Wagbach Castle
| Wagbach Castle | |
|---|---|
| limes | ORL NN ( RLK ) |
| Route (RLK) | Upper German Limes |
| Dating (occupancy) | Domitian, Trajan |
| Type | Small fort |
| unit | a) Legio I Adiutrix , b) Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix and c) Legio VIII Augusta |
| size | 46.25 or 52.60 × 12.80 or 25.95 meters (= 0.1 ha) |
| Construction | Wood earth |
| place | Waghäusel - Wiesental |
| Geographical location | 49 ° 12 ′ 32 ″ N , 8 ° 32 ′ 9 ″ E |
The Wagbach fort , also Wagbachkastell, was a Roman street fort in the municipality of Waghäusel - Wiesental near Bruchsal in Baden-Württemberg ( Germany ).
location
In the Roman Empire it was located in the hinterland of the Upper German Limes on the trunk road from Heidelberg to Strasbourg ( Roman Rhine Valley Road ) on the lowland of the Wagbach and in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD protected the access of the road over this body of water. Due to its location and size, it belongs to the group of small forts at the rear .
Research history
The rectangular rampart, still partially visible above ground, was mistakenly interpreted as a modern ski jump for a long time . In 1953 the facility was examined as part of road construction work and recognized as a Roman military camp.
Building history
The Wagbachkastell measures 46.25 and 52.60 meters outside length on the north and south sides, and 12.80 and 25.95 meters along the west and east sides. It therefore surrounds an area of 0.1 hectare. The facility was enclosed by a trench wall system 9.50 meters wide. During the excavations in 1953, traces of interior construction in truss technology were found that had been laid down by fire.
Due to its rear location and the protective function with a stream crossing, the Wagbachkastell shows parallels to the small fort Allmendfeld .
Dating
Finds of southern Gaulish terra sigillata and brick stamps of the Legio I Adiutrix , which was stationed in Mogontiacum ( Mainz ) , date the foundation of the Wagbach fort in the time of Domitian . The discovery of a coin with the likeness of the Emperor Trajan provides information on the occupancy of the small fort . According to this, the fort may still have existed at the beginning of the 2nd century AD and was probably abandoned in the course of the Trajan troop transfer. This was followed by a civil conversion, which is documented by finds until the 3rd century AD.
Camp village
About 180 meters west of Wagbachkastell on both sides of the Roman highway was a civil camp village ( vicus ), which was repeatedly archaeologically examined between 1984 and 2000. Among other things, a pottery furnace and several wells were discovered here. Dendrochronological examinations of the well wood resulted in the dates 78 and 169 ± 10 AD. In the researched pottery kilns, bricks were built, the stamps of the Legio I Adiutrix , the Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix and the Legio VIII Augusta carried.
Monument protection, preservation of findings and what is found
The Wiesental road fort and the aforementioned ground monuments are protected as cultural monuments under the Monument Protection Act of the State of Baden-Württemberg . Investigations and targeted collection of finds are subject to approval, and accidental finds are reported to the monument authorities. Findings from the Roman fort as well as a model with pewter figures that was recreated in 1991 by members of the Heimatverein in 1991 can be viewed in the museum in the "Old Town Hall" of Wiesental, Kirchstrasse 6.
Individual evidence
- ^ Egon Schallmayer : A pottery furnace with a brick stamp at the Roman Wagbachkastell, Waghäusel-Wiesental community, Karlsruhe district. In: Archaeological excavations in Baden-Württemberg 1984, p. 94ff.
literature
- Karl Friedrich Hormuth: The Wagbachkastell near Wiesental, Kr. Karlsruhe. In: Germania 33, 1955, pp. 46-50.
- Egon Schallmayer : The Wagbachkastell, a Roman earth fort in the Waghäusel-Wiesental district, Karlsruhe district. In: Denkmalpflege in Baden-Württemberg 9, 2, 1980, pp. 51–54. ( PDF )
- Egon Schallmayer: Roman times. In: Barbara Guttmann (Ed.): City of Waghäusel. The story of Kirlach, Wiesental and Waghäusel. Verlag Braun, Karlsruhe 1994, ISBN 3-7650-8130-2 , 1994, pp. 37-49.
- Anita Gaubatz-Sattler: Waghäusel-Wiesental (KA). In: Dieter Planck (Ed.): The Romans in Baden-Württemberg. Roman sites and museums from Aalen to Zwiefalten. Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8062-1555-3 , pp. 348-349.
Web links
- The Roman fort of Wiesental on the website of the museum in the old town hall Wiesental
- The Romans in Wiesental on the website of the museum in the old town hall Wiesental