Strange (roman) walls at Mainz - Gonsbachtal

[Simplex]

....in the course of "renaturating" the Gonsbach-brook at Mainz, archeologists were confronted with the Task of assessing what has been found.
The walls mark a large scale area which faintly resembles what has laready been identified as horse-training-area at similar places.
There are afjacent walls which could be identified as th accompanying stables. Without further research it is also possible to identify the structures also as something like a
"gladiator's Training-ground" as has recentls been identified at Carnuntum/Deutsch-Altenburg (Austria).
The first statements about dating that site are "2nd to 4th century AD".
A short movie Clip in German is available here :
http://www.swr.de/landesschau-aktuell/rp...58/k9cod3/
"Mysterious finds from Roman Times".
As far as I recall other statements the area in question is outside of the legionary camp, but may be well inside the walls that have been identified as the cities fortifications of 254/255 AD according to A.Heising.
(Now ....where did I put that f....... book again ?! :mad: )
Ahhh, well, apicture tells more than ...

So for now...

Siggi

[Simplex]

As promised:
Giving a short update:
--- The area seems not to be inside the Roman city-walls. I mixed up the Zahlbach, which confines the Kästrich, wehere the legionary base is, with the Gonsbach which flows right in the middle of Mainz-Gonsenheim, well outside the main Roman Settlements. (But still with minor settlements there)
More links with a pic of a relief-Stone found there
http://www.mainzund.de/roemische-funde-i...r-bleiben/
Further Infos are given about the Diameter of the round structure : over 40m Diameter. Some of the larger walls will stay visible while most of the other structures will be buried underground so that they stay "ready" for further excavations in the future.
Somewhat older article here:
http://www.allgemeine-zeitung.de/lokales...699083.htm Dec. 12th, 2013.
Now I'm really thrilled what may come out when all the finds have been assessed, inspected and rated.
Greez
Siggi

[Vindex]

That relief is in remarkably good condition.

Any more informaiton on whether the stables theory is holding up would be most welcome

[daconey]

Cool, simplex you really seem to know a lot about romans in Germany which I cannot get enough of. I'm American but my wife is from Mainz and I spent a lot of time in that area, so any and all Info on roman stuff in the area I would really appreciate for my next visit or reading pleasure. Thanks again.

[Simplex]

So, I'm back .... I involuntarily feel asleep while typing an answer last night. I'm getting old.
Back to the subject : Mogontiacum.
Although lots of excavations and research has taken place during the last 15-20 years one of the largest roman settlements north of the Alps still remains shamefully unexplored. (Remark: Amongst other causes: partly out of financial funding, partly because the area is densely filled with buildings and installations)
That's what my impression is after reading most parts of Alexander Heising's book on the later roman walls around Mainz (2 phases) and parts of Zakmira Vol.8 on the Crisis of the 3rd Century and the Imperium Galliarum. While research has brought a bit of clarification on the naval/harbouring environment at Mainz and its vicinity, on the course of the "city" walls and one or two sanctuaries at downtown Mainz, large portions of the public buildings to be expected in a roman town of that size and importance have not been spotted yet.
The palace of the local governor of Germania Superior e.g. has still remained subject of guess-works as has the forum and other buildings of importance in roman cities.
There are also do remain a coupe"white spots" in the military history of the the settlement, too. (IIRC Moguntiacum has never been a city as per Roman Law-- as opposed to Cologne and Trevers)
Apart from the Legionary Fortress on the Kästrich and the Legionary camp at Mainz-Weisenau ,which have undergone thourough research in the times of the Reichs-Limeskommission and even earlier, little seems to be known of military installations in downtown Mainz predating those camps,but which must have existed according to small-finds. The same goes for military installations which have succeded the garrison of the legionary camp after its abandonment and subsequent demolition.
It is presumed that they were sited just behind the "new" cross-ramp on the Kästrich. But also a lot of guessworks here.
The last few years have seen a lot of "makeshift" and "exigent" excavations in the course of new building projects.
And because there has been comparatively few research they do yield "surprising" new insights on the roman Mogontiacum -- and they surely will continue to do so in the future.
That I would bet on for sure !
(Still not completely awake-- as the typos may show)

Greez

Siggi

If anybody is interested: I've begun a small collection of german headlines on the more prominent roman finds in Mainz during the last 2 years,-- I'll mail that to him/her.

[daconey]

Siggi,
Thanks again i would love that mainz headline list

[Vindex]

If the headline list includes information or speculation about the stables, I'd be interested too - thank you.

[Simplex]

Hello,
.... interesting video-footage to be found here:

http://www.allgemeine-zeitung.de/lokales...060345.htm
In essence Dr. Witteyer says that the area is estimated to be 8-9 ha large.

There could be 3 possible Scenarios:
- A discus for training horses and cavalry , although this would have made more sense nearer to the legionary fortress on the "Kästrich"
- A gladiator's traing Arena (Carnuntum springs to mind immediately here) and , new to me
- A "bestiarium"
Last years excavations will be put "under soil" again, --- I don't know whether there will be more excavations here or more uphill or at all, because a couple of hotspots Vahe turned up at Mainz regularly for the last couple of years and "Manpower" and "fundings" of the Office concerned with that are nor endless -- "au contraire".
Greez
Simplex