Fort Öhringen-West

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Fort Öhringen-West
Alternative name Burgkastell Öhringen,
Westkastell Öhringen
limes ORL 42 ( RLK )
Route (RLK) Upper German Limes
Vorderer Limes, route 9
Dating (occupancy) around AD 159/160 to AD
259/260 at the latest
Type Cohort fort
unit a) Cohors I Helvetiorum (?):
around 159/160 AD
to at the latest between 222 and 231 AD.
b) Cohors I Septimia Belgarum :
between 222 and 231 AD
and at the latest 259/260 AD .
size 159.50 × 152.8 m (= 2.18 ha)
Construction a) wood-earth
b) stone
State of preservation largely destroyed; the fort area is largely covered by the hospital building, which is why the area is partly strongly lowered
place Öhringen
Geographical location 49 ° 12 '19.6 "  N , 9 ° 29" 50.6 "  E
height 239  m above sea level NHN
Previous Mainhardt Castle (southeast)
Subsequently Fort Westernbach (northwest)
Upstream Kastell Öhringen-Ost (southeast)
The Vordere Limes with the older Neckar-Odenwald-Limes to the west

The Kastell Öhringen-West , which is also known as Westkastell Öhringen and Bürgkastell Öhringen , was a Roman military camp of the Principate , its crew, a cohort , security and surveillance tasks on the Front Limes, a section of the UNESCO World Heritage Site " Upper Germanic-Raetischer Limes ”took over. The ground monument , which has been largely destroyed today, is now in the Hohenlohe district of Baden-Württemberg in the area of ​​the large district town of Öhringen and is largely covered by the Hohenlohe hospital. Due to the poor state of preservation, the Öhringen-West fort itself was not included in the world heritage.

location

The cohort fort built in the "Untere Bürg" corridor was located around 1.20 kilometers from the Limes on a terrace rising slightly to the north and east on a hillside between the Ohrn , which passes to the northwest in a bend in the river, and the Maßholderbach , which runs west in this area flows into the valley of the Ohrn at the western foot of the fort. The praetorial front of the fort points to the east on the terrain of the steep slope ridge on which the Roman imperial border separated the Barbaricum from the Mediterranean cultural achievements that had been effective up to this point as if drawn with a ruler . Rising from the northwest from the valley of the Maßholderbach, the border installations ran up to the hillside without any change of direction or consideration for the terrain and then fell to the southeast into the former river floodplain of the Ohrn. In the former floodplain area and the Limes stretching along there, the Ströllerbach, which is most likely important for the water supply of the fort, flows northeast from the Barbaricum into the Ohrn. The only slightly smaller second fort of Öhringen, also known as Ostkastell or Rendelkastell, was about 1.2 kilometers away on the same slope southeast of the west fort and also above the Ohrn, but only 230 meters from the Limes. Both forts were built at roughly the same altitude. The west fort at around 239 meters above sea ​​level , the east fort at around 237 meters above sea ​​level . The relatively mild climate and the very fertile landscape were ideal for a positive development of the civilian settlement without this having had a major impact on the emergence of the garrison location, which was initially judged purely from a military point of view.

Research history

As the field name "Untere Bürg" shows, the knowledge of any type of fortification was known until the early modern era. The area at the fort was already settled in pre-Roman times. The provincial Roman archaeologist Hans Schönberger (1916–2005) found the remains of a corresponding house during his investigations at the fort in the 1960s, the floor plan of which is an irregular ditch and three rows of post pits at right angles to it .

The west fort was first recognized as a Roman fortification in 1766/1767 by the Count Hohenlohe archivist and councilor Christian Ernst Hanßelmann (1699–1776), who had his residence in Öhringen, in the course of several years of field research into the expansion of Rome in the Hohenlohe area that he treated located. Shortly afterwards, in 1768/1769, he also secured the location of the east fort. The trigger for his activities was a prize question from the Mannheim Academy in 1765 . The scientific approach to the subject chosen by Hanßelmann was reflected in his two well-known major works. In 1768 the "Evidence of how far Roman power had penetrated in the wars waged with different German peoples, also in what is now the East Franconian, especially Hohenlohe region ...", followed in 1774 by the "Continuation of Evidence ...". As a basis for the regional research history that began in the Hohenlohe area at that time, these writings cannot be valued highly enough, especially since the copper engravings not only found material and site plans, but also actual excavation findings, such as parts of the fort baths of 1770, which were exemplary for the time Öhringen, which was printed in the "continuations" and, according to Hanßelmann, was "over 200 paces south of the Bürgkastell". The interpretation of the findings and the sheets of the excavations that Hanßelmann had sent to the copperplate engravers in the form of sketches show at the Öhringen fort bath that, in addition to possibly incorrect statements made by the archeology pioneer, freedom and / or misinterpretations by the engraver were incorporated, which neither the information provided von Hanßelmann in his text, nor the findings themselves. Hanßelmann's achievements in Limes research, which had been active in Germany for almost a hundred years, for example, which Nikolaus Person (before 1648–1710) for the Wetterau and Johann Alexander Döderlein (1675–1745) for Bavaria had promoted, are later despite this and others not to rate recognized misjudgments and problems highly enough.

Hanßelmann's research received little appreciation in his time and so his knowledge of a fort bath disappeared from scientific awareness. During the construction of the railway line below the fort area in 1878/1879, however, a hypocaust facility and brick stamps were discovered immediately south of the railway embankment . Thirteen years later, the records of this finding had already been lost, but the approximate location of the discovery could still be determined. The Reichs-Limeskommission (RLK), which was represented in Öhringen at that time , suspected that the Hanßelmann bath was rediscovered during the railway work and came across a wall during subsequent excavations in the well-known area, which "perhaps also belonged to the facility." In this case, too, the places where these walls were excavated were not preserved for posterity. When the municipal slaughterhouse was built on the presumed grounds of the fort bath in 1912, the workers evidently drove away stone material broken out in wagons. This means that all archaeological activities have rested here for over a hundred years.

The west fort with the excavation results from 1892 to 1894

Öhringen's forts were defeated by the responsible route commissioner of the Reichs-Limeskommission (RLK), Ernst von Herzog , (1834–1911) in three campaigns, from 25 August to 24 September 1892, from 9 to 20 October 1893 and from 23 examined until August 25, 1894. Both fortifications belong to the first research work of this commission, whereby the excavations concentrated on the exact location position and the defensive walls. In addition, some search cuts were made in the central area. The classical philologist Ernst von Herzog (1834–1911), who worked for the RLK, published the excavation results in the Limeswerk in 1897 .

The work on the construction of the district hospital, which is now in the north-west of Öhringen, which began in November 1909 , was monitored from the outset by the district nurse Adolf Wolf (1879–1915), who most recently worked full-time as senior prefect at the Öhringen Progymnasium . The actual excavation work, which lasted until January 1912, began in the summer of 1911, with Wolf, under the leadership of the Reich Limes Commission , being able to carry out the subsequently unrepeatable explorations of the fort's staff building (principia) . Wolf found that the new hospital building was built exactly above the intersection of the two main streets of the fort, the west-east running Via praetoria and the north-south laid Via principalis .

All the following construction work in the area of ​​the hospital and the findings uncovered between 1912 and 1957 remained undocumented. It was not until 1957 that archaeologists and Hans Schönberger returned to the two castles in Öhringen. When a nurses' home was to be built in the west of the hospital in 1959, the prehistorian Hartwig Zürn (1916–2001), supported by his excavation technician Fritz Maurer (1929–2016), was able to observe a 150-meter-long excavator elevator, which also cut the north-west curve of the fort wall . This discovery led to further investigation. Up until 1970, there was a lot of informative documentation on the fortifications, which made it possible to trace the most important fixed points for the development of the western fort. Schönberger was also responsible for the final excavation results.

In 1980 the archaeological work again concentrated on the fort area in the area of ​​the district hospital.

When the slaughterhouse, which has since been abandoned, was demolished in 2016 in order to build a residential complex in its place, the State Monuments Office accompanied the excavation work. In the process, that Roman wall came to light that the RLK had already uncovered. Ultimately, under pressure from the upcoming construction work in 2016/2017, a rescue excavation was arranged, in which the east side of the fort bath with a multi-phase bathing pool actually came to light. Due to a teaching excavation in 2018, another small section of the fort bath could then be examined.

From 2019 to 2020, in anticipation of an extension of the Hohenlohe Hospital, which is expected to be completed by 2023, new rescue excavations were carried out on some of the last remaining remains of the fort, including one of the gates again. Under the heading “Save what can still be saved from the Roman legacy”, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Hohenloher Zeitung, Peter Hohl, wrote that “the reputation of the people of Öhringen in monument protection circles… is known to be not the best”.

Building history

Dating approach

Ceramic and metal finds from the two forts in Öhringen (excavations 1892–1894)

With the shifting of the border towards the west to the Front Limes , the Cohors I Helvetiorum in Öhringen , which had previously been stationed on the central Neckar in the Heilbronn-Böckingen fort, moved into a new garrison. Brick stamps and other inscriptions from this unit, some of which can be dated more precisely, were found in both Böckingen and Öhringen. Böckingen, now in the Limes hinterland, was given up with the move. The long-planned change of garrison to the new camp, which was advanced further east, was an organizational masterpiece, as it ultimately affected all military locations along the Neckar-Odenwald-Limes . The ancient historian Géza Alföldy (1935–2011) determined in 1983 based on the epigraphic evidence from Böckingen known at the time that the Helvetian cohort still stood on the Neckar at least in 148. For a long time, the founding of the western fort of Öhringen was given as "middle of the 2nd century".

As the research and comparisons with other forts advanced on the Front Limes showed, Öhringen-West was only built at the end of or shortly after the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161). Apart from the archaeological excavation results, there is so far no direct ancient written evidence of the construction of the Vorderen Limes . After evaluating two inscriptions found in the Mediterranean, Alföldy speculated that the Limes stretch of the Front Limes had been expanded "around 155" under the Upper Germanic governor Gaius Popilius Carus Pedo (around 152–155). At least important military activities or troop movements must have taken place. The scientist placed himself in the tradition of the archeology pioneer Ernst Fabricius (1857–1942), who had already determined this period in 1902.

Newer finds and methods could possibly frame this assumption more precisely or correct it in terms of time. The felling date of the winter 159/160 AD could be determined on the earliest dendrochronologically analyzable timber from the beneficiary consecration district at the Osterburken fort in the north . However, under the temple there was a stone spring with a nymph and dedicatory inscription, which was stratigraphically undoubtedly older. Alföldy's research suggests that the construction of the spring catchment could have occurred during the governorship of Gaius Popilius Carus Pedo. The Osterburken cohort bath investigated from 2004 onwards offered further datable material. It should be noted that the oak posts from the first construction phase, which had been preserved in the groundwater, were felled in the late year of AD 164. According to the provincial Roman archaeologist Klaus Kortüm from the Baden-Württemberg State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, further Osterburkener woods could be dated to the year 161 AD, which supports the assumption that the actual Front Limes was only with the Rhaetian Limes - from which the corresponding dates - was built in a cross-provincial expansion shortly after the death of Emperor Antoninus Pius (January 161). An important basis for this thesis is the consideration that the construction of the cohort baths in Osterburken could in all probability not have taken place insignificantly later than the construction of the fort. According to Kortüm, a significant presence of Roman troops before 160 AD is becoming increasingly unlikely, at least for Osterburken. The reassessment of the consecration stones of the centurion Veranius Saturninus , who still had the Numerusbad of Neckarburken rebuilt and enlarged by his unit, the Barracked Numerus Brittonum Elantiensium (unit of the Elzbrittons) in 158 AD , suggests a move around 160 AD . Chr. think. The centurion also left a consecration stone at his new garrison town of Osterburken - albeit without a date.

The thesis of a later dating approach of the Vorderen Limes raises new questions. The date around 160 AD not only makes the Osterburken nymphaeum, which is older in time, more puzzling. Some older Roman mines were found under the cohort bath of Osterburken, which have nothing to do with the construction of the thermal baths. The archaeologists recovered organic remains, roots, wood waste and some processed wood here. Small amounts of Roman pottery were also found. The evaluation of these finds is still pending. In this context, emphasis should also be placed on the wood samples dendrochronologically examined by the forest scientist Bernd Becker (1940–1994) from a well dug directly in the Murrhardt Fort that was built around 159 AD . There is also the oldest datable fragment of inscription from the “Vorderen Limes” from the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius from the Jagsthausen fort , which needs to be assigned. Only new discoveries and analyzes will possibly make a final assessment of the events at that time possible.

The almost square, 159.50 × 152.8 meters (= 2.18 hectare) castle Öhringen-West had rounded corners and, historically, belongs in a row with camps such as Osterburken or Jagsthausen. In addition to the west-east oriented Öhringen-West, the east fort was built at the same time. All camps in Öhringen-West were set up in the same place and were always the same size.

Enclosure

The development of the enclosure wall and trenches in Öhringen-West took place according to the archaeological analysis in three periods.

Period 1

The oldest warehouse built from wood had a wood-earth wall around three meters wide. Schönberger could see post moats on the inside of the fort, which served to support the soil towards Lagerringstrasse (Via sagularis) . In front of the wood-earth wall there were three defensive trenches at a distance of eleven meters, with the outer pointed trench 3 with its outermost extent being around 24 meters from the wall and being nine meters wide and four meters deep. The middle Spitzgraben 2 was renewed once and was the narrowest and least deep of this period. The innermost trench 1 no longer showed any traces, as it was completely destroyed by the new trenches from period 2. Schönberger reconstructed an original berm of around two meters for the wood-earth warehouse . He could imagine a simple pointed ditch as the innermost ditch, but nothing was left of this. To the north and south the wood-earth camp was the same size as the stone fort from period 2. It will have been the same in the east and west. However, due to the overbuilding there, Schönberger was unable to provide scientific evidence for his research.

Period 2

This was followed by the construction of an enclosing wall made of stone with a relatively narrow width of 0.70 to 0.90 meters, which was built in front of the old wood-earth wall, which was preserved as a battlement. However, the wooden construction was retained for the gates. Six wooden posts that were set at least 1.80 meters into the ground flanked the gate passage in two rows. The fort had a narrow berm and in front of it the innermost of the trenches, which was now designed as a double-pointed trench. The other trenches, which apparently had not been in use for long, were abandoned. As early as the excavation plan from 1892, two pointed trenches were recorded with the exact dimensions.

Period 3

Probably in the second third of the 3rd century the stone surrounding wall with the earth dam on its inside was removed. It is possible that this demolition only took place in parts, with stone material slipping into the double pointed trench, some of which would still have been usable. The defensive wall, which was newly erected at a distance of 1.50 meters in front of the old wall, had a foundation thickness of around 1.45 to 1.65 meters. The berm in front of it was two to three meters wide and now ended in a single, newly created pointed ditch.

Of the four stone gates from period 3 that were uncovered by the Imperial Limes Commission, the single-lane south gate facing the Ohrntal, the Porta principalis sinistra , was the best preserved. The gate towers flanking this gate, which had a size of 7.15 × 5.70 meters, protruded around 1.40 meters from the connection of the surrounding wall. The gate passage was measured at around 3.50 meters. Similar data could be obtained from the excavation of the north gate, the Porta principalis dextra . The ground plan of the single-lane gate, which was re-excavated by the State Monuments Office in 1980, also shows two side gate towers protruding from the wall. The gate passage here was around four meters. The excavations also revealed structures of the previous development from period 1 at the north gate. There was a simple gate passage, slightly inwardly offset, whose post pits could be partially verified. The main gate of the fort, the east- facing Porta praetoria, was already severely disturbed during the excavations, so that no clear floor plan can be identified. The rear west gate, the Porta decumana , was expanded as a double gate with flanking gate towers and was around ten meters wide during the last stone construction phase. Stone towers now stood in the rounded corners of the fort. The southeast corner tower was measured with a size of 2.80 × 4.20 meters. So far, the excavations have not been able to provide any evidence of intermediate towers.

Interior development

The iron finds from the well in the staff building, including militaria. Numbers 6 and 10 are helmet straps; 20, 21, 22 lance tips
Principia

The essential findings on interior construction are based to this day on the investigations carried out by Wolf during the construction of the hospital. During the previously carried out excavations by the RLK, only a few remains of screed and wall could be recognized along the west side of the fort and in the center. The three-aisled wooden vestibule of the Principia in the center of the fort overlapped the Via principalis . All in all, with the exception of the flag sanctuary (Aedes / Sacellum) , this building was constructed in wood with an adobe framework. The flag sanctuary at the back was adjoined by the stone slab of the peristyle of the Principia , on which there was a 16.40 meter deep well with an inner diameter of 1.40 to 1.46 meters. The productivity of the spring was so strong during its excavation in the summer of 1911 that the workers hardly managed to control the inflowing water. Due to its scientific value, the fountain was restored with the support of the State Conservatory in order to be preserved for posterity. Several architectural elements and inscription stones and had been thrown into the well shaft and could be recovered. Wolf also found numerous small finds made of wood, bone, clay and metal. He commissioned the zoologist Max Hilzheimer (1877–1946), who was then working in Stuttgart, to determine the number of animal bones found in the well. In addition to beef and pork slaughterhouse waste, a lot of chicken bones and two almost completely preserved goat skeletons of the same age with milk teeth were found. The bones, which were not damaged by cuts or other slaughter, left the impression as if the two young animals had been completely brought into the well. On the bottom of the well lay a completely preserved bronze lid and the remains of four large iron wheel tires that belonged to the bottom casing of the well. The high weight of the consecration stones in particular means that they cannot accidentally end up in the fountain. Like the one-meter-wide bronze lid, they must have been deliberately placed in the shaft. Some inscriptions from the well, which were dedicated to the nymphs, were related to the expansion of a water pipe and the completion of a well within the fort walls. Both the consecrations and the architectural parts, which included two twisted Tuscan columns about two meters high with reddish stucco, entablature stones, a 0.80 meter clear water basin and a 0.90 meter high well that was still leaning against one wall of the staff building and the high relief of the water god Neptune with a dolphin, which was also discovered , probably once adorned a nymphaeum at the mouth of the water pipe in the fort. Such a spring cult directly inside a Roman camp is only known from Öhringen on the Upper German-Raetian Limes. Wolf recognized the remains of paint on the stone image of Neptune, who placed his flesh-colored left foot on a reddish painted dolphin. The background of the display showed a water-green color. The water was evidently flowing out of the open mouth of the marine mammal. Wolf assumed that the water for the well stem first flowed in a trough-like, 1.9 meter long and 1.55 meter wide sandstone before it emerged from the dolphin's mouth over the well stem. The trough was heavily sintered by the calcareous water when it was discovered and could have served to redistribute the water. In the area of ​​the staff building there were iron pipe clamps that allow wooden pipelines to be accepted. The provincial Roman archaeologist Claus-Michael Hüssen considered where the nymphaeum once stood as unknown, but assumed that it was located in the Latera Praetorii , the median of the fort. Other archaeologists see the nymphaeum in the courtyard of the staff building, where its remains were discovered in the well.

further warehouse buildings

To the southwest of the Principia , 6.70 meters south of the Via praetoria , Wolf was able to find remains of stone buildings and a square hypocausted room with sides of around 7.75 meters in the Retentura , the rear storage area. The 0.42 meter high hypocaust pillars, some of which were still in situ , were kept one meter apart. Another possibly heatable room that Wolf referred to as the basement was located on the eastern edge of the Principia and perhaps belonged to the Praetorium , the commandant's house. According to Wolf's report, numerous traces of wooden barracks, pits and cellars were found in the central and southern area of ​​the Prätentura, the front camp. However, these cannot be supplemented to form recognizable floor plans. Even during the more recent excavations up to 1980, only a few pits and parts of the foundation trenches came to light. However, the findings are sufficient to establish that the interior development, including the buildings in the Latera Praetorii , consisted of wooden houses at all times. Only a few parts of the building or foundation areas were made of stone. The excavators were able to locate remains of the camp roads at various points. In addition, an extremely rich ditch of the Via sagularis followed in the north and south.

Inscriptions from the fort area

The building inscription of the aqueduct from the year 187 AD, recovered in 1911. Historical photo from 1912. Today the upper right corner of the stone with the corresponding text is missing

Particularly important for the history of the fort during the first half of the 3rd century are the inscription stones recovered from the well of the staff building. In addition, the official data of governors and consuls can be confirmed.

Important for the original construction of a water pipe to the fort is CIL XIII, 11757, an altar dedicated to the nymphs. This proves that the line was completed in 187 AD. The indication per pedes was intended to indicate the length of the water pipe, but no information has been preserved - no information has been carved into the stone. As paint remains show, the consecration memorial was once painted white and the letter depressions were painted red.

[N] ym [p] his
pro salute et vi-
ctoria Imp (eratoris) [[Com-]]
[[modi]] Antonini
Aug (usti) Pii [[Felicis]] ius-
su Clementis
Dextriani leg (ati)
Aug (usti) pr (o) pr (aetore) quod
aqua non esse [t]
induxit per Iul (ium) De-
[m] etrianum | (centurionem) leg (ionis) V [III]
Aug (ustae) p (iae) f (idelis) c (onstantis) [[Commodae]]
on foot […]
Crispino et (A) eliano co (n) s (ulibus)

Translation: “To the nymphs for the salvation and victory of the emperor Commodus Antoninus Augustus, the pious and happy, on the orders of Clemens Dextrianus, governor (of Upper Germany). Because there was no water, he let it pass through Julius Demetrianus, captain of the 8th August legion, the pious, loyal, steadfast, Commoda, ... feet, in the consulate year of Crispinus and Aelianus. (187 AD) "

The repair inscription of the water pipe from July 23, 231, recovered in 1911. Historic photo from 1912. Today the lower left corner of the base is missing from the stone

The aqueduct was renewed in 231 AD. A dedicatory inscription was also created for this event, which was ceremoniously erected on July 23, 231:

[I] nh (onorem) d (omus) d (ivinae)
aquam [[Alex-]]
[[andrianam]]
coh (orti) I Sept (imiae) Bel-
[[g (arum) Al <e> xandrian ( ae)]]
sub c (ura) Cati Clementini
co (n) s (ularis) perdux-
it L (ucius) Val (erius) Optatus
praef (ectus) dedi (cata) X Kal (endas)
[A] ug (ustas) Pompeiano
[e] t P (a) elignian (o) co (n) s (ulibus)

Translation: “In honor of the divine imperial house. The 1st Septimic cohort of the Belges, the Alexandrian, laid the Alexandrian aqueduct under the supervision of the Consular Catius Clementinus. The commandant Lucius Valerius Optatus inaugurated it on the 10th day before the end of August in the consular year of Pompeianus and Pelignianus. "

Sextus Catius Clementinus Priscillianus , attested as governor of the province of Germania superior since July 231, had been consul in 230. In honor of the emperor, the cohort gave the aqueduct the name "aquam Alexandriana"

The water pipe in the central area of ​​the fort also led to the commandant's house and the fort bath. After the line route had been destroyed by the effects of the war and remained interrupted for a long time, it was renewed in the 1940s and inaugurated on December 4th, 241. The dating testifies to a certain calm in the area of ​​the Front Limes , which is also reflected in the inscriptions found from the small fort bath on the Steinäcker corridor in Jagsthausen. A consecration saved there was made between 244 and 247. Since the names of the then ruling emperors, Philippus Arabs (244–249) and his son Philippus Caesar (247–249), were erased, the Jagsthausen fort still existed after 249. From the Osterburken fort north of Öhringen, Philippus Arabs is also mentioned in the latest known inscription. The peculiarities of this inscription restrict the installation period to the years 244 to 249 AD. The coin series also ends in the military bath, Bad I von Osterburken, with a silver-plated Antoninian by Philip Arab.

The second repair inscription of the water pipe from December 4, 241, recovered in 1911. Historic photo from 1912. Today, the stone is missing six fragments with text that can be seen here, which were located in the two breakpoints

The Öhringer text from the year 241 reads:

[In] h (onorem) [d (omus) d (ivinae)]
Nymphis perennibus
aquam Gordianam
coh (orti) I Sep (timiae) Belg (arum) Gordi-
[a] nae multo tempor (e)
[interm] issam sub cura
[…] ani [c] o (n) s (ularis)
C (aius) Iul (ius) Roga [tianus e] q (ues) R (omanus)
praef (ectus) coh (ortis) ei [usdem ]
[novo aq] uaed [u] ctu pe-
[rd] uxit [pe] r [pe] des V (quinque milia) D-
CC [C] CVII qu [am s] alere
in [stit] uit […]
in praet [orium? …]
Et in bali [neum]
dicata pr (idie) Non (as)
Dec (embres) Imp (eratore) d (omino) n (ostro) Gor-
diano Aug (usto) II et Po-
mpeiiano (!) co (n) s (ulibus)

Translation: “In honor of the divine imperial house, the inexhaustible nymphs have the Gordian aqueduct of the 1st Septimic cohort of the Belge, the Gordian, after it was interrupted for a long time, under the supervision of the consular ... anus the Roman knight Gaius Julius Rogatianus, commander of this cohort , in a new aqueduct to a distance of 5907 feet (= 1772 m), because he resolved to feed the flowing fountains in the praetorium and in the bathing area. The aqueduct was inaugurated the day before the Nones of December in the consulate year of the Emperor, our Lord, Gordianus Augustus (for the second time) and Pompeianus. "

Troop

Brick stamps and other military object markings from the Öhringen forts (excavations 1892–1894)

As evidenced by brick stamps , the Cohors I Helvetiorum , which was still in the Heilbronn-Böckingen fort on the Neckar Limes in 148 AD, was the first auxiliary unit stationed in Öhringen. Since their stamps came to light both in Öhringen-West and in the Öhringen-Ost fort, their direct garrison location is unknown. Further troop units were added later, in particular three tangible numbers that are attested to on Öhringer inscriptions. However, there is also the possibility that two of these numbers, the Brittones Cal (...) and the Brittones Murrenses came to Öhringen at about the same time as the Helveticians. Their stamps were also found at both Öhringen military sites. Based on these stamps, it seems certain that both units initially appeared separately. Only a short time later, during the reign of Emperor Marc Aurel (161-180), the two numbers were merged in the opinion of Schönberger and were given the new name Brittones Aurelianenses, which was probably derived from that in honor of the Vicus Aurelianus constituted by the emperor . It is possible that the Numerus Brittones Aurelianenses was in the west fort, but this assumption cannot be scientifically confirmed. What is certain, however, is that the Cohors I Helvetiorum and the Numerus Brittones Aurelianenses in Öhringen existed in parallel at least for a time. Their time together between 175 and 177 is documented.

The Cohors I Septimia Belgarum followed around 230 AD. The already mentioned inscriptions from the years 231 and 241 attest to their presence in Öhringen-West. This cohort was established during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus and there is evidence that it stayed in Mainz until after 222. It was therefore only assigned to Öhringen-West between 222 and 231 AD. It is still questionable today whether it replaced the Cohors I Helvetiorum or was intended as a military reinforcement for the Öhringen area.

Border patrol commanders of the Cohors I Helvetiorum, the Cohors I Septimia Belgarum and the Numerus Brittones Aurelianenses

Surname rank Time position comment
Caius Valerius Titus Centurio legionis 175-177 Coming from the tribe Quirina, an area around Reate, today's Italian Rieti in Latium , he was Cornicularius consularis former orderly officer of a commander-in-chief; Commander of the Cohors I Helvetiorum and the Numerus Brittones Aurelianenses. He left two inscriptions that have survived. After his assignment in Öhringen he was named as a commander in Miltenberg between 193 and 211.
Iulius Demetrianus Centurio legionis 187 was centurion of Legio VIII Augusta ; had the water pipe to the fort built
Father culius proculus Centurio legionis between 151 and 250 was centurion of Legio VIII Augusta ; under him an unknown section of the Centuria of Iulius Silvanus was completed.
Lucius Valerius Optatus Praefectus cohortis 23 July 231 is named as commander of the Cohors I Septimia Belgarum; had the water pipe to the fort renewed
Gaius Julius Rogatianus Praefectus cohortis 4th December 241 is named as Eques Romanus and commander of the Cohors I Septimia Belgarum; had the water pipe to the fort renewed again

Military bath

The fort bath of the west fort after Hanßelmann's investigations. The plan in the Limeswerk was merely an attempt to reinterpret the historical excavation results
The northern access area of ​​the military bath after the excavations from 2016 to 2018

About Hanßelmann's research in 1770, when he came across a Roman bathing complex "over 200 paces south of the Bürgkastell" and was undertaking excavations, no further indications of its location survived, even if at the request of interested foreign citizens he provided the names of the various owners of the Fields on which he had dug published in order to preserve the location of the sites for posterity. The scholars agreed that there should be no problems with changes of ownership in the future, as the changes recorded in the control rolls could be traced without difficulty.

For Hanßelmann, the weld pool “on the so-called local Unter Bürg” was the second Roman bath he discovered in Öhringen, as he had dug in the ruins of a hypocausted building in November 1768, not far from the Rendelstein, at the place of the Ostkastell Weld pool responded. From both excavations he published engravings in his continuation of the evidence ... in the appendix. The foundation walls of the building on the Rendelstein were shown in an oblique view and with a supervisory plan; from the bath at the Westkastell only the detailed engraving of the floor plan was printed.

In 1870, the railway foreman Fridolin Ringler had himself transferred from Göppingen to the vacated railway foreman position in Öhringen. After the construction of the railway connection between Heilbronn and Öhringen, a state tree nursery was set up immediately to the south of the embankment built in 1861. In December 1878, Ringler recognized building remains of a hypocaust and cut the complex. However, for safety reasons, the research had to be stopped at the foot of the embankment. The exposed building remains were then destroyed by the rest of the tree nursery. The description of this excavation provided by Ringler must have been of great care. He delivered them with the few small finds to the State Collection of Patriotic Antiquities in Stuttgart. The finds at that time also included stamps on the pillars of the Suspensura made of brick slabs . The plates had sides of 0.21 to 0.29 meters and were between 0.35 to 0.50 centimeters thick. Hansselmann had already backed up the relevant material and had it archived.

When, on August 25, 1892, the responsible line commissioner Ernst von Herzog had the spade set for the first time in Öhringen, Ringler's documentation was already considered lost. However, the RLK saw a connection between Hansselmann's bath and the hypocaust system discovered by Ringler and assumed that both findings belonged together. The RLK was able to uncover a wall east of the tree nursery, which in their opinion could possibly also have belonged to the bathroom they were looking for. Unfortunately, the exact location of this wall was not recorded either. In the decades that followed, there was much speculation as to where Hansselmann might have dug and whether the whole bath might not have been completely destroyed in the meantime. The discussion got new nourishment when, for the construction of the new municipal slaughterhouse east of the Ringler excavation site in 1912, stones that had broken out were removed by wagons. Due to the lack of research results, Hanßelmann's engraving was redrawn in the Limeswerk in a theoretical reinterpretation.

With the demolition of this slaughterhouse in 2016, it became possible for the first time to conduct research on site again, but the archaeologists were only able to come across Roman masonry after excavating a construction pit for the new planned inner-city residential complex. It is assumed that this rediscovered the wall that had already been exposed by the RLK. And the course of the wall indicated that further building remains could be located on the neighboring property on which the tree nursery was once established. In order to get a picture of the presumed wall remains before an excavation, the scientists first used modern non-destructive techniques such as georadar . However, no interpretable picture could be provided here.

For this reason, probes were initially set in 2018, which was followed by a teaching excavation by the University of Freiburg under the direction of the provincial Roman archaeologist Sarah Roth in coordination with the State Office for Monument Preservation. During the subsequent investigations, the northern part, built in stone, and thus the main entrance to the military bath, was recorded, which was obviously preceded by an assembly room, the basilica , which was also trimmed, and was only built in timber frame construction , as is customary for the type of row bath often found on the Limes. The remains of the Roman period running horizon of the basilica had a layer of fire rubble over it. From the basilica , ancient visitors entered the actual bathing area, which was built in stone, and there first the cold bath ( frigidarium ) , which is probably rectangular in plan , but which is only known in its entire width of around 7.70 meters. In Öhringen-West, this area was equipped with rectangular sandstone slabs laid over a screed, most of which had edge lengths between 0.30 and 0.70 meters. A brick-built sewer ran under the floor to the west from the frigidarium to a latrine next to it, which flushed the sewer water. The finding can be interpreted as if the canal was shut down during a renovation phase and the latrine was demolished. In their place, an almost square, around 2.50 × 2.50 meter large cold water basin was created. The screed of the new basin, laid out as Opus signinum , had a cladding made of brick slabs on the rising side. To the east of the frigdarium , another, larger cold water basin became known in 2016, the depth of which could be measured to be over one meter due to its good state of preservation. To the south of this basin, there was another room, which was equipped with a gray floor. The wall between the two rooms seems to have existed at least temporarily as a low parapet wall before the continuous dividing wall was built. By a lucky coincidence, a block of the wall from the last-mentioned cold water basin was preserved, which still had the ancient layers of plaster. Inside, the basin had two layers of beige plaster, while the outside of the thermal bath had been given a fine white plaster.

In the early Middle Ages, the castle ruins, which were still visible at that time, were used as a burial site. This dating resulted in the human skeletal remains found during the excavation after the use of the radiocarbon method .

After the educational excavation was completed, all areas opened up by the excavation were filled in again in accordance with the monument conservation requirements. To this day, this is considered to be the safest way to safely preserve the structural remains for the future. The excavators of the bathhouse ruins, which were researched from 2016 onwards, assume that they have rediscovered the Hanßelmann thermal bath, which is well-known among experts. The differences to his research results and the modern investigations can be seen in the excavation and interpretation methods, which were still in their infancy. Despite all the differences between the historical excavation plan and the current results, the scientists managed to achieve a certain congruence. One of the most important finds is a carnelian gem depicting the god Neptune.

Militaria

Militaria was also found inside the west fort. In the well in the Principia , which Wolf had excluded , a lance tip with a pronounced central ridge (27.50 centimeters), two further lance tips (26.50 and 17.50 centimeters), two iron helmet bows of the Niederbieber type and the remains of chain mail came to light . In addition, a well-preserved iron shield boss was found during the excavations by Schönberger.

Vicus Aurelianus

Cast of one of the two Minerva statues found in 1861, which came to light south of the “Obere Bürg” corridor during the construction of the railway and which belonged to the cult area of ​​the Vicus . Remains of the dedicatory inscription are preserved: [In] h (onorem) d (omus) d (ivinae) ... (In honor of the divine imperial house ...)

The approximately 20 to 30 hectare camp village, the vicus , could be located east of the fort between Karlsvorstadt and west of the willow mill. The vicus was probably named after Marcus Aurelius, who ruled as Roman emperor from 161 to 180. As the finds from the camp village testify, at least part of the population seems to have been economically prosperous. Possibly this prosperity was based on the negotiation of special goods in the Roman hinterland. Perhaps this could have included the salt trade. Half of the population of the vicus consisted of military personnel and the other half of civilians. Therefore, a total of around 2,000 people can be expected. According to Kortüms, the center of the settlement is still unknown. Excavations revealed a strip house with a partial cellar, cisterns, pottery kilns and cult areas. As a number of fragments of statues and inscriptions attest, there was a cult area south of the “Obere Bürg” corridor. An altar erected very early there, which was recovered during the construction of the railway in 1861, contains a dedication from September 1, 169. A young men 's union (collegium iuventutis) was founded in the vicus - not uncommon in many Limes catchment areas and cities. The dedicatory inscription that has survived in Öhringen dates to November 1st, 222 AD.

Inscriptions from the vicus

Of national interest was the discovery of four inscriptions that merchants had dedicated to Hercules , Diana and the Genius convenarum and a certain Publius Petronius Caesius Rufus. The pieces came to light in 1961 when a petrol station was being built on Haller Strasse in Öhringen. The entire finding presented itself as a pit 3.50 meters in diameter, filled with brick rubble, broken vessels, three inscription bases for three sandstone torsos of Hercules, Diana and the Genius convenarum, which were also placed in the pit. The bottom of the pit was very dark and partly discolored red by fire. However, only one of the stones showed scorch marks. The consecration stones were obviously destroyed and buried along with the rubble at the same time. Maybe the place where the stones were once placed wasn't too far away.

The oldest dedicatory inscription that can be precisely dated was severely damaged by the excavation work during the construction of the gas station. It is already more weathered than the two sculptural stones from 232 AD.

[A] ram pro salu-
[t] em (!) P (ubli) Pet [ro] -
[n] ii Caesii R [ufi?]
[…] Io C […]
[… Ap] ro e [t] Ma / [xim] o cons (ulibus) K (alendis)
[De] cenbri / bus (!)

Translation: "An altar for the salvation of Publius Petronius Caesius Rufus (had the association of merchants for their guardian spirit) set up in the consular year of Aper and Maximus on December 1, 207 AD."

The oldest of the three sculptural dedicatory inscriptions is also badly damaged. It dates from AD 198–209.

…]
Impp (eratorum) L (uci) Sept (imi) S [e] -
veri et M (arci) [Aur (eli)]
Anton [ini…]
Augg (ustorum) et Get -
ae Ca [es (aris) …]
IVM […]
COVV […]
V […

Translation: "In honor of the emperors Lucius Septimius Severus and Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Caesar Geta, the association of merchants (a statue) of the guardian spirit of the association (had it erected)."

In h (onorem) d (omus) d (ivinae)
deae Dian (a) e
collegium
[co] nvenar-
um Lupo
et Maximo
co (n) s (ulibus)
Id (ibus) Dec (embribus)

Translation: "In honor of the divine imperial family, the goddess Diana founded the merchants' association (had a statue erected) in the consulate year of Lupus and Maximus, on December 13, 232 AD."

[In] h (onorem) d (omus) d (ivinae)
deo
Herculi col-
legium
convena-
rum Lupo
et Maximo
co (n) s (ulibus) Id (ibus) De [c] (embribus)

Translation: "In honor of the divine imperial house, the god Hercules had the union of merchants (had a statue erected) in the consulate year of Lupus and Maximus, on December 13, 232 AD."

The ancient historian Herbert Nesselhauf (1909–1995) stated that the "Collegium convenarum" mentioned in the inscriptions was a merchants' guild and cult association that used the Vicus Aurelianus to possibly trade with the Teutons in the Barbaricum, because Öhringen would have alone probably not enough incentive to travel here as a trade association. The traders were probably not resident citizens of the place either, i.e. no Cives or Incolae , but only came to the vicus for their business. As the inscriptions attest, the guild cultivated Hercules and Diana. In an excursion into the history of art , the classical archaeologist Volker Michael Strocka demonstrated that the second of the two Minerva statues discovered in 1861 during the construction of the railway south of the “Obere Bürg” corridor, which can be described as a statuette due to their size, was created by the same hand as Hercules - and Diana statue. It is also impressive that, according to their inscription, all three figures were created for the year 232 AD. The inscription on this Minerva also made the Roman name of Öhringen known for the first time and was first published by the historian Paul Friedrich von Stälin (1840–1909).

In h (onorem) d (omus) d (ivinae) vicanis Aurel (ianensibus) signum
Minervae suo
impendio restituit Faus-
tius Faventinus quaestor
Lupo et [Ma] ximo co (n) s (ulibus)

Translation: "In honor of the divine imperial house, the residents of Vicus Aurelianus restored a statue of Minerva at their own expense. The quaestor (parish administrator) Faustius Faventinus in the consular year of Lupus and Maximus (232 AD)."

End of garrison and vicus

The excavators were unable to find any evidence of the violent destruction of the western fort during the time of the Limes Falls up to AD 259/260. In the east fort there were no indications of a violent end either. The coin series ended in 2004 in the years 244/249. What nevertheless indicates violence are, among other things, the clogging of the well in the principia with the components of the nymphaeum and the pit from the vicus area mentioned in detail above, in which burnt rubble and holy stones, most recently dated December 232 AD, lay . However, these two events could not have occurred at the same time, as the water pipe was only repaired in 241 and the water-donating nymphaeum must therefore also have existed. The first major Alemanni incursion in 233/235, when the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes was overrun on a broad front, could have been responsible for the obviously severe damage to the water pipe in the fort, which was "interrupted for a long time" and was only repaired in 241. In addition, the rubble pit from the vicus could be related to this warlike event. With the inscriptions and remains of statues found in the pit, Strocka thought that the cult objects would be buried after they had been subjected to the destruction by the Alamanni. The second Alemanni incursions in 242/243 are considered to be the next great warlike events. In the large northern garrison town of Osterburken, however, both the last datable inscription and the last known coin from the cohort bath can be assigned to the years of reign of the emperor Philip Arabs. The findings that have been made again and again for well over 100 years have also confirmed that the Osterburken fort was forcibly sunk by 259/260 at the latest. In the Jagsthausen fort, its commander Valerius Valerianus had an inscription consecrated in the small fort bath for the renovation of the thermal baths. As the chiselling of the emperor names of Philippus Arabs and his son mentioned above from the building inscription of the same bath shows, the thermal baths and fort still existed after 249. The inscription is therefore one of the latest inscriptions of military activity before the Limes fall. At least in some places of the Vorderen Limes , the sinking could only have taken place shortly before the final point 259/260. In the small fort Rötelsee there were still coins from the reign of Emperor Gallienus (253–260) and from the small fort Haselburg there is evidence of an Antoninian of Gallienus, which was minted in 259 at the earliest.

Post-Limestone coins are known above all from Jagsthausen and Öhringen. Perhaps they point to the continued existence of the Roman provincial population, whose life now took place on a more modest scale and without military protection.

Lost property

Selected finds from the forts and the vicus are in the Weygang Museum in Öhringen , in the Museum Römerkeller Oberriexingen , in the Limes Museum in Aalen , in the Landesmuseum Württemberg in Stuttgart, in the Hällisch-Franconian Museum in Schwäbisch Hall , in the Heilbronn Municipal Museums and in the Neuenstein Castle Museum .

Monument protection

The ground monuments in the Öhringen area are protected as registered cultural monuments within the meaning of the Monument Protection Act of the State of Baden-Württemberg (DSchG) . Research and targeted collection of finds are subject to approval. Incidental finds are to be reported to the monument authorities.

literature

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  • Christian Ernst Hanßelmann: Continuation of the evidence of how far the Romans' power, in which wars waged with various German peoples, also penetrated into what is now the East Franconian, especially Hohenlohe Land, shown from those in the years 1768, 1769 and 1770 further discovered and hitherto unknown strange Roman monuments and other remains. Messerer, Schwäbisch Hall 1774.
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Web links

Commons : Kastell Öhringen-West  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b c d Dieter Planck : New excavations at the Limes (= Small writings on the knowledge of the Roman occupation history of Southwest Germany 12), 1975, p. 10.
  2. ↑ Jürgen Obmann u. a .: Limes development plan for Baden-Württemberg, protection, development and research of the world heritage. State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council, Esslingen 2007, p. 16.
  3. ↑ Castle Öhringen-Ost
  4. ↑ a b Horst Geiger: Attempt to reconstruct the Roman aqueduct of Öhringen with inscriptions . In: Gilbert Wiplinger (Ed.): Cura Aquarum in Ephesus Congress Report, Ephesus 2006. Babesch Supplementa 12, pp. 287–293; here: p. 292 (site plan).
  5. ↑ a b c d Claus-Michael Hüssen: The Roman settlement in the area around Heilbronn. Theiss, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8062-1493-X , p. 57.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f Horst Geiger: attempted reconstruction of the Roman aqueduct of Öhringen with inscriptions . In: Gilbert Wiplinger (Ed.): Cura Aquarum in Ephesus Congress Report, Ephesus 2006. Babesch Supplementa 12, pp. 287–293; here: p. 287.
  7. ↑ Hans Schönberger : The Roman fort Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 244.
  8. ^ A b c d Hans Ulrich Nuber : Limes research in Baden-Württemberg . In: Monument Preservation in Baden-Württemberg 12, 1983, pp. 109–118; here: p. 111.
  9. ^ A b c Sarah Roth, Klaus Kortüm : Rediscovery after a long time. In Hanßelmann's footsteps - the fort bath of Öhringen . In: Der Limes 13, Heft 2, 2019, pp. 16–21; here: p. 17.
  10. ↑ Christian Ernst Hanßelmann : Prove how far the Roman power penetrated in the wars waged with various German peoples, also in what is now the East Franconian, especially Hohenlohe, lands, shown from those still existing in such lands, which have been further discovered for some time , as yet unknown strange Roman monuments and other remnants . Messerer, Schwäbisch Hall 1768.
  11. ↑ Christian Ernst Hanßelmann: Continuation of the evidence of how far the Romans' power, in which wars waged with various German peoples, also penetrated into what is now the East Franconian, particularly Hohenlohe Land, shown from those in the years 1768, 1769 and 1770. strange Roman monuments and other remnants still further discovered and hitherto unknown. Messerer, Schwäbisch Hall 1773.
  12. ↑ Ernst von Herzog in the series Der Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes of the Roman Empire (Eds. E. Fabricius, F. Hettner, O. von Sarwey): Department B, Volume 4, Fort No. 42 (1897), p. 4.
  13. ↑ a b Peter Goessler: Adolf Wolf, † June 4, 1915 . In: Fund reports from Schwaben 9–24, 1914–1916 (1917), pp. 138–139; here: p. 138.
  14. ^ A b Adolf Wolf: The west fort near Öhringen . In: Find reports from Schwaben 19, 1911 (1912), pp. 50–68; here: p. 50.
  15. ^ Dieter Planck: Hans Schönberger (1916-2005) . In: Find reports from Baden-Württemberg 28/1, 2005, pp. 896–897; here: p. 897.
  16. ↑ Hans Schönberger : The Roman fort Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 237.
  17. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Claus-Michael Hüssen : The Roman settlement in the area around Heilbronn (= research and reports on prehistory and early history in Baden-Württemberg 78), Theiss, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8062- 1493-X , p. 58.
  18. ↑ Sarah Roth, Klaus Kortüm : Rediscovery after a long time. In Hanßelmann's footsteps - the fort bath of Öhringen . In: Der Limes 13, Issue 2, 2019, pp. 16–21.
  19. ↑ Hohenloher Krankenhaus gGmbH - New Hospital in Öhringen - Allocation of planning and construction services in the partnering model Reference number of the announcement: 2020/381 ; ausschreiben-deutschland.de; accessed on April 30, 2020
  20. ↑ a b c Yvonne Tscherwitschke: Archaeologists in Öhringen: south tower and defensive wall . In: Voice.de, December 15, 2019/6. January 2020.
  21. ↑ Peter Hohl: To save from the Roman inheritance what can still be saved . Stimme.de, January 18, 2019.
  22. ^ Karl Christ : Roman history and history of science. Volume 2: History and Historiography of the Roman Empire. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1983, ISBN 3-534-08338-5 , p. 67.
  23. ↑ Öhringen: AE 1897, 00148e , CIL 13, 12442 : Coh (ors) I Hel (vetiorum)
  24. ↑ CIL 13, 6469 and CIL 13, 6472
  25. ^ Géza Alföldy : Caius Popilius Carus Pedo and the advancement of the Upper Germanic Limes . In: Find reports from Baden-Württemberg 8, 1983, pp. 55–67; here: p. 56.
  26. ↑ a b c Dietwulf Baatz : The Roman Limes. Archaeological excursions between the Rhine and the Danube. Mann, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-7861-1701-2 , p. 236.
  27. ↑ Hans Schönberger : The Roman fort Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 291.
  28. ^ Klaus Kortüm: Osterburken. Roman border post between Neckar Valley and Taubergrund. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. 35, 1/2006, p. 39.
  29. ↑ Géza Alföldy: The linear demarcation of the Front Limes in Upper Germany and the governorship of Gaius Popilius Carus Pedo . In: Egon Schallmayer (Ed.): Limes Imperii Romani. Contributions to the specialist colloquium “World Heritage Limes” November 2001 in Lich-Arnsburg (= Saalburg-Schriften 6). Roman fort Saalburg, Archaeological Park, Bad Homburg v. d. H. 2004, ISBN 3-931267-05-9 , pp. 7-20.
  30. ↑ Osterburken Castle
  31. ↑ Claus-Michael Hüssen: The Roman settlement in the area around Heilbronn. Theiss, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8062-1493-X , p. 145.
  32. ↑ AE 1996, 1166 .
  33. ^ Klaus Kortüm: Osterburken. Roman border post between Neckar Valley and Taubergrund. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. 35, 1/2006, p. 41.
  34. ↑ a b c d Klaus Kortüm: Osterburken. Roman border post between Neckar Valley and Taubergrund. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. 35, 1/2006, p. 44.
  35. ^ Bernhard Albert Greiner: The contribution of the dendrodata from Rainau book to the Limesdatierung. In: Limes XX. Estudios sobre la frontera Romana. Ediciones Polifemo, Madrid 2009, ISBN 978-84-96813-25-0 , p. 1289.
  36. ^ AE 1986, 523 .
  37. ↑ CIL 13, 11766 .
  38. ^ Klaus Kortüm: Osterburken. Roman border post between Neckar Valley and Taubergrund. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. 35, 1/2006, p. 46.
  39. ↑ Bernd Becker: Felling dates of Roman construction timbers based on a 2350 year old South German oak tree ring chronology . In find reports from Baden Württemberg . Volume 6, Theiss, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-8062-1252-X , p. 386.
  40. ^ Dieter Planck, Willi Beck: The Limes in Southwest Germany . 2nd edition, Theiss, Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-8062-0496-9 , p. 82 u. Fig. 84.
  41. ↑ Jagsthausen Fort
  42. ↑ CIL 13, 6561 .
  43. ↑ Stephan Bender , Marcus Meyer: UNESCO World Heritage. Borders of the roman empire. Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes in Baden-Württemberg . Stuttgart 2011, p. 21.
  44. ↑ a b c d e f g h Hans Schönberger : The Römerkastell Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 241.
  45. ^ A b Hans Schönberger : The Roman fort Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 240.
  46. ↑ a b c d Claudia Theune : Teutons and Romanes in the Alamannia . de Gruyter, Berlin 2004, ISBN 3-11-017866-4 , p. 404.
  47. ↑ Charles-Marie Ternes : The Provincia Germania Superior in the picture of the younger research . In: Hildegard Temporini , Wolfgang Haase (Hrsg.): Rise and decline of the Roman world. History and culture of Rome as reflected in recent research 2: Principat 5, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1976, ISBN 3-11-007197-5 , p. 287 ff .; here: p. 801.
  48. ↑ a b c d Willi Beck, Dieter Planck: The Limes in Southwest Germany. Limes hiking trail Main - Rems - Wörnitz . Theiss, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-8062-0242-7 , pp. 65-66; here: p. 65.
  49. ^ A b Hans Schönberger : The Roman fort Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 239.
  50. ↑ Adolf Wolf: The west fort near Öhringen . In: Find reports from Schwaben 19, 1911 (1912), pp. 50–68; here: p. 58.
  51. ↑ Adolf Wolf: The west fort near Öhringen . In: Find reports from Schwaben 19, 1911 (1912), pp. 50–68; here: p. 68.
  52. ↑ Buried treasures: hidden, kept, sacrificed? In: Hans-Peter Kuhnen (Ed.):, Bernd Becker: Stormed, cleared, forgotten? The Limesfall and the end of Roman rule in southwest Germany. Accompanying volume for the special exhibition from May 28 to November 1, 1992 . Württembergisches Landesmuseum Stuttgart, Theiss, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8062-1056-X , p. 92.
  53. ↑ Oliver Stoll : The sculpture equipment of Roman military facilities on the Rhine and Danube (= Pharos. Studies on Greco-Roman antiquity 1). Scripta Mercaturae, St. Katharinen 1992, ISBN 3-928134-49-3 , p. 225.
  54. ↑ a b Oliver Stoll : The sculptural equipment of Roman military installations on the Rhine and Danube (= Pharos. Studies on Greco-Roman antiquity 1). Scripta Mercaturae, St. Katharinen 1992, ISBN 3-928134-49-3 , p. 70.
  55. ↑ a b Horst Geiger: Attempt to reconstruct the Roman aqueduct of Öhringen with inscriptions . In: Gilbert Wiplinger (Ed.): Cura Aquarum in Ephesus Congress Report, Ephesus 2006. Babesch Supplementa 12, pp. 287–293; here: p. 288.
  56. ↑ Martin Kemkes , Jörg Scheuerbrandt , Nina Willburger (eds.): On the edge of the empire, the Limes - border to the barbarians (= Württembergisches Landesmuseum Stuttgart. Archaeological collections: Guide and inventory catalogs 7), Thorbecke, Stuttgart, 2002, ISBN 3- 7995-3400-8 , p. 177.
  57. ↑ Adolf Wolf: The west fort near Öhringen . In: Find reports from Schwaben 19, 1911 (1912), pp. 50–68; here: p. 54.
  58. ↑ a b CIL 13, 11757 .
  59. ↑ a b Horst Geiger: Attempt to reconstruct the Roman aqueduct of Öhringen with inscriptions . In: Gilbert Wiplinger (Ed.): Cura Aquarum in Ephesus Congress Report, Ephesus 2006. Babesch Supplementa 12, pp. 287–293; here: p. 290.
  60. ↑ a b CIL 13, 11758 .
  61. ↑ CIL 13,6608 ; CIL 13, 11758
  62. ↑ Gerold Walser : Roman inscription art. Roman inscriptions for academic teaching and as an introduction to Latin epigraphy. 2nd, improved edition. Steiner, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-515-06065-0 , p. 124.
  63. ↑ CIL 13, 6562 ( figure ).
  64. ^ Dieter Planck, Willi Beck: The Limes in Southwest Germany . 2nd edition, Theiss, Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-8062-0496-9 , p. 60.
  65. ↑ CIL 13, 6566 .
  66. ^ Klaus Kortüm: Osterburken. Roman border post between Neckar Valley and Taubergrund. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. 35, 1/2006, p. 44.
  67. ↑ a b CIL 13, 11759 .
  68. ↑ a b Horst Geiger: Attempt to reconstruct the Roman aqueduct of Öhringen with inscriptions . In: Gilbert Wiplinger (Ed.): Cura Aquarum in Ephesus Congress Report, Ephesus 2006. Babesch Supplementa 12, pp. 287–293; here: p. 291.
  69. ↑ a b c Britta Rabold, Egon Schallmayer, Andreas Thiel: The Limes. The German Limes Road from the Rhine to the Danube. Theiss, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8062-1461-1 , p. 85.
  70. ^ A b Hans Schönberger : The Roman fort Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 292.
  71. ↑ a b CIL 13, 06542 .
  72. ↑ a b CIL 13, 06543 .
  73. ^ Dietwulf Baatz : Buildings and catapults of the Roman army . Steiner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-515-06566-0 , p. 40.
  74. ↑ CIL 13, 06598 .
  75. ↑ CIL 13, 06548 .
  76. ↑ Christian Ernst Hanßelmann: Continuation of the evidence of how far the Romans' power, in which wars waged with various German peoples, also penetrated into what is now the East Franconian, particularly Hohenlohe Land, shown from those in the years 1768, 1769 and 1770. strange Roman monuments and other remnants still further discovered and hitherto unknown. Messerer, Schwäbisch Hall 1774; I. Addenda.
  77. ↑ Christian Ernst Hanßelmann: Continuation of the evidence of how far the Romans' power, in which wars waged with various German peoples, also penetrated into what is now the East Franconian, particularly Hohenlohe Land, shown from those in the years 1768, 1769 and 1770. strange Roman monuments and other remnants still further discovered and hitherto unknown. Messerer, Schwäbisch Hall 1774; P. 133.
  78. ↑ Königliches Statistisches Landesamt (Ed.): Court and State Manual of the Kingdom of Württemberg Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1909, p. 64.
  79. ↑ Swabian Kronik of Swabian Mercury, second division. III. Leaf . In: Schwäbischer Merkur 7 of January 9, 1870, p. 87.
  80. ↑ Ferdinand Haug , Gustav Sixt (ed.): The Roman inscriptions and images of Württemberg. Commissioned by the Württemberg History and Antiquity Association . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1900, p. 338.
  81. ↑ Ernst von Herzog in the series Der Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes of the Roman Empire (Eds. E. Fabricius, F. Hettner, O. von Sarwey): Department B, Volume 4, Fort No. 42 (1897), p. 4.
  82. ↑ Ferdinand Haug , Gustav Sixt (ed.): The Roman inscriptions and images of Württemberg. Commissioned by the Württemberg History and Antiquity Association . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1900, p. 342.
  83. ↑ Sarah Roth, Klaus Kortüm : Rediscovery after a long time. In Hanßelmann's footsteps - the fort bath of Öhringen . In: Der Limes 13, Heft 2, 2019, pp. 16–21; here: p. 18.
  84. ↑ Sarah Roth, Klaus Kortüm : Rediscovery after a long time. In Hanßelmann's footsteps - the fort bath of Öhringen . In: Der Limes 13, Heft 2, 2019, pp. 16–21; here: p. 20.
  85. ↑ Sarah Roth, Klaus Kortüm : Rediscovery after a long time. In Hanßelmann's footsteps - the fort bath of Öhringen . In: Der Limes 13, Heft 2, 2019, pp. 16–21; here: p. 16.
  86. ↑ Adolf Wolf: The west fort near Öhringen . In: Find reports from Schwaben 19, 1911 (1912), p. 66, plate VIII.
  87. ↑ Hans Schönberger : The Roman fort Öhringen-West (Bürgkastell) . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 53, 1972/1973, pp. 233–296; here: p. 280, fig. 19, 118.
  88. ↑ CIL 13, 06546 .
  89. ↑ Marcus Reuter: Studies on the "numeri" of the Roman army in the middle imperial period. In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 80, 1999, von Zabern, Mainz 2001, ISBN 3-8053-2631-9 , pp. 357-569; here p. 443, (at the same time: Freiburg (Breisgau), Univ., Diss., 1996).
  90. ^ Britta Rabold , Egon Schallmayer , Andreas Thiel : Der Limes. The German Limes Road from the Rhine to the Danube. Theiss, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 38062-1461-1 , p. 86.
  91. ^ Willi Beck, Dieter Planck: The Limes in Southwest Germany. Limes hiking trail Main - Rems - Wörnitz . Theiss, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-8062-0242-7 , pp. 65-66; here: p. 66.
  92. ↑ Stephan Bender , Marcus Meyer: UNESCO World Heritage. Borders of the roman empire. Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes in Baden-Württemberg . Stuttgart 2011, p. 22.
  93. ↑ CIL 13, 12442 .
  94. ↑ CIL 13, 06549 .
  95. ↑ Herbert Nesselhauf , Volker Michael Strocka : Weihedenkmäler from Öhringen . In: Find reports from Swabia N.F. 18, 1, 1967, pp. 112-131; here: p. 112.
  96. ↑ AE 1978, 00522 , AE 1978, 00523 , AE 1978, 00521 .
  97. ↑ Herbert Nesselhauf , Volker Michael Strocka : Weihedenkmäler from Öhringen . In: Find reports from Swabia N.F. 18, 1, 1967, pp. 112-131; here: p. 113.
  98. ^ Philipp Filtzinger : Limes Museum Aalen. Society for the Promotion of the Württemberg State Museum Stuttgart, Stuttgart 1991. p. 187.
  99. ↑ Herbert Nesselhauf , Volker Michael Strocka : Weihedenkmäler from Öhringen . In: Find reports from Swabia N.F. 18, 1, 1967, pp. 112-131; here: 114.
  100. ↑ a b c Philipp Filtzinger : Limes Museum Aalen. Society for the Promotion of the Württemberg State Museum Stuttgart, Stuttgart 1991. p. 186.
  101. ↑ Herbert Nesselhauf , Volker Michael Strocka : Weihedenkmäler from Öhringen . In: Find reports from Swabia N.F. 18, 1, 1967, pp. 112-131; here: 115.
  102. ^ Philipp Filtzinger : Limes Museum Aalen. Society for the Promotion of the Württemberg State Museum Stuttgart, Stuttgart 1991. p. 184.
  103. ↑ ubi erat lupa: Minerva - statuette with votive inscription
  104. ↑ Herbert Nesselhauf , Volker Michael Strocka : Weihedenkmäler from Öhringen . In: Find reports from Swabia N.F. 18, 1, 1967, pp. 112-131; here: 119–122.
  105. ^ Paul Friedrich von Stälin : Roman antiquities from Oehringen, discovered in 1861 . In: Württemberg year books for patriotic history, geography, statistics and topography. 1, 1860 (1862), pp. 272-276; here: p. 273.
  106. ↑ CIL 13, 06541 .
  107. ↑ Otto Doppelfeld (Ed.) :: Römer am Rhein , exhibition catalog, Kunsthalle Köln, Ludwig Fein, Cologne 1967, p. 345.
  108. ↑ Hans Schönberger : Brief report on an excavation in the Rendel fort in Öhringen . In: Germania 36, 3/4, 1958, pp. 464-469; here: p. 468.
  109. ↑ Jochen Haas: The environmental crisis of the 3rd century AD in the northwest of the Roman Empire. Interdisciplinary studies on one aspect of the general imperial crisis in the area of ​​the two Germaniae as well as the Belgica and the Raetia. (= Geographica Historica 22), Steiner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-515-08880-6 . P. 178.
  110. ↑ Volker Michael Strocka : consecrated monuments from Öhringen . In: Find reports from Swabia N.F. 18, 1, 1967, pp. 112-131; here: p. 130.
  111. ↑ CIL 13, 6566 .
  112. ^ Philipp Filtzinger , Dieter Planck, Bernhard Cämmerer: The Romans in Baden-Württemberg. Theiss, Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-8062-0287-7 , p. 446.
  113. ^ Britta Rabold, Egon Schallmayer, Andreas Thiel: Der Limes. The German Limes Road from the Rhine to the Danube. Theiss, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8062-1461-1 , p. 79.
  114. ↑ Dietwulf Baatz: The Roman Limes. Archaeological excursions between the Rhine and the Danube. Mann, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-7861-1701-2 , p. 229.
  115. ^ Karl Wilhelmi: Seventh Annual Report to the Members of the Sinsheim Society for Research into the Patriotic Monuments of Prehistoric Times. Sinsheim 1840, pp. 81-82, 85.
  116. ^ Karl Schumacher: Osterburken. (Building inscription from the fort.) In: Limesblatt: Notices from the route commissioners to the Reichslimeskommission. No. 24 (September 30, 1897), pp. 667 ff .; here: p. 667.
  117. ↑ CIL 13, 6552 .
  118. ^ Dieter Planck, Willi Beck: The Limes in Southwest Germany . 2nd edition, Theiss, Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-8062-0496-9 , p. 60 (with ill.).
  119. ↑ Kurt Böhner : Guide to prehistoric and early historical monuments. Volume 24. Öhringen - Jagsthausen - Künzelsau - Langenburg. Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1982, pp. 21/153.
  120. ^ Egon Schallmayer: The Limes. Story of a border. C. H. Beck Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3406480187 , p. 65.
  121. ↑ Claus-Michael Hüssen: Roman times . In: Heilbronn and the middle Neckarland between Marbach and Gundelsheim (= guide to archaeological monuments in Germany 22), Theiss, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-8062-0870-0 . P. 52 ff .; here: p. 63.
  122. ↑ Dietwulf Baatz : The Roman Limes. Archaeological excursions between the Rhine and the Danube. Mann, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-7861-1701-2 , p. 237.
  123. ^ A b c Gustav Müller , Hans Schönberger: Investigations at the fort Butzbach . (= Limes research 2) Mann, Berlin, 1962, p. 121, footnote 279.