Small fort Höflein
| Small fort Höflein | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | unknown |
| limes | Upper Pannonia |
| section | Route 2 |
| Dating (occupancy) | 2nd century AD -? |
| Type |
Beneficiary station ?, Square facility with rounded corners, surrounded by a ditch, the outer contour roughly corresponds to today's cemetery wall |
| unit | Unknown |
| size | Enclosing wall: 61.85–64.50 m × 52.50–54.75 m |
| Construction | Stone fort |
| State of preservation | No longer visible above ground |
| place | Höflein |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 3 '55 " N , 16 ° 47' 20.7" E |
| Previous | Aequinoctium fort (west) |
| Subsequently | Carnuntum (military camp) (east) |
Small fort Höflein was part of the Roman fortress chain on the Upper Pannonian part of the Danube Limes in Austria. It is located in the federal state of Lower Austria , Bruck an der Leitha district , in the municipality of Höflein . Presumably the facility is a beneficiary station on a Roman highway. At the same time, this article also deals with three watchtowers in the immediate vicinity of the small fort.
location
The municipality of Höflein is about five kilometers south of the Danube and five kilometers north of the district capital Bruck / Leitha. The fort once stood on the so-called "Kirchberg" and is now completely under the parish church of St. Ulrich and the associated cemetery. There were three Roman watchtowers nearby, about the first
- two kilometers northeast of Höflein, the second around
- two kilometers to the east in the corridor "Rieden in Gaisbergen" and the third around
- 4.3 kilometers away “in the Sulz”, in the same direction.
The latter two stood directly on the Roman road from Carnuntum ( Bad Deutsch-Altenburg ) to Scarbantia ( Szombathely ).
Research history
Höflein has been known for a long time as a site of Roman artifacts. In 1846, a sarcophagus lid with an inscription and a brick with the stamp of the Legio XIV Gemina were recovered. These were later brought to the Vienna Court Museum together with a stele (found in Göttelsbrunn) . Furthermore, the two inscription stones with the dedications of a beneficiarius consularis and a custos armorum on the cemetery wall on the Kirchberg had been known for a long time .
In the summer of 1896, the kk conservator Wilhelm Kubitschek toured the region. He recognized the favorable topographical location of the Höfleiner Kirchberg as a possible location for a Roman fort or a settlement and based this view on the finds made so far, in particular on three inscription stones set in the cemetery wall (in 1900 Maximilian von Groller-Mildensee added a fourth discovered) and the good view of the so-called "Old Road", the course of which was identical to the former Roman highway from Carnuntum to Scarbantia . Two years later, from December 5 to 10, 1898, Kubitschek organized an archaeological exploratory excavation together with Josef Hilarius Nowalski de Lilia on behalf of the Limes Commission of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in order to collect evidence for his theory. Kubitschek was able to discover the foundations of a tower in the north of the area. The six meter long north wall and the side walls, which were preserved up to a gap of 3.50 and 2.50 meters respectively, were one meter wide. The floor screed consisted of a quarry stone and cast concrete mix ( terrazzo ). The southern area was destroyed by a ravine. The northern edge was about 7.50 meters from the cemetery wall. Although these initial results were promising, Kubitschek stopped the excavation, as an excavation campaign by the Austrian Limes Commission was planned for 1900 anyway.
This was under the direction of Colonel Maximilian von Groller-Mildensee. He especially noticed the east side of the cemetery wall. In the lower part, it consisted of massive hewn blocks with strips, grooves and dowel holes. The design and material of these blocks were identical to the four inscription stones built into the wall and proved that they were used for the defense of the cemetery. Also noteworthy was a depression one to 1.25 meters deep and four to six meters wide running along the wall, which Groller immediately recognized as a moat. Villagers told him that the trench was much deeper 20 years ago, but was then filled with excavated material from the school building's excavation. Although the pastor Matthias Binder showed great understanding for the company, the intensive use of the area meant that exploratory excavations could only be carried out in a few places (west side, north-west and south-east corner), the cemetery itself remained for Groller's excavation team for obvious reasons locked. Five cross-sections over a length of 40 meters in front of the wall clearly showed the profile of a single, 1.20 to 1.40 meters deep and four to five meters wide pointed trench with an 8.80 to 1.20 meters wide berm . The earth material from the school building could be clearly separated, it contained numerous Roman ceramic shards and broken bricks. Groller concluded from this that the school building also stood on remains of Roman buildings. In the trench itself, two coins from the reign of the emperors Trajan (98–117) and Valens (364–378) were recovered. In three places they dug up to five meters beyond the edge of the trench, a second weir trench could not be found. The trench profile on the northwest corner could be found almost immediately.
In all five cuts, the fort wall itself could also be uncovered, which sat directly on the grown clay soil without a layer of rolled gravel. Most of it was preserved up to a height of 0.30 to 0.60 meters and a width of 1.15 to 1.5 meters. Another excavation cut in the southeast corner brought a piece of the rounded corner of the fort to light. The south side could not be examined, the foundation pit could only be traced further on the south-west corner. In the east, the distance between the fort wall and the cemetery wall was still 1.50 meters, but towards the north this distance decreased increasingly until it disappeared completely under the latter. At the north-west corner a piece of the rounded corner of the fort could be traced again (radius: four meters). The foundations that Kubitschek had discovered two years earlier on the north side of the church, which he had identified as the fort tower, could no longer be examined more closely by Groller. But since, after a superficial examination, numerous post-Roman material could be found in the masonry, he interpreted it as the remains of a fortification from the time of the Kuruzenkarrie in the 17th century. Traces of gates, intermediate and corner towers or internal structures could not be observed due to the very limited search area. There was also no evidence of an inner earth ramp on the fort wall; it was - as in Carnuntum - built into a natural slope. Groller suspected the main gate to be in the south, as the former Roman road passed the fort only 300 meters away.
- Parish church of Ortisei and cemetery wall with secondary Roman blocks
View from the east
West side
Southwest corner
East Side
Fort
The fort formed an irregular, slightly to the southeast shifted square with rounded corners and measured 61.85–64.50 m × 52.50–54.75 m (whereby Groller's information only refers to the straight sections of the wall) and covered approximately the area of the cemetery surrounding the church. Foundations were still present on the east side or the north-west corner, the west side was almost completely destroyed. The north and south sides could not be examined. It was also surrounded by a simple 4–5 m wide and 1.20–1.40 m deep pointed ditch whose berm was 0.80–1.20 m wide. The tower foundations that Kubitschek discovered in the north at that time were only fragmentary and, in Groller's opinion, had no temporal or functional connection with the fort.
garrison
According to the current state of research, no clear statements can be made about the units stationed here. Based on the finds (brick stamps, consecration stones), it can be assumed that they were beneficiaries who, given the proximity to the legionary camp, were probably pulled out of the members of the Legio XIV Gemina in Carnuntum .
Function and chronological order
According to Groller, the Höflein fort could not have been intended primarily for border defense. The Kirchberg is around 5 km from the banks of the Danube. The view of the river is blocked by a chain of hills (Goldberg-Wartberg). Today the village of Scharndorf lies on this range of hills . The crew would also have been far too few in number for larger offensive operations.
It is therefore obvious that it should be used as an observation and signaling station, or even more likely as a roadside control post and quarter for a beneficiary unit, due to its convenient location on one of the most important long-distance routes to the south at the time. The inscription on one of the two consecration stones formerly incorporated into the cemetery wall also names a beneficiarius consularis . In contrast to Kubitschek, Gertrud Pascher took the view that the fort must have been built together with the three watchtowers (see below). In their opinion, the facilities were intended to prevent the Carnuntum legionary camp from being bypassed from the flank and, in this context, an attack from its hinterland. To the west, she also considered the Danube crossing at Klosterneuburg - Vienna and the section between Schwechat ( Ala Nova ) and Fischamend ( Aequinoctium ) as well as the route on the left bank of the March via Stupava (Stampfen) and Malacky (Malatzka) to be threatened . The found material available so far is not sufficient for an exact chronological classification. In research it is generally assumed that it was founded in the 2nd century AD. A coin of the Valens found on site could mean that the fort was still in use until this time (late 4th century).
Limes course between the small fort Höflein and Carnuntum (military camp)
| ON / name | Description / condition | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Scharndorf watchtower | In the masonry of the church tower, especially in the lower areas, there is a large amount of Roman building material, especially roof tiles. The local population has always regarded it as a Roman building. For Groller, it was almost certain that this tower must originally have been a signaling station that maintained the optical communication link between the Höfleiner fort and a bank post on the Danube and subsequently with the Carnuntum camp itself. | |
| Northeast signal tower | From this square tower, about 2 km from Höflein, the massive lower part of the masonry could still be examined in the course of the investigation of the Carnuntum - Scarbantia road by Groller from 1897 to 1898 . The square wall measured 3.85 × 3.60 or 3.80 m. The width of the remaining masonry, which was up to 70 cm high, was 1.15 to 1.50 m. The interior measured 1.15 × 1.40 m. | |
| Watchtower Rieden in Gaisbergen | The partly trimmed quarry stone wall of this square street tower was 60-70 cm thick and was still preserved up to a height of 30-50 cm. The wall enclosed an interior space with a side length of six meters. Groller could not find any intermediate walls. Together with the tower foundations, parts of the Roman street pavement could also be observed. | |
| Watchtower in the Sulz | When Groller excavated this square tower (around 1.7 km from Fort Höflein), he found that the foundation and partially rising masonry in the amount of “2-3 flocks” had been preserved. As a base for the masonry, coarse river gravel was poured up to a height of 25 cm. The surface was leveled with mortar. The interior was not divided. Since numerous broken bricks were also found, it was assumed that the tower once supported a tiled roof. However, no traces of support beams could be found. Dimensions of the tower according to Groller: wall thickness 60–70 cm, outer alignment 9.20 × 11.25 × 9.50 × 11.45 m.
In 1990 and 1991, after a successful preliminary investigation, another archaeological excavation was started on plot 2595 “in der Sulz”. The aim was to determine
The foundations were made visible in several places by means of exploratory excavations. By measuring the floor plan, it was possible to prove that these remains of the wall corresponded to the tower described by Groller (dimensions 9.45 × 11.20 m). Subsequently it was observed that the rising masonry had almost completely disappeared due to intensive agricultural use of the site and its surroundings. In places only the lowest layer of the foundations could be observed. The ancient street level could no longer be determined. Only the foundations of the east corner were relatively well preserved, from the west corner only the gravel base was left. The interior was partitioned lengthways (NE-SO). The clay foundations of the inner wall protruded from 3.20 to 3.15 m. Traces of a fireplace could also be found on the NE clay foundation. Finds of broken roof tiles and ceramic shards clearly demonstrated the Roman origin of the remains of the wall, which Kubitschek still disputed at the time. The foundations with a width of 0.70 m would have been able to support an additional storey. The building was too big for a simple signal tower. Although it was in a hollow, a minimum height of around four meters would have been sufficient for a good line of sight to Carnuntum . On the ground floor, draft animals, riding animals or a larger number of people could possibly be accommodated. The fireplace was probably used to prepare food. |
Monument protection and remains
The facilities are ground monuments within the meaning of the Austrian Monument Protection Act . Investigations and targeted collection of finds without the approval of the Federal Monuments Office constitute a criminal offense. Accidental finds of archaeological objects (ceramics, metal, bones, etc.), as well as all measures affecting the soil, must be reported to the Federal Monuments Office (Department for Ground Monuments).
Numerous large blocks in the cemetery wall are the only visible evidence of the fort. You can visit the fortified church with Roman spoils and the villa rustica von Aubühlen. The entrance to the Kirchberg is signposted. Kirchberg and Gutshof can be easily reached via the main road from Höflein - both from Bruck / Leitha and from the direction of Scharndorf (in the village, branch off towards the municipal office). The signposting of the sites was carried out as part of the “Höflein Archaeological Park” project. The finds from the villa are presented in a small permanent exhibition in the Limes Hall of the municipality.
See also
literature
- Herwig Friesinger , Fritz Krinzinger : The Roman Limes in Austria, guide to the archaeological monuments . Publishing house d. Austrian Academy d. Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2618-2 , p. 253 ff.
- Kurt Genser: The Austrian Danube Limes in Roman times. A research report . Verl. D. Austrian Akad. D. Wiss., Vienna 1986, ISBN 3-7001-0783-8 (The Roman Limes in Austria 33), p. 564 ff.
- Kurt Genser: The Austrian Limes in Roman times. A research report (dissertation) Salzburg 1982, part II.
- Manfred Kandler (Ed.): The Roman Limes in Austria. A leader . 2nd, unchanged edition. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1989, ISBN 3-7001-0785-4 , p. 199 f.
- Maximilian von Groller-Mildensee: II. Roman castle in Höflein . In: The Roman Limes in Austria . Volume 3. Rohrer, Vienna 1902, p. 20 ff.
- Petra Turnovsky in: Carnuntum-Jahrbuch 1992 . Publ. Of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1992, p. 149 ff.
- Christian Gugl: Höflein. Small fort - civil settlement - street - villae rusticae. In: Verena Gassner / Andreas Pülz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Austria. Guide to the archaeological monuments , publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2015, ISBN 978-3-7001-7787-6 , pp. 275-277.
Web links
- Location of the fort on Vici.org
- Location of the Maria Ellend tower on Vici.org
- The Roman Limes in Austria
- Roman Wine Route Lower Austria
Individual evidence
- ^ Wilhelm Kubitschek: Mittheilungen der KK Central Commission for Research and Conservation of Art and Historical Monuments 1899, p. 156 ff.
- ↑ CIL 3, 4545 .
- ↑ CIL 03, 04661.04g .
- ↑ CIL 3, 4544 .
- ↑ a b CIL 3, 14359.15 .
- ↑ CIL 3, 14359, 16
- ↑ See Wilhelm Kubitschek: Mittheilungen der KK Central Commission for Research and Conservation of Art and Historical Monuments , 1899, p. 156; Groller, in: The Roman Limes in Austria , Issue 1, 1900, p. 123 f.
- ^ Gertrud Pascher: Roman settlements and roads in the Limes area between Enns and Leitha . In: The Roman Limes in Austria 19 (1949), p. 50.
- ↑ M. Groller: Street research . In: The Roman Limes in Austria . Book 3. Rohrer, Vienna 1902, p. 7.
- ^ Wilhelm Kubitschek: Roman road towers south of Carnuntum? In: Yearbook for Antiquity . Volume 6, 1912, p. 202 f.
.JPG)
