Underground Roman city found in Austria
Researchers suspect the structure near St. Pantaleon-Erla may be the lost Claudivium.
Researchers have mapped the remains of a previously unknown Roman city in Lower Austria. Geophysical measurements point to a planned street pattern, a large urban area and an amphitheatre for around 8,000 visitors.
The site lies near St. Pantaleon-Erla, on the Danube between the present-day towns of Enns and St. Pantaleon-Erla. The research forms part of a network focused on the Roman frontier along the Danube. The project involves, among others, the University of Innsbruck, GeoSphere Austria and the archaeological services of Upper and Lower Austria.
Geophysical survey methods revealed structures without exposing the entire site. The researchers describe a regular street grid covering an area of approximately 25 to 30 hectares. Excavations were then carried out at selected locations, including near drying installations that may have belonged to a brewery.
One of the most striking structures is an oval building that the researchers interpret as an amphitheatre. According to the researchers, it could accommodate around 8,000 people. That is comparable to the amphitheatre at Carnuntum, a well-known Roman city in what is now Austria. The interpretation is based on survey data and limited excavations, not on a fully exposed arena.
The researchers suspect that the city is the Claudivium mentioned in ancient sources. In their view, the coordinates given by the second-century geographer Claudius Ptolemy fit the location. Coins suggest that the settlement was abandoned around the year 180, possibly following a change in military strategy along the Danube.
According to the research, the city appears to have been planned rather than having grown gradually around a camp. Burial sites, roads and traces of an unfinished legionary camp have also been found. This could shed new light on the relationship between military strongholds and civilian settlements on the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.
The name Claudivium has not yet been established definitively. The current conclusions are based on a public research announcement and geophysical interpretations; no peer-reviewed publication has been cited. Further excavations and comparison with other Roman sites should clarify how large the city was and what precise function it served.
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The location, extent and main interpretations can be traced directly to the University of Innsbruck and are independently described by ORF. The text explicitly treats Claudivium as a probable identification.
- confirmed Remains of an unknown Roman city have been found near St. Pantaleon-Erla. — Reported by the University of Innsbruck and ORF. source
- confirmed Geophysical measurements point to an area of 25 to 30 hectares with a street grid. — Included in the University of Innsbruck's research announcement. source
- confirmed The suspected amphitheatre could accommodate around 8,000 people. — The researchers give this estimate based on geophysical data. source
- uncertain The city may be the Claudivium known from ancient sources. — The researchers base this on coordinates and historical sources; the identification is not yet definitive. source
Editor's note
The location and urban structures are supported by geophysical surveys and limited excavations. The identification as Claudivium and the precise function of the buildings remain hypotheses.Sources
- Die vergessene Stadt: Roms Netzwerk beiderseits der Enns — Universität Innsbruck
- Experte erklärt Römerstadt-Fund in Niederösterreich — ORF
- Unbekannte römische Stadt in Niederösterreich entdeckt — Der Standard
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „archeologie romeinse rijk”
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