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Historical sources document several advances by Roman legions as far as the Elbe River. However, until now there has been nearly no concrete evidence of these campaigns in Saxony-Anhalt. In particular, the highly standardized marching camps were expected to be found. Intensive research conducted in recent years by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt has now provided evidence of Roman marching camps for the first time. These are the northeasternmost Roman camps in the Germania libera to date—an archaeological sensation that is largely due to the efforts of volunteers and modern remote sensing technology.
Archaeological and Historical Background: Romans on the Elbe and Saale Rivers
From 13/12 BC onward, Emperor Augustus (reign 27 BC to 14 AD) attempted to subdue the tribes east of the Rhine and incorporate their territories into the Roman Empire. For over 30 years, numerous, ultimately unsuccessful, attempts were made to establish the region up to the Elbe as a Roman province, Germania Magna. Several campaigns reached the Elbe and Saale rivers for this purpose. In addition to written records, the advances under the generals Drusus (9 BC), Ahenobarbus (3 BC), and the later Emperor Tiberius (5 AD) can be traced archaeologically through coin finds, which are typically located at intervals of about 20 kilometers, corresponding to a day's march. Besides the coins, the iron nails from legionary sandals, which were frequently lost, often provide a good indication of the presence of Roman legionaries. The campaign of 9 BC ended tragically in that Drusus, one of the two adopted sons and designated successor of Emperor Augustus alongside Tiberius, fell from his horse during the retreat from the Saale to Mainz and shortly afterwards succumbed to his injuries.
After their devastating defeat in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, the Romans withdrew from the territory east of the Rhine. This brought all efforts to develop the infrastructure necessary for administering a province to a standstill, and the Roman town near Lahnau-Waldgirmes in central Hesse, initially conceived as a provincial capital, was abandoned.
The relationship between Romans and Germanic tribes was subsequently characterized by the defense against incursions into the Roman Empire, by punitive expeditions, but also by repeated contractual agreements and the settlement of Germanic tribes on Roman soil, as well as the payment of money in return for maintaining peace.
From the 3rd century AD onwards, fundamental changes took place in the Germanic region. New large tribes formed, which from the year 233 onwards posed a serious threat to the Roman Empire. Literary records show that some of the Roman campaigns to defend against this threat led deep into Germanic territory.
A first foray after a long period of peace led Emperor Caracalla (reign 211 to 217 AD) to the Albanians, who could be understood as inhabitants along the Elbe (Alba), even though historical research has so far only suggested that the emperor conducted expeditions in the immediate vicinity of the Limes. Nevertheless, a magnificent gate with an inscription was specially erected for his campaign in Dalkingen, in present-day Baden-Württemberg, on the Limes, marking the entry into enemy territory.
Another campaign is recorded for Emperor Maximinus Thrax (reigned 235 to 238 AD) in 235/36 AD. A late antique source, the Historia Augusta, reports that the campaign took the legionaries 300 to 400 miles into Germanic territory. This campaign is associated with a battle site discovered in 2008 on the western edge of the Harz Mountains (Harzhorn, Northeim district, Lower Saxony).
Written sources offer only a very inadequate picture of the Roman campaigns into the interior of Germania. Archaeological discoveries are therefore of particular importance. Until now, evidence of Roman troop movements as far as the Elbe River, especially marching camps, was lacking in Saxony-Anhalt. Roman camps were highly standardized facilities. The typical rectangular camp enclosure had rounded corners. From the gates, the main camp roads, laid out at right angles, led into the interior. At the intersection of these roads stood the headquarters building, the principia. A characteristic feature of marching camps is the so-called titulum – a segment of ditch with a rampart located in front of the gate passages. The standardized ground plans can be clearly distinguished from other prehistoric or historic structures recorded in aerial photographs.
Intensive research in recent years has now yielded the first evidence of Roman marching camps between the northern Harz Mountains and the Elbe River – an archaeological sensation largely thanks to the dedication of volunteers and modern remote sensing technology.
Discoveries from the Air: Roman Marching Camps in Saxony-Anhalt
As early as 2020, volunteer archaeologist Michael Barkowski was able to identify a potential marching camp near Aken (Aken 1; Anhalt-Bitterfeld district) using a satellite image. Subsequent targeted aerial surveys by aerial archaeologist Ralf Schwarz from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt confirmed the southwest corner of the presumed camp as well as the interruption of the ditch on the southern long side, protected by an approach obstacle in the form of a titulum. In 2023, archaeologist Martin Freudenreich identified another potential marching camp near Trabitz (Salzlandkreis district) using digital orthophotos from the State Office for Surveying and Geoinformation. The structures were subsequently recognized by René Hoffmann, a volunteer archaeologist, and reported to the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology. Between June and December 2024, Freudenreich again identified two further potential camps in digital orthophotos near Aken (Aken 2) and Deersheim (Harz district). These revealed not only the perfectly straight lines of the ditch borders but also the rounded corners characteristic of Roman marching camps.
Metal detector surveys and excavations
To further corroborate the evidence obtained from aerial photographs, large-scale geophysical surveys and systematic surveys of the suspected camps were conducted in collaboration with volunteers. During the metal prospecting, over 1,500 individual finds were detected and recorded. The majority of the finds are iron objects. The proportion of clearly identifiable modern material can be described as relatively small. The high number of nails and bolts is striking. Several fibula fragments and coins, which aid in dating the sites, were also recovered.
The geophysical measurements not only confirmed the information obtained from the aerial photographs but also substantially expanded it. While the entire structure was captured in the survey image in Deersheim, the presence of a titulum and a rounded corner of the ditch was confirmed in Trabitz.
To further substantiate the interpretation of the findings, targeted excavations were carried out at the respective sites in the summers of 2024 and 2025. At Aken 1, a ditch measuring up to 1.75 meters wide and 1.55 meters deep was uncovered in an area of 10 by 7 meters. It exhibits the characteristic V-shape of a Roman ditch. A similar V-shaped ditch, measuring 1.8 meters wide and 1.5 to 1.6 meters deep, was also discovered at Aken 2. In the southeast, the end of the ditch (ditch head) was also documented. Based on prior investigations, this was precisely where the western entrance to the camp's interior had been suspected. At Trabitz, an excavation trench measuring 10 by 3.5 meters also revealed a V-shaped ditch – here 1.7 meters wide and 1.2 meters deep. In Deersheim, the clearly visible V-shaped ditch, with an original width of 1.5 to 1.7 meters, was cut only about one meter deep into the weathering horizon of the underlying limestone.
Historical context and outlook
The preliminary findings have confirmed the initial suspicion that the ditch structures discovered in aerial photographs are the remains of Roman marching camps. The currently available finds, as well as a number of radiocarbon dates, suggest that the camps at Aken, Trabitz, and Deersheim were established at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Among the coin finds from Trabitz, a Caracalla denarius is the most recent discovery. It is therefore conceivable that the camp was established in connection with a campaign under Caracalla in 213 AD. The nearly identical dimensions of the Aken 2 camp suggest a close temporal relationship to the camp at Trabitz.
The State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt is continuing its intensive research on the newly discovered Roman marching camps, promising entirely new insights into the presence of Roman troops in the Middle Elbe-Saale region. Should it be confirmed that the campaigns date back to the time of Emperor Caracalla, then the views of historians—who place Caracalla's Germanic wars only in the immediate vicinity of the Limes—would need to be revised.
Entrance to the marching camp of Trabitz with the characteristic titulum in an aerial photograph.
Copyright: GeoBasis-DE / LVermGeo ST, Datenlizenz Deutschland – Namensnennung – Version 2.0 (www.govdata.de/dl-de/by-2-0).
Roman coins recovered during the systematic survey of the marching camps using metal detectors. They ...
Source: Anika Tauschensky
Copyright: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
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