Ruffenhofen Castle

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Ruffenhofen Castle
limes ORL 68 ( RLK )
Route (RLK) Rhaetian Limes,
route 13
Dating (occupancy) probably Trajan
until around 250 AD
Type Cohort fort
unit Cohors IX Batavorum milliaria equitata
size ORL: 190 × 197 m (= 3.76 ha)

Becker : 187 × 194 m (= 3.63 ha)

Construction a) wood-earth (presumed)
b) stone
State of preservation slight bumps in the floor; Buildings and structures indicated by planting
place Ruffenhofen , Weiltingen
Geographical location 49 ° 2 ′ 47.2 "  N , 10 ° 28 ′ 50"  E
height 457  m above sea level NHN
Previous Halheim Fort (southwest)
Subsequently Fort Dambach (northwest)
Fort Unterschwaningen (northwest)
Backwards Fort Munningen (south-southwest)

The fort Ruffenhofen is a Roman military camp , the for the Rhaetian Limes, a part of the nearby World Heritage Site collected Upper German-Rhaetian Limes was built. The building remains that have not been excavated are now under the corridors of Ruffenhofen , which is around 800 meters south-east and is part of the Weiltingen market in the Ansbach district in Bavaria .

location

Aerial photo of the plant with the plantings in October 2008

The former garrison is located in a hilly landscape around 30 to 35 meters above the northeast-flowing Wörnitz on a weak, northwest-oriented tongue of land that gently slopes into the river valley. In sight, about 1.5 kilometers to the north, the Wörnitz bends sharply towards the southeast at almost right angles. At this point, the Sulzach , flowing down from the “free” Germania , comes up against the river from the northwest, and the west-east oriented Hesselberg towering over the landscape rises steeply on the northern bank of the Wörnitz. In the back of the fortification, the distant view through the hilly landscape is blocked. On the northern slope of the tongue of land occupied by the fort, the Denzenbach flows past into the river valley; he was important for the water supply of the fort.

The facility was set up at a militarily favorable location for observing the border facilities around 2.2 kilometers away. From here it was possible to keep an eye on an extensive section of the Limes between the watchtowers Wp 13/8 in the “Weiltinger Forest” to Wp 13/25 near today's hamlet of Grüb . Among other things, it was possible to see the river crossing of the border installations in the southwest at Wp 13/12 and the subsequent course of the Limes in the northeast on the heights of the opposite bank of the Wörnitz was clearly visible. For the further long-distance connection, the research assumes a signal station on the Hesselberg. So far, only Roman coins have been found on the mountain itself in the adjacent corridors.

From there it would have been possible to exchange messages with the Dambach numerus fort and the Unterschwaningen numerus fort , which was probably abandoned shortly after Ruffenhofen was founded .

Research history

The first excavations are known from 1868. In September and October 1892, extensive investigations by the Reichs-Limeskommission (RLK) under the route commissioner Wilhelm Kohl (1848–1898) took place on the facility, which had already been severely decomposed by agriculture and stone robbery. In 1917 an emergency excavation followed in the camp village. Only the regular aerial overflights since 1977, magnetic field measurements from 1998 and the earth resistance measurement carried out here for the first time in 2004 were able to significantly supplement the excavation findings of the RLK. A modern, extensive excavation-related finding of the complex has not taken place since 1892, so that many questions, including dates, remain speculative. That is why Ruffenhofen, along with Oberhochstatt Fort, is one of the least explored fortifications in the Rhaetian Limes, something that the smaller explorations of the fort wall carried out in 2005 - the first since 1892 - and the four moats have not changed.

Since 2002 the Office for Rural Development Ansbach has bought up previous agricultural land, under which the fort is located. Until 2003 under cultivation, most of the fortification to promote tourism in the surrounding communities was declared as " Römerpark Ruffenhofen ", as decided by the local association "Römerkastell Ruffenhofen", founded in 2001. Lawn was sown on the ground above the foundations. Different colored borders, cut hedges and the pathway indicate well-known structures and buildings of the fort in a park-like atmosphere. A newly filled hill offers a clear view of the park. At the foot of this hill is a model that shows a possible condition of the complex during antiquity on a 1:10 scale.

Building history

Reconstruction attempt based on geophysical knowledge. Archaeological excavations have so far only been carried out very selectively on the site.

Research assumes that a scientifically unproven wood-earth fort was built in the early 2nd century during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98–117). The complex would thus belong to the second fort expansion phase of the border defense system north of the Franconian Jura , after the Unterschwaningen, Gnotzheim and Weißenburg camps to the east .

The almost square, according to measurements by the Reich Limes Commission 190 × 197 meters (= 3.76 hectares), according to research by the geophysicist and archaeologist Helmut Becker 187 × 194 meters (= 3.63 hectares) large stone fort Ruffenhofen is characterized by its area as most important complex between the Alenkastell Aalen and the Alenkastell Weißenburg . The surveyors aligned the Praetorial Front , the side of a fort facing the enemy, towards the northeast towards the Hesselberg. There was a street there. The 1.25 meter wide enclosure of the facility, which was placed in front of an earth ramp, was rounded at the four corners and each had a corner tower.

As the 2005 exploration revealed, the defensive walls consisted of sandstone blocks, which came from various local quarries. The wall foundation was based on stones of various kinds. Since there were mortar residues on these stones, it is assumed that there is a reuse here. On the northeast wall there were two intermediate towers to the right and left of the Porta praetoria , while on the southeastern defensive wall there was only one in the area of ​​the Retentura . The findings on the north-west fence were mirror-like. Only the rear facade of the fort does not seem to have had any intermediate towers. The three gates of the facility had two-lane driveways with two gate towers each. Only the rear Porta decumana was equipped with only one passage between the two gate towers, in accordance with the accepted standard scheme for fort construction.

The garrison site was initially secured with a double trench as an obstacle to the approach. The innermost trench, almost 3 meters deep, was not designed as a pointed trench, but at a very shallow angle, as otherwise the defensive wall that was directly in front of this trench could have slipped off. Only later, possibly in the 3rd century, were two more, but not so deep, trenches around the fort. In the outermost trench, the excavators found loose horse bones from Roman times in 2005, which resulted in an almost complete animal. It is likely that the bones ended up in the trench after a meal or as slaughterhouse waste during an exceptional situation. At least for the most part, these trenches probably exposed at the four driveways.

The Principia , the staff and administration building of the fort, also followed the familiar pattern of the Principate's time . They had a large multi-purpose hall, the long side of which lay over the via principalis , which connected the south-east and north-west gates. Behind this hall was the rectangular inner courtyard with the service rooms surrounding the square. The flag sanctuary ( Aedes ) was located in the center of the rear wing of the building on Via Quintana . So far, a total of four stone buildings have been found in the median of the camp. The soldiers' barracks, on the other hand, were constructed from wood. Four double barracks with 2 × 12 crew rooms and the associated head buildings, in which the centurion and possibly other officers / non-commissioned officers, but also servants lived, were located in the northeastern Praetentura . A barrack was found in the western Retentura . In front of the Porta principalis dextra , at the corner of the Via principalis to the Via sagularis, which ran around the inside of the fort, was the only building that the RLK had recognized, the Horreum , the warehouse of the camp. A total of five barrack complexes were geophysically proven. To this day, however, it is unclear how many barracks were in total on the fort area. These five, but also six, seven or even a maximum of eight of these buildings could have existed. The space inside the fence wouldn't have been enough for more.

The end of the complex probably came during the middle of the 3rd century. The last known coin is an Antoninian from 244/247 AD, which was minted during the reign of Emperor Philip Arabs (244–249). As could be determined with the aid of the cesium magnetometer, strong magnetizations can be determined in the fort area, which indicate a major fire disaster. The fire caused an extreme contrast within the magnetizations. In Ruffenhofen, for example, it was possible to differentiate between the wooden structures that appeared as positive anomalies and the almost non-magnetic stone structures that emerged as negative anomalies.

Troop

In the past, the archaeologist Dietwulf Baatz suspected the partially mounted Cohors IX Batavorum equitata milliaria exploratorum as the regular troop for Ruffenhofen , which was provably also temporarily located in Weißenburg. There she was stationed in the city's east fort, which was only discovered in 1976, which only existed for a short time and was cleared no later than 125 AD. Another possible troop would have been the Cohors III Batavorum milliaria equitata , documented in Rhaetia from 107 to 116 , which subsequently lay as a regular crew in the Lower Pannonian Vetus Salina . After the magnetometer inspection was completed, the Bavarian state curator Sebastian Sommer said in 2005 that the crew would probably be a pure cavalry troop (Ala) . After the large plowed-out fragment of a military diploma emerged from the ground in October 2014 in the vicus area, Baatz's assumptions regarding the troops stationed here can be further substantiated according to the investigations of archaeologist Bernd Steidl . The fragment belongs to a diploma that was awarded in February 160 AD to a ... f (ilio) Villmo Helve [t] (io) , a rider from the people of the Helvetii, which testifies that the Bataverkohort was filled up with members of other nations as early as 135 AD, the recruiting time of this cavalry soldier. The Helvetii in particular were considered to be particularly powerful riders.

Fort bath

Model of the fort bath, which has not been excavated, based on geophysical findings, Limeseum, Ruffenhofen Roman Park.

Through the magnetometer survey of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments , various remains of buildings can be seen in the ground. What should be emphasized is an elongated building with more complex stone structures found in front of the Porta principalis dextra , which rotates completely off the axis of the camp road leaving the fort. In its almost exact north-south orientation with the long side, it can be addressed as a row bathroom.

Vicus and fire burial ground

The vicus, the camp village of the fort, is so far hardly known due to the lack of excavations and extended 700 meters to the south and south-east around the source of the Denzenbach. In the spring of 2000, the magnetometer recorded the grave road. In front of the Porta principalis dextra , next to the thermal bath, a small stone building, perhaps a temple, could be made out. From the Porta decumana the route of the village road runs to the south-southwest.

Finds

Ear protection from a late Weisenau type helmet, pulled down long . The head protection of a squadron is personalized with several owner's hallmarks, Limeseum, Römerpark Ruffenhofen.

The finds from Ruffenhofen include ceramic fragments of the drag shape . 32 , which were generally made between 160 and 230 AD. The focus of the found coins begins with Trajan. It is also important to have a military diploma dated February 7, 160 AD. The soldier who said goodbye at that time was called Villmus, the commander of the unit then stationed in Ruffenhofen, the 9th partially mounted cohort of the Batavians was Modestus. Another militaria is the ear protection from the helmet of a Roman cavalryman. Three owner inscriptions have been hallmarked in the protection who owned this helmet one after the other:

T (urma) Mat (i) Decembri // Augustani // P (ubli) Ruli

First the squadron ( Turma ) of Matius is called, at that time the helmet was in the possession of the soldier December, then the names Augustanus and Publius Rulius follow.

Lost property

Many of the fort's finds were located in the Weiltingen local history museum until the museum (“ Limeseum ”) was built right next to the fort . The Limeseum should serve to develop the region for tourism.

Monument protection

The Ruffenhofen Fort and the aforementioned facilities have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage as a section of the Upper German-Rhaetian Limes since 2005 . In addition, they 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.

See also

literature

General

Individual studies

  • Bernd Steidl : A military diploma from the vicus of the Ruffenhofen fort on the Raetian Limes. On the dislocation of the cohors VIIII Batavorum milliaria exploratorum in the 2nd century AD. In: Bayerische Prognistorblätter 81, 2016, pp. 147–170.
  • Matthias Pausch: Possibilities and experiences of visualization in the Ruffenhofen castle . In: Peter Henrich (Ed.): Perspektiven der Limesforschung. 5th colloquium of the German Limes Commission . (= Contributions to the Limes World Heritage, 5). Theiss, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-8062-2465-8 , pp. 191-201.
  • Matthias Pausch: Visualizations and plantings on the Limes. First experiences and considerations from Ruffenhofen. In: Monument preservation information . Edition B, No. 1 39.Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation, 2008, p. 42 ff.
  • C. Sebastian Sommer : On the occupation of the Ruffenhofen Fort. In: Andreas Thiel (Ed.): Research on the function of the Limes. Volume 2. (= 3rd specialist colloquium of the German Limes Commission February 17/18, 2005 in Weißenburg in Bavaria), Theiss, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-2117-6 , pp. 123-131.
  • Helmut Becker : Prospecting and reconstruction of a grave road, municipality of Wittelshofen and Weiltingen, district of Ansbach, Middle Franconia . In: The Archaeological Year in Bavaria 2001 (2002), pp. 90–92.
  • Helmut Becker: Reconstruction of the Roman fort near Ruffenhofen with the help of magnetometer prospection. In: Monument preservation information. Edition B, No. 3. Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation, 2001, p. 23 ff.
  • Helmut Becker: From Magnetic Prospecting to Virtual Archeology . In: Helmut Becker, Jörg Faßbinder : Magnetic prospecting in archaeological sites (=  Monuments and Sites 6), ICOMOS, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-87490-675-2 , pp. 6-13.
  • Markus Gschwind : Reflex bow stiffeners and slingshots from Iciniacum / Theilenhofen, Gunzenhausen, Mediana / Gnotzheim and Ruffenhofen. For arming Raetian auxiliary units in the middle imperial period. In: Contributions to archeology in Middle Franconia. Volume 5. Faustus, Büchenbach 1999, p. 157 ff.
  • Claus-Michael Hüssen : The miss casting of a Roman Ortband from Ruffenhofen, Lkr. Ansbach In: Contributions to archeology in Middle Franconia. Volume 4. Faustus, Büchenbach 1998, p. 173 ff.

Web links

Commons : Kastell Ruffenhofen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ^ A b c C. Sebastian Sommer: On the occupation of the Ruffenhofen Fort. In: Andreas Thiel (Ed.): Research on the function of the Limes. Volume 2. (= 3rd specialist colloquium of the German Limes Commission February 17/18, 2005 in Weißenburg i. Bay.) Theiss, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-2117-6 , pp. 123-131; here: p. 123.
  2. ^ Günter Ulbert, Thomas Fischer : The Limes in Bavaria. Theiss, Stuttgart 1983, ISBN 3-8062-0351-2 , p. 63; Fischer also in: Die Römer in Bayern , Theiss, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3806210586 , p. 509; Dietwulf Baatz : The Roman Limes. Archaeological excursions between the Rhine and the Danube . Mann, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3786117012 , p. 269.
  3. ↑ Hans-Jörg Kellner : The coins found in the Roman period in Germany . Department 1, Volume 5, Middle Franconia, Mann, Berlin 1965, pp. 33, 34.
  4. ↑ Thomas Fischer, Erika Riedmeier Fischer: The Roman Limes in Bavaria. Pustet, Regensburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-7917-2120-0 , p. 85.
  5. ^ A b C. Sebastian Sommer: On the occupation of the Ruffenhofen fort. In: Andreas Thiel (Ed.): Research on the function of the Limes. Volume 2. (= 3rd specialist colloquium of the German Limes Commission February 17/18, 2005 in Weißenburg i. Bay.) Theiss, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-2117-6 , pp. 123-131; here: p. 125.
  6. ^ Claus-Michael Hüssen: New research results on troop camps and rural settlements on the Danube and in the Raetian Limes area. In: Limes XVIII. Proceedings of the XVIIIth International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies held in Amman, Jordan (September 2000). BAR, Oxford 2002, pp. 535-548; here p. 539.
  7. ^ Anne Johnson : Roman castles. German adaptation by Dietwulf Baatz . Zabern, Mainz 1987, ISBN 3-8053-0868-X , p. 58.
  8. ^ Anne Johnson: Roman castles. German adaptation by Dietwulf Baatz. von Zabern, Mainz 1987, ISBN 3-8053-0868-X , p. 188 ff.
  9. ↑ Hans Schönberger : The Roman troop camps of the early and middle imperial period between the North Sea and Inn . In: Report of the Roman-Germanic Commission 66, 1985 (1986), pp. 321–497; here: p. 471.
  10. ↑ Helmut Becker: From Magnetic Prospecting to Virtual Archeology . In: Helmut Becker , Jörg Faßbinder : Magnetic prospecting in archaeological sites (=  Monuments and Sites 6), ICOMOS, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-87490-675-2 , pp. 6-13; here: p. 11.
  11. ↑ Nicole Lambert, Jörg Scheuerbrandt: The military diploma: source for the Roman army and documents. Theiss, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8062-1726-2 , p. 55.
  12. ↑ C. Sebastian Sommer: On the occupation of the Ruffenhofen Fort. In: Andreas Thiel (Ed.): Research on the function of the Limes. Volume 2. (= 3rd specialist colloquium of the German Limes Commission February 17/18, 2005 in Weißenburg i. Bay.) Theiss, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-2117-6 , pp. 123-131.
  13. ↑ Bernd Steidl : A military diploma from the vicus of the Ruffenhofen fort on the Raetian Limes. On the dislocation of the cohors VIIII Batavorum milliaria exploratorum in the 2nd century AD. In: Bayerische Prognistorblätter 81, 2016, pp. 147–170; here: pp. 147–150.
  14. ↑ Bernd Steidl : A military diploma from the vicus of the Ruffenhofen fort on the Raetian Limes. On the dislocation of the cohors VIIII Batavorum milliaria exploratorum in the 2nd century AD. In: Bayerische Prognistorblätter 81, 2016, pp. 147–170; here: pp. 151–152.
  15. ↑ Nürnberger Nachrichten of May 21, 2015, p. 14.
  16. ^ Matthias Pausch: Limeseum is being built at the Römerpark Ruffenhofen . In: The Limes. Newsletter of the German Limes Commission 1/2012, p. 28 f. (PDF; 2.5 MB) ; Retrieved November 20, 2015.