Second late-antique fortress at CUT/Xanten(D) ?

[Nathan Ross]

Guessworks about dating, -- educated, but guessworks nevertheless.

Yes. I checked through Petrokovits, but he doesn't seem to make any particular assumptions. The 'reduced' Tricensima fort seems most usually attributed to Diocletian or Constantine - so does the even smaller 'corner' fortification pre- or post- date it?

One option might be the 'rebuilding' by Julian mentioned by Ammianus, c.359. If the 'reduced' circuit wall had been demolished (?!) by the Franks, he may simply have restored one of the old corners instead, for a reduced garrison on the pattern of Dormagen. But surely such a barbarian demolition is unlikely? Of course, the Romans might have pulled it down themselves to construct the new even smaller fort...