of painted wall plaster and the fragment of a robe brooch were found on objects found.
1903: This investigation was carried out by the head of the Carnuntum excavation, Alois Hauser. Among other things, he was able to detect Roman masonry in the foundations of the city tower. At the intersection of the Vienna - Preßburg ( Bratislava ) road with the Götzendorf an der Leitha – Klein-Schwechat railway line, fragments of a milestone were found which, however, are still considered lost.
1940: During the construction of an industrial estate between Fischamend-Markt train station and the Vienna - Preßburg federal road, Roman-era cooking pits with ceramics and leftovers came to light. The ceramic finds made in this way come from the 2nd / 3rd centuries. Century.
1956: In front of the house at Enzersdorferstrasse 3, at the Getreidemarkt, when a light pole was set, a west-east oriented burial was cut into ( Franz Hampl ), which dates back to the Middle Ages, but was sunk into the Roman settlement soil. The skeleton was found lying on its back, together with the rest of an iron object (knife?). In this settlement layer, parts of a screed were determined and ceramic shards were recovered. The bones were brought to the anthropological department of the Natural History Museum in Vienna.
1975: In 1975, during the foundation work for a garden wall in the courtyard of the Gasthaus Schirmer, Roman finds came to light again (Sigillata picture bowl, gray-toned shards and a clay ball). The finds are now in private hands.
1984: This excavation by the Vienna Federal Monuments Office (BDA) was carried out jointly with the Mannersdorf am Leithagebirge cultural and museum association. The construction of a residential block was planned on plot 216/2, Enzersdorferstrasse. R. Wimmer was able to observe several pit-like discolorations on the walls of the building pit at Enzersdorferstrasse 5. In the excavated material, which was partially examined, numerous finds could also be read out and further litter finds were made during a subsequent inspection of the parcels. The BDA examined the construction pit up to 4.7 m below the current level; two pits could be identified as cisterns with wooden lining. Another pit with post holes was filled with multiple layers, including a layer of fire. Pit 10 was sunk 2.7 m into the gravel and showed some limescale residues on the edges (boiler stone?); it was also viewed as a cistern. Objects found were documented: ceramic shards ( Terra Nigra , Terra Sigillata), a coin of Marcus Aurelius ( minted in 176 or 178 AD), the fragment of a Silvanus altar made of limestone (found during the inspection), various iron fragments, animal bones, a bone one Needle, parts of clothing, a finger ring, a fibula and brick stamps from the Legio X Gemina . Today some of the finds are in private hands.
1986: In 1986, when a gas pipe was being laid in the "Neurisse" corridor, about 3.85 km southeast of the parish church, a waste pit with finds from the Imperial era (ceramics) was discovered. The finds are in private hands.
2000: The excavation was carried out by the BDA. In the south of Fischamend-Markt, on the occasion of the construction of a gas pipeline, an area of 800 m² was examined by the BDA ( Christian Mayr ) on plot 991/1 . The post holes and a foundation trench found in the process belong to a Roman-era wooden structure. The site is three kilometers southeast of the village and 2.5 km north of the Ludwigshof . The found objects, ceramic vessels, are kept by the BDA.
Fort
The location of the fort has remained unknown until now; According to earlier reports, it could also have been on the lower terrace north of today's town center. The previous recordings on the elevated terrace do not allow any clear statements about the use of the area as a military base. The location of the equestrian camp was assumed to be on the right bank of the river, under today's Fischamend, although there are some arguments against it, such as the good view of this position from both bank slopes and the constant risk of flooding. So far, despite smaller soundings, nothing to the contrary has been found. The location of the late antique fortification, in which the Equites Dalmatae were housed, is most likely to be imagined on the knoll in the gusset between the Fischa estuary and the former arm of the Danube, on whose eastern end the parish church of Fischamend stands On the one hand, this small, gentle elevation could have provided just enough space for a small fortification in late antiquity that was oriented directly towards the Danube.
Function and chronological order
The purpose of this fort can only have been to protect the flanks of the two legionary camps Vindobona and Carnuntum . From the valley slopes around Fischamend you also have an excellent view over the Vienna Basin to the Schneeberg , the Rax and the two banks of the Danube as far as the Slovakian and Hungarian borders. Since no large-scale archaeological excavations have been carried out in Fischamend itself, an attempt to date the fort would be pure speculation. Friedrich von Kenner believed that it was built under Vespasian . Eduard Polaschek said that even in the 2nd century AD , Aequinoctium was not an auxiliary camp , but only an observation post on this section of the Danube border. He also referred to the towers near Fischamend described by Groller, especially the wooden tower (see below), but did not want to commit himself to it, as he was also aware of the find of the brick floor from the first half of the 2nd century . Incidentally, for Polaschek, the name Aequinoctium only referred to a kind of military “rest station” from the 1st century AD (see above). Erich Swoboda thought of the construction of the fort under Claudius , but did not want to rule out that this area could be used by the Roman high command due to its soil conditions (a marshy zone up to 15 km deep, only sparsely populated) and through client contracts with the tribes north of the Danube was adequately secured anyway and a separate fort was therefore not necessary in this section. In his opinion, the auxiliary fort was only built under Domitian , as the barbarians had proven too fickle. A. Neumann assumed the 1st or 2nd century AD as the date for its construction for Aequinoctium .
garrison
Due to the lack of suitable finds (especially inscriptions) and the fact that the fort has not yet been located, no reliable information can be given about its occupation. The fort was probably supplied or manned from one of the two neighboring legionary camps (e.g. brick temple of the legio X Gemina from Fischamend). The archaeologists Jenő Fitz and János Szilágyi , however, were of the opinion that no auxiliary troops were stationed in Aequinoctium . Nevertheless, on the basis of the information on a military diploma from Brigetio (133 AD), Fitz considered it possible that members of this unit, i. d. F. der ala prima Thracum victrix ("the first cohort of the Thracians , victorious"), also west of Carnuntum, either in Ala Nova (Schwechat) or in Aequinoctium . For late antiquity, based on the mention in the Notitia Dignitatum , a cavalry unit of the equites Dalmatae (" Dalmatian horsemen ") can be proven. They belonged to the army of the Dux Pannoniae Primae et Norici Ripensis .
Vicus
The location of the Roman settlement ( vicus ) can be determined from a number of structural remains and small finds:
- between the train station and the main road: cooking pits with ceramics and animal bones,
- Enzersdorferstrasse 3: five settlement pits / cisterns / ceramics / Silvanus altar ,
- Getreideplatz: remains of two buildings,
- Hainburgerstraße 16 (formerly No. 1): brick canal / wall remains / brick stamp of Legio X gemina ,
- Hainburgerstrasse 18/2: Remnants of the wall.
In the river bed of the Fischa there were also remains of wooden piles, which probably belonged to the supporting structure of a bridge.
Burial ground
In 1900, Colonel Maximilian von Groller-Mildensee also researched the Aequinoctium cemetery in more detail. On the right bank of the Fischa, right next to the main road, two rows of Roman-era graves, a total of 8, were discovered and examined more closely ( bustum burials). A children's sarcophagus and some small finds were found. In 1906 Josef Bortlik was able to excavate a tile grave containing a skeleton at Hainburgerstraße 143 . On June 10, 1922, east of the entrance was Hainburgerstr. 111 a Roman skeleton grave from the 4th century has also been observed. In the period that followed, such grave structures were repeatedly encountered during construction work or earthworks. Unfortunately, most of the finds could not be secured and disappeared without a trace.
Limes course from the Aequinoctium fort to the Höflein fort
| ON / name | Description / condition | |
|---|---|---|
| Fischamend watchtowers |
Eastern towers: Groller-Mildensee was able to uncover two stone watchtowers on both banks of the Fischa between 1901 and 1903. The wooden predecessor building was also found from the eastern tower.
From the latter there were still sparse remains of the lower layer of beams. The northwest corner, part of the east side and the remains of a stake from the south side. Based on these findings, Groller suspected a square tower. The N side measured 4.50 m, the others were probably about the same length. The tower was also surrounded by a circular 80 cm wide fence (diameter 15 m) and destroyed by fire. In its northwest corner there were still molten remains of shield bosses and helmets, including a sesterce from the time of Emperor Nerva , an indication that the tower was probably destroyed in the last decade of the 1st century AD. In terms of its construction, it was comparable to the towers on the Upper German Limes, in contrast to these, but also surrounded by a stone wall. 94 m to the east, a little closer to the bank of the Danube, stood the stone tower, which measured 6 × 6 m square. Sometimes there was also brickwork up to 70 cm high. Since numerous broken bricks were also found, Groller-Mildensee suspected that it was covered with a tiled roof. Animal bones and shards of utensils also indicated that the tower was probably always occupied. An iron stilus and a pilum point were recovered outside the tower . Western tower: From the second stone tower, west of Fischamend, the south and west front, part of the east and north side as well as a piece of the floor screed could be exposed. The dimensions resulted in a rectangle of 6.38 × 6.68 m. The tower foundation had a 1.75 m high and 80 to 90 cm thick massive wall structure, which was put together from unusually large quarry stone blocks. Groller-Mildensee explained the solid construction from the surrounding terrain, as the view of the Danube was somewhat restricted from here and the tower must have been higher than usual. Groller was also able to uncover a grave on its west side. The nails for the sole attachment were still on the foot of the skeleton. It was probably the grave of a Roman soldier, as the shape, size and distribution of the nails matched the impressions on bricks and comparable finds from Carnuntum . |
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| Watchtowers Maria Ellend | The place is about 16 km west of Schwechat and belongs to the community Haslau-Maria Ellend ( Bruck an der Leitha district ). Between 1901 and 1903, Groller-Mildensee was able to uncover three towers to the northwest, only a few meters from the banks of the Danube, a group of Roman buildings one kilometer from Ellender Hof and a third one 2.5 km west of the latter.
The old church: The region around Maria Ellend has often been associated with the presence of Roman guard and observation posts. F. v. Kenner positioned such a thing above misery, referring again to M. Klein. In 1896 an Austro-Hungarian pioneer group came across a "previously unknown wall" while building roads in the northwest of Maria Ellend. It was believed that the remains of the so-called “old church” were in front of them, since, according to an entry in the parish chronicle, the village church of Maria Ellend had stood directly on the banks of the Danube until 1770. In 1901 Groller-Mildensee uncovered the remains of the wall on behalf of the Limes Commission of the Imperial Academy of Sciences , as a watchtower was suspected here. Due to the nature of the masonry, he subsequently interpreted it as the remnant of such a tower that was also used after antiquity. Tower facilities Ellender Hof: In connection with the exploration of the Limesstrasse in 1901, the Limes Commission came to the conclusion that it must have passed close to the so-called Ellender Hof. Although no traces of a Roman road could be discovered in the course of the investigations , the remains of at least two settlements were found that were believed to have had some connection with the border security. The crew, exact dating and function of these systems could not be determined beyond doubt. Building group 1: This was one kilometer west of Ellender Hof. It consisted of five buildings, one of which Groller-Mildensee interpreted as a tower. In this scattered settlement, a building 230 m west of the group of houses could also be recognized as a street tower. The difference to other previously known towers was that this one was slightly smaller. Its dimensions were only 12.45 × 12.80 × 11.65 × 12.70 m. The tower was also surrounded by a 4.80 × 4 m wall. Building group 2: The other group - about 2.5 km away - consisted of three structures, the northern one of which was also viewed as a road watchtower. This has a rectangular floor plan of 9.7 × 8.2 m. The wall thickness was 4.20 × 4.35 m. The foundations lay on a layer of roll gravel, and there was also some brickwork that had risen slightly. This tower was also surrounded by a fence. Another building was discovered about 1.80 m from the northeast side of the tower defense (square, 3.50 × 3.20 m, wall about one meter thick). From the location of the buildings in relation to one another, Groller-Mildensee drew the conclusion that they might have served as a blocking and control post. |
|
| Regelsbrunn watchtower | The village of Regelsbrunn is located 600 m south-east of Bruck / Leitha . Here, Groller-Mildensee discovered the foundations of two buildings, rising masonry was no longer there, but fragments of Roman bricks were still found here and there. The foundations, still relatively well preserved, measured 30–50 cm in height and 40–50 cm in width. They were of the same design as the watchtower "in der Sulz" near Höflein. In the east of the two buildings, the size of its two rooms was particularly striking (17.25 × 9.90 m and 10.95 × 7.75 m). The one to the west (only one room, 5.50 × 6.60 m) was viewed by Groller-Mildensee as a watchtower. Furthermore, some small finds, terra sigillata and two coins of Valerian and Maximianus were found. | |
| Burgus Rohrau Forest | This building find was described by Groller-Mildensee in the course of street research by the Limes Commission in 1900. Discovered in 1899, it was built over again a year later and was then no longer accessible for more detailed investigations. In addition to a slightly larger one, the remains of an irregularly square building (dimensions 10 × 11 m) were uncovered. Since the dimensions seemed a bit too big for that, Groller-Mildensee classified it as a street tower with reservations. Its area-wise extension rather indicated a burgus, against which, however, the far too small wall thickness (60 cm) spoke. |
Monument protection
The facilities are ground monuments within the meaning of the Austrian Monument Protection Act . Investigations and targeted collection of finds without the approval of the Federal Monuments Office constitute a criminal offense. Accidental finds of archaeological objects (ceramics, metal, bones, etc.), as well as all measures affecting the soil, must be reported to the Federal Monuments Office (Department for Ground Monuments).
Hints
From Vienna you can reach Fischamend via the east A4 motorway , continue on the B9 towards Enzersdorf / Fischa and then along the B60 , the Preßburger- and Leitha-Bundesstraße. Via the Danube Cycle Path from Vienna on the right bank of the Danube to Orth an der Donau , from there over the Danube to Fischamend.
The local history museum, opened in 1927, is housed in the so-called Fischaturm, which was built in 1050 as a border watchtower under Heinrich III. had been erected. The permanent exhibition on six floors presents the history of the place. Finds from the Roman Aequinoctium are exhibited on the first floor . You can see numerous clay pots, mugs, lamps, bricks and ceramic fragments as well as a number of Roman coins.
See also
literature
- Maximilian von Groller-Mildensee: The Roman Limes in Austria. Book III, 1902, p. 12 ff.
- Kurt Genser: The Austrian Danube Limes in Roman times. A research report. (= The Roman Limes in Austria 33). Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1986, ISBN 3-7001-0783-8 , pp. 548-564.
- Manfred Kandler, Hermann Vetters (ed.): The Roman Limes in Austria. Vienna 1989, pp. 192–197.
- Christian Gugl: Fischamend. Aequinoctium - Roman Settlement - Watchtowers (?). In: Verena Gassner / Andreas Pülz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Austria. Guide to the archaeological monuments , publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2015, ISBN 978-3-7001-7787-6 , pp. 270-273.
- Christian Gugl: Maria Ellend - watchtowers (?). In: Verena Gassner / Andreas Pülz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Austria. Guide to the archaeological monuments , publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2015, ISBN 978-3-7001-7787-6 , pp. 274–275.
- Michael Doneus, Christian Gugl, Nives Doneus: The Carnuntiner canabae - a model for Roman camp suburbs? From aerial photography to a settlement archeological synthesis. The Roman Limes in Austria, No. 47, Vienna 2013.
Web links
- Location of the fort on Vici.org
- Location of the Maria Ellend tower on Vici.org
- Location of the tower in Waldfeld Regelsbrunn on Vici.org
- Location of the tower in Reelsbrunn on Vici.org
- The Roman Limes in Austria
- The Roman Limes in Slovakia. Archived from the original on February 1, 2011 ; accessed on March 7, 2018 .
- Fischamend local history museum
Remarks
- ↑ Notitia Dignitatum, Occ. XXXIV 8.
- ↑ See also Pliny the Elder , Naturalis historia 2, 213: aequinoctis tantam pares horarum mensurae .
- ↑ See Johann Ableidinger: Chronicle of Schwechat. 1929, note 1.
- ↑ Doneus / Gugl 2013, pp. 205ff.
- ^ Tabula Peutingeriana, segment V.
- ↑ 248 / I
- ↑ Doneus / Gugl 2013, p. 208.
- ↑ Agger media inter vischa et elendt via, qui etsi temporis iniuria plurimum de altitudine sua et robore amisisse pyrisque silvestribus passim consitus videatur, satis tamen etiam nunc atollitur, suique reliquias ostendit evidentissimas. Prodentitur autem secundum flumen, ripa citeriori ad 600 usque passus, nimirum ex occidente in orientum; quas plagas utrinque duobus quasi brachiis respicientibus continuatus pene iungitur danubio. Fossam had ante se, et ingressibus aliquot patet. Sed et alius minor, ac depressior, atque 20 passus ab eo remotus agger linea plane pararella procurrit; quem illius quasi probugnaculum dixeris; ita ut hoc totum vallum duplex quasi munimentum constituat
- ↑ Fund Reports from Austria 4, 1940/45, p 65th
- ^ Find reports from Austria, 7, 1956/60, p. 170.
- ↑ Heribert Schutzbier: Find reports from Austria, 15, 1976, p. 264.
- ^ Find reports from Austria 23, 1984, pp. 286–288.
- ^ Find reports from Austria 29, 1987, p. 239.
- ^ Find reports from Austria, 39, 2000, p. 16. and 40, 2001, p. 654 f.
- ↑ Doneus p. 208.
- ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Occ. XXXIV 8.
- ↑ Fischamend Local History Museum
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