Burgus Untersaal

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Burgus Untersaal
limes Danube-Iller-Rhine-Limes
Dating (occupancy) valentine
Type Burgus
size 17.20 m × 17.20 m
(= 0.03 ha)
Construction b) stone
State of preservation no remains visible above ground
place Lower room
Geographical location 48 ° 54 '15.6 "  N , 11 ° 56" 57.6 "  E
height 341  m above sea level NHN
Previous Small fort Weltenburg-Frauenberg (west)
Subsequently Small fort Alkofen (northeast)
The Burgus on the Late Antique Danube Limes
The picture shows the completely changed location of the Burgus at the inflow of the Feckinger Bach into the Danube due to the bridge construction in the 1960s. The path that crosses the historic Burgus site is part of the access to the Danube ferry; State 2015

The Burgus Untersaal is a former late Roman military site ( Burgus ) that was responsible for controlling a section of the imperial border along the Danube-Iller-Rhein-Limes . The archaeologically excavated remains, which are no longer visible today, were located near the church village of Untersaal near Saal an der Donau, east of the district town of Kelheim in Lower Bavaria .

location

For the area between the Danube fort Eining (Abusina) and the Regensburg legionary camp ( Castra Regina ), there is evidence of a dense chain of late antique burgi along the late Roman Danube border. A larger basin bordered by hills has formed between the Danube breakthrough at Weltenburg , which ends west of Kelheim, and the eastern municipal boundary of Bad Abbach . In this basin, the fortification was built on a flat headland at the east end of a high terrace in the gusset between the confluence of the Feckinger Bach coming from the south-west into the Danube coming from the north-west. Immediately southeast of the Burgus, the land rises very steeply up to over 100 meters, but a larger section of the Barbaricum area north of the Danube and the shipping traffic on the river could be clearly seen. In particular, the mouth of the Altmühl , located to the northwest, could be monitored from Untersaal. In line of sight to Untersaal, the alleged Burgus Alkofen was four kilometers east .

Research history

The area where the Feckinger Bach flows into the Danube was settled during the Hallstatt period. Later the Danube valley between Kelheim and Untersaal (formerly also known as the “Postsaal”) became a settlement focus of the Latène period . During the early excavations at the Burgus, ceramic shards from the Hallstatt period with graphite painting came to light, as did a few small finds from the middle Roman Empire.

The historian Johannes Aventinus (1477–1534) already documented Roman inscriptions in 1509 that he found in the area of ​​the Burgus on the Danube or "above at under Saal on the stainen prucken" . There he discovered at least one ancient stone sculpture. The stone bridge over the Feckinger Bach, which had existed for centuries, was in the immediate vicinity of the Burgus. Today it replaces a modern bridge on Bundesstraße 16. The sculptures and stone inscriptions from this area, some of which turned out to be important evidence of provincial Roman research, were walled up as spoilage in the small fortress during the late antique period . At the time of Aventinus, during the German late Gothic period , the Danube tore away the entire northern half of the Burgus. The councilor Leonhard von Eck (1480–1550) had three Roman stone monuments attached to the Untersaaler bridge removed and brought to his garden in Kelheim . At least some pieces from his collection later came to the royal antiquarium in Munich .

As recently as 1874, the remains “below the post office at the mouth of the Feckinger Bach” were thought to be the foundation walls of a church in question, which “was probably destroyed by a strong ice run through the underwater and flooding of the river. The remains of this foundation are so deep that even when the water level is low, the waves pass over them. "

The first excavation took place in 1910. At the beginning of the 1960s, the expansion of federal highway 16 was realized. This also included the relocation of the route in the local area of ​​Saal. The old federal road there became Kreisstraße 19, for which a new line directly on the Danube was supposed to accommodate future national traffic. Since a new bridge over the Feckinger Bach threatened the remains of the Burgus, rescue excavations had to be carried out between 1961 and 1962 at the small fortress located below the former old road bridge. The Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation , Department of Prehistory, together with the Prehistoric State Collection in Munich, coordinated the excavations . The research was directed by the archaeologist Jochen Garbsch (1936–2003). Today no remains are visible above ground.

Surname

There are several speculations among German scholars about the origin of the place name “Saal”. This is mostly traced back to an Indo-European original language . In the past one saw the origin of this name in the Feckinger Bach. This is how Ernst Schwarz (1895–1983) presented it. According to a more recent theory published by Albrecht Greule , “hall” could also refer to a Germanic word composition ( sal-az = one-room house; halla = hall) with the post-Roman one Population could have called the Burgus von Untersaal salla .

Building history

Burgus

The massive Burgus, built according to Jochen Garbsch (1936–2003) during the reign of Emperor Valentinian I (364–375), looks like a scaled-down version of a number of large, rectangular fortresses from late antiquity. Similar constructions as in Untersaal have already been researched. For example, some key features can be found at Burgus Basel-Utengasse in Switzerland . Overall, the Untersaal burgus is one of the largest burgi in the late Roman Danube-Iller-Rhein-Limes.

The facility, which is oriented precisely according to the cardinal points, is assigned to the last phase of expansion of the Roman Limes in today's Bavarian region. For its construction, consecration stones and grave monuments that were no longer needed were brought from surrounding Roman settlements and reused as spoils. Numerous spoils from the building came to light from Aventinus until the 20th century. The 17.20 × 17.20 meter complex had a square floor plan with four rounded corner towers. The foundations of the enclosing walls were two meters thick. Since only part of the curves of the two southern corner towers could still be identified, Garbsch decided after his investigations that the towers had a total diameter of originally five to six meters. During the excavations in 1910, no enclosing trench was found. An excavation cut that was made to the west of the facility was later able to uncover an approximately 3.50 meter wide pointed ditch at a distance of 22 meters. In the 13 × 12.70 meter (= 165 square meter) courtyard, a cistern and the post pits of former wooden structures were observed in 1910 .

Rows of stakes in the Danube

As early as 1955, during dredging work in the bank zone of the Danube and in the mouth of the Feckinger Bach, oak piles were found that had been driven into the ground. They were investigated during the excavations at the Burgus from 1961 to 1962 and formed two parallel rows that were 0.80 to one meter apart. After the archaeological investigations were completed, further similar rows of stakes came to light in the eastern and southern areas of the Burgus during construction in 1963. Here the trunks were still two to 2.50 meters long and had a diameter of 0.20 to 0.26 meters. In 1997, 1998 and 2003 archaeological diving investigations of the Bavarian Society for Underwater Archeology with the support of the Kelheim District Archeology were carried out to investigate these findings.

The double row of piles can be interpreted as the remains of a ship landing. It could also have been a ship bridge .

purpose

The Untersaal may have served as an equipment and supply depot for the surrounding smaller Burgi. The location could also have an important function in monitoring the traffic routes. In addition, these border security stations, reduced to the smallest troop size, may have been responsible for a fast communication link and for warding off smaller Germanic robber gangs. A massive and numerically superior attack by entire tribes could not be prevented directly in the border zones with the Valentine Limes system.

Post-Roman development

During the Middle Ages, the square with the Burgus came as a royal donation to the Niedermünster Abbey in Regensburg . The ferry service that still exists at this point today could testify to a very old continuity that possibly extends back to ancient times. In particular, the interpretation of the oak piles as ship landing would underline this consideration.

Finds and whereabouts

Apart from the rich spolia material, the other finds that can be attributed to Burgus, such as late Roman ceramics, remained sparse in all investigations. Finds from the Burgus are now in the Archaeological State Collection in Munich, in its branch, the Burgmuseum Grünwald and in the Archaeological Museum of the city of Kelheim .

Monument protection

The facilities mentioned are protected as registered ground monuments within the meaning of the Bavarian Monument Protection Act (BayDSchG) . Investigations and targeted collection of finds are subject to authorization, accidental finds must be reported to the monument authorities.

Web links

Commons : Burgus Untersaal  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Eric Birley : An inscription from Untersaal . In: Germania 31, 1953, pp. 199-200.
  • Thomas Fischer : The Roman Limes in Bavaria . Pustet, Regensburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-7917-2120-0 , p. 211.
  • Jochen Garbsch : The Burgi of Meckatz and Untersaal and the Valentine border fortifications between Basel and Passau . In: Bavarian History Leaflets 32, 1967, pp. 51-82.
  • Hans Gebhart, Konrad Kraft: The coins found in the Roman period in Germany . Bavaria, Vol. 1, Upper Bavaria. Mann, Berlin 1970, p. 35.
  • Aladár Radnóti : Lower room . In: Karl Bosl (Hrsg.): Handbook of the historical sites of Germany . Volume 7: Bavaria (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 277). Kröner, Stuttgart 1961, DNB 456882936 , p. 722.
  • Paul Reinecke : Roman and early medieval monuments from the vineyard near Eining on the Danube . In: Festschrift to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Roman-Germanic Central Museum in Mainz . Wilckens, Mainz 1927, pp. 157-166.
  • Marcus Prell: The Roman Burgus near Untersaal: Searching for traces in the Danube. In: Michael M. Rind (ed.): History brought to light (=  archeology in the district of Kelheim 3). Faustus, Büchenbach 2000, ISBN 3-933474-13-2 , pp. 132-135.

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b c d Thomas Fischer : The Roman Limes in Bavaria . Pustet, Regensburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-7917-2120-0 , p. 211.
  2. ^ Andreas Boos : Castles in the south of the Upper Palatinate. The early and high medieval fortifications of the Regensburg area (=  Regensburg studies and sources on cultural history , 5), Universitätsverlag, Regensburg 1998, ISBN 3930480034 , p. 448.
  3. ↑ a b Paul Reinecke : The Imperial Germanic finds from the Bavarian part of the Germania Magna . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission , 23, 1933 (1934), pp. 144–206; here: p. 165.
  4. ↑ Hans-Jörg Kellner : Expeditio Burica . In: Dieter Albrecht , Andreas Kraus , Kurt Reindel (Hrsg.): Festschrift for Max Spindler on his 75th birthday . Beck, Munich 1969, pp. 25-30; here: p. 25.
  5. ^ Karlheinz Dietz : Legio III Italica . In: Yann Le Bohec, Catherine Wolff (eds.): Les légions de Rome sous le haut-empire . Actes du congrès de Lyon (September 17-19, 1998), Lyon 2000, ISBN 2904974199 , pp. 133-143; here: p. 138.
  6. ^ Sabine Rieckhoff-Pauli , Otto Braasch : Guide to archaeological monuments in Germany, Volume 5: Regensburg - Kelheim - Straubing I. Theiss, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-8062-0384-9 , p. 68; Karlheinz Dietz : The oldest dedicatory inscription from the Regensburg legion camp . In: Bayerische Prognistorblätter , 49 (1984), pp. 79-85; here: p. 84; CIL 03.05937 ; CIL 03.05938 ; CIL 03, 05939 .
  7. ↑ Martin Ott: The discovery of antiquity. Dealing with the Roman past of southern Germany in the 16th century (=  Munich historical studies. Department of Bavarian History , 17). Kallmünz, Lassleben 2002, ISBN 3784730175 , p. 94.
  8. ^ Johann Baptist Stoll: The antiquities excavated at Alkofen . In: Negotiations of the Historisches Verein für Niederbayern 18, (1874), pp. 3–38; here: pp. 8–9.
  9. ↑ a b c d e German Gaue. Instructions for observations and research in the home. Volume 13, Kaufbeuren 1912, p. 249; the same text also in: Paul Reinecke: Small writings on the prehistoric and early historical topography of Bavaria . Lassleben, Kallmünz 1962, p. 150.
  10. ↑ Joachim Werner (Ed.): Studies on Abodiacum - Epfach. Munich contributions to prehistory and early history. Volume 7, Beck, Munich 1964; S. VIII.
  11. ^ Hermann Bierl: Archeology Guide Germany. Ground monuments and museums . Wek-Verlag , Treuchtlingen-Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-934145-39-6 . P. 465.
  12. ↑ Ernst Schwarz: The Naristen question in terms of names . In: Journal for Bavarian State History , 32 (1969), pp. 397–476; here: p. 441.
  13. ^ Wolf-Armin von Reitzenstein : Lexicon of Bavarian place names. Origin and meaning. Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, Upper Palatinate. Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-406-55206-4 , p. 239.
  14. ↑ Jochen Garbsch : The Burgi of Meckatz and Untersaal and the Valentine border fortifications between Basel and Passau . In: Bavarian History Leaves 32, 1967, pp. 51-82; here: p. 72, note 118 and p. 77.
  15. ^ Rudolf Moosbrugger-Leu: Archaeological soil research of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Annual report 1973. The castle between Utengasse – Rheigasse and the Robur problem . In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde , 74 (1974), pp. 328–381; here: p. 367, comparative drawing.
  16. ↑ Jochen Garbsch : The Burgi of Meckatz and Untersaal and the Valentine border fortifications between Basel and Passau . In: Bavarian History Leaves 32, 1967, pp. 51-82; here: p. 76 f. (Tables); Fig. 10 f.
  17. ↑ Hans Gebhart, Konrad Kraft: The coins found in the Roman period in Germany . Bavaria, Vol. 1, Upper Bavaria. Mann, Berlin 1970, p. 35. Among the finds also in 1955 the limestone capital of a tomb crowning, see: Roman-Germanic Commission of the German Archaeological Institute, Prehistoric State Collection Munich (ed.): Corpus signorum imperii Romani. Corpus of sculptures of the Roman world , Germany. Volume 1, 1, Raetia (Bavaria south of the Limes) and Noricum (Chiemsee area), Habelt, Bonn 1973, p. 111; www.ubi-erat-lupa.org
  18. ^ Rudolf Moosbrugger-Leu: Archaeological soil research of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Annual report 1973. The castle between Utengasse – Rheigasse and the Robur problem . In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde , 74 (1974), pp. 328–381; here: p. 366.
  19. ↑ Jochen Garbsch : The Burgi of Meckatz and Untersaal and the Valentine border fortifications between Basel and Passau . In: Bavarian History Leaves 32, 1967, pp. 51-82; here: p. 63, note 70.
  20. ↑ Christina Wawrzinek: In portum navigare. Roman ports on rivers and lakes . Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-305-009467-0 , pp. 377-278.
  21. ↑ Jochen Garbsch : The Burgi of Meckatz and Untersaal and the Valentine border fortifications between Basel and Passau . In: Bavarian History Leaves 32, 1967, pp. 51-82; here: p. 66.
  22. ^ Thomas Fischer: Romans and Bavarians on the Danube. Pictures of the early history of Eastern Bavaria. Pustet, Regensburg 1988, ISBN 3791711318 , p. 30.
  23. ↑ Helmut Bender (ed.): The "Bürgle" near Gundremmingen. The 1971 excavation and new finds. (=  Passauer Universitätsschriften zur Archäologie 3) Marie Leidorf, Espelkamp 1996, ISBN 978-3-89646-170-4 , p. 159, footnote 108.
  24. ^ Karlheinz Dietz, Thomas Fischer: The Romans in Regensburg . Pustet, Regensburg 1996, ISBN 3791714848 , p. 206.
  25. ↑ Jochen Garbsch : The Burgi of Meckatz and Untersaal and the Valentine border fortifications between Basel and Passau . In: Bavarian History Leaves 32, 1967, pp. 51-82; here: p. 62; Marcus Prell: The Roman Burgus near Untersaal: Searching for traces in the Danube. In: Michael M Rind (ed.): History brought to light (=  archeology in the district of Kelheim 3). Faustus, Büchenbach 2000, ISBN 3-933474-13-2 , pp. 132-135; here: p. 133.
  26. ↑ Thomas Meier: Man and the environment during the Staufer period: facets of a complex relationship. In: Karl-Heinz Rueß (Red.): Everyday life in the Middle Ages (= writings on Staufer history and art , 24), Society for Staufer History, Göppingen 2005, ISBN 3-929776-17-0 , pp. 105-135; here p. 112
  27. ↑ Hans Gebhart, Konrad Kraft (Hrsg.): The coins found in the Roman period in Germany . 1, Bavaria, Volume 2: Niederbayern, Mann, Berlin 1970, p. 122.