At least that is what they claim. This is an initial archeological report so must be approached with due caution, but an exciting find all the same.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/118725
[size=150:cm9hy2vc]Archaeologists excavate site of Roman hospital in south Moravia[/size]
[28-07-2009 14:23 UTC] By Ian Willoughby
Archaeologists in south Moravia have begun excavating the site of a Roman hospital which is described as the largest preserved site of its kind north of the Danube. Indeed, it was part of a fortified complex that was the northernmost outpost of the Roman Empire in the region in the second century.
Archaeologists have been aware for some years of the ruins of a Roman field hospital at Pasohlávky, around 30 kilometres south of Brno. But only now have they begun excavating the site, which the archaeologist in charge of the dig told the Czech News Agency was the biggest facility of its kind persevered north of the River Danube.
The hospital, 60 m by 45 m in size, was
part of an extensive fortified complex the 10th Roman legion built on Hradisko hill in the latter half of the second century. At that time, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, it was the northernmost outpost of the Roman Empire in central Europe. The Germans had been making raids across the Danube and the Romans established the stronghold in order to keep them at bay.
Though the site is regarded as important, all it features today are remains of the foundations of the second century hospital. That is all that is left after construction work on the nearby Nové Mlýny dam system in the mid 1970s.
The reason the current dig is taking place is that there are plans to build a new thermal spa at Pasohlávky. One of the archaeologists said that the original layout of the Roman hospital could be marked in the new facility by paths or bushes.
:wink:
Narukami
Hi,
Well, the complex at Musov Burgstall (Hradisko in Czech) is known already for a long time. First digs were undertaken in years 1926-28, but we have reports about finds of Roman items as early as 17th century. The importance of this site was apparent already at the beginning of the 20th century.
I know the archaeologist in charge and I have been digging there for some time as a student. The
valetudinarium (as far as I know, nobody was aware of this facility before and it's a recent wonderful surprise) is not the only interesting thing here. Roman baths and residential building of 4 rooms were excavated already in 1920s and then also some kind of iron workshop area. Another luxury residential building with apsis is near under the hill on a site called Neurissen and it was surely part of the big complex of Burgstall. The whole area was surrounded by a mighty fortification comprised by an earthwork faced by bricks from unburned clay and by more trenches. Some turrets and gates were found in the fortification. Many bricks with the stamp of legio X Gemina Pia Fidelis have been found and also a breastplate of an eques of tenth legion. Even part of a silver scale armour. There are quite numerous temporary camps in the vicinity.
The site is dated to the Marcomanic wars of Marcus Aurelius – it was probably occupied in 172/173 then probably abandoned and reoccupied in 175-180.
The interpretation is very interesting. The bath which were found, many temporary camps and the complex itself perfectly correspond with the claim of Cassius Dio that in the final phases of Marcomannic wars many soldiers (allegedly some 40 000) were wintering on the territories of Germans in camps that even didn't lack baths! The complex itself while strongly defended and probably garrisoned by soldiers seems to have also strong civilian elements. The luxury residential buildings suggest supposed presence of some VIP personel. Historia Augusta claims that Marcus Aurelius planned to create two new provinces (Marcomannia and Sarmatia), one of which should have been on these territories (South Moravia). Recent archaeological finds in Moravia, which are increasing (quite recently the most northern temporary camp has been found near
Olomouc), suggest that this is not an exaggeration. The interpretation seems to take shape that Musov Burgstall could have been intended as some kind of centre of the new province in making. Well, the thermal spa is speeding up archaeological work in this area so be prepared for new interesting finds!
I have written an article about Roman military presence on the territory of Czech Republic. It's in Czech, but at least you can find some pictures of Roman finds from this area there (there's also some literature on the subject). If you are interested, look
here. If anybody would travel around here, you can see the finds in the
Regional Museum in Mikulov.
Greetings
Alexandr
Excellent report Alexandr!
One of the great "treats" of this site is all of the information posted by people who have been at these sites or involved in the digs and the research.
As I have said before, but bears repeating, not a week goes by that I do not learn something new thanks to the posts on RAT.
Thanks again.
:wink:
Narukami
Interesting photos, is the armour plate the one we often see pictures of, or is it a new find similar to the one I am thinking about?
Squamata as well, are they related finds?
Hi Byron,
Yes this is the armour plate so often depicted in literature, this is not a new find. I think the breastplate is not related to the scale armour, if I'm right they were found on different places.
Greetings
Alexandr
Quote:Well, the complex at Musov Burgstall (Hradisko in Czech) is known already for a long time.
Indeed, Alexandr. But thank you for bringing it to our notice again.
Sadly, our library here does not have: J. Bouzek, H. Friesinger, K. Pieta, B. Komorczy (eds.),
Gentes, Reges und Rom: Auseinandersetzung, Anerkennung, Anpassung. Festschrift J. Tejral (2000), which (I believe) has the latest on Mušov.
Can you please explain what's going on your plan, Alexandr?
[attachment=0:2z43pjhk]<!-- ia0 Alexandrs_plan.jpg<!-- ia0 [/attachment:2z43pjhk]
Was this the 10th Fretensis or the 10th Gemina?
Quote:Was this the 10th Fretensis or the 10th Gemina?
Gemina, John. (X Fretensis was the Judaea legion.)
Hi Duncan,
In fact the Musil's article in Gentes, Reges und Rom is mostly about bricks from these territories.
Sure, no problem with explanation:
In the top right section of the picture is the first residential building of four rooms. The length is 21 m, width 6 m. It was build in two phases - at first the two eastern rooms, both with under-floor heating. Later the western two rooms were added. In the most western one hypocaustum was quite well preserved.
Just above the number 1 you can se the baths (balneum). It is possible that it made up a larger complex together with the building mentioned above and together with other buildings which didn't survive until our times. There were some traces of other constructions, but unfortunately very scarce. Again some of these rooms had hypocaustum or similar heating.
Number 2 is the luxury residential building with peristyle and apsis on the floor Neurissen. Dimensions are 44 x 20 m.
Number 3 is part of the workshop district. There were at least 6 sunk (Is this the correct English word?) oblong buildings made from timber and clay, with the width ca. 2,7-3,5 m and length 4,75-5,5 m. The construction was made by vertical poles in the corners of the buildings and in the middle of it's longer sides. There were at least 5 simple, circular ovens in the vicinity mostly with iron scrap.
Below you can see the most current plan of Burgstall (Hradisko) I have (still without valetudinarium etc.). It's taken from Komoróczy, B., 2008. Hradisko (Burgstall) u Mušova ve sv?tle výzkum? v letech 1994-2007. In E. Droberjar, B. Komoróczy, & D. Vach?tová, eds. Barbarská sidlišt?: Chronologické, ekonomické a historické aspekty jejich vývoje ve sv?tle nových archeologických výzkum?. Brno, pp. 391-438. The other image is from the same paper. 1 is the balneum, 2 is the 4 room residential building, 3 is the workshop district, 7 is the residential building on Neurissen. You can see the fortification with some turrets and a gate at Neurissen. "Rez" means "cut", these have been done to trace the fortifications. IIRC the valetudinarium should be in the most south-eastern part of the Zone D.
EDIT: Ehm, the valetudinarium should be in the most south-EASTERN part of the Zone D... Sorry for the mistake.
Greetings
Alexandr
I do not have an first hand knowledge of the site but if you understand German you can find more information on the finds at the very good Austrian limes site:
[url:14nrvujo]http://www.limes-oesterreich.at[/url]
and in the following publications:
Tejral, J., 'Römische und germanische Militärausrüstungen der antoninischen Periode im Licht norddanubischer Funde', in von Carnap-Bornheim, Beiträge zu römischer und barbarischer Bewaffnung in den ersten vier nachchristlichen Jahrhunderten. Akten des 2. Internationalen Kolloquiums in Marburg a. d. Lahn, 20. bis 24. Februar 1994, Lublin/ Marburg Abb. 9, 3/9;
Tejral, J.: New aspects of the Roman-Germanic confrontation on the Middle Danube . In: Gudea, N. (ed.): Roman Frontier Studies 1997, Abb. 2, 9/11
J. Telral, Musov und Czarnówko. Bemerkungen zu weiträumigen Verbindungen zwischen germanischen Herrschaftszentren, in: Friesinger, H.(Hrsg.), Internationales Symposium Grundprobleme der Frühgeschichtlichen Entwicklung im Mittleren Donauraum 13, 2000, Zwettl, Niederösterreich: Zentrum und Peripherie - gesellschaftliche Phänomene in der Frühgeschichte. Materialien des 13. Internationalen Symposiums "Grundprobleme der Frühgeschichtlichen Entwicklung im Mittleren Donauraum", Zwettl, 4. - 8. Dezember 2000, 2004 (Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission / Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse ; 57 ), 327ff.
J. Tejral, Das archäologische Umfeld des Grabes in der Frühen Kaiserzeit, in: J. Peska und J. Tejral, Das germanische Königsgrab von Musov in Mähren, Bd. 1, 2002. (Monographien / Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Forschungsinstitut für Vor- und Frühgeschichte ; 55).
H. Friesinger und F. Krinzinger, Der römische Limes in Österreich. Führer zu den archäologischen Denkmälern, Wien 2002².
there is also a 2-3 page article in the exposition catalogue on the current Kalkriese exposition.
Quote:I do not have an first hand knowledge of the site but if you understand German you can find more information on the finds at the very good Austrian limes site:
thanks for sharing
Note to self: karma for Alexandr and Jens. (I'll never remember this, unless I write it down! :roll: )
Quote:John M McDermott:2g8o6rpa Wrote:Was this the 10th Fretensis or the 10th Gemina?
Gemina, John. (X Fretensis was the Judaea legion.)
This is generally thought to be true, and, yet, a site for Legio X Fretensis has been found in the UK.
Quote:... a site for Legio X Fretensis has been found in the UK.
I'm probably going to regret asking, but ... where?