On the trail of an ancient "bankruptcy project": Archaeologists have discovered the remains of two fortified camps from the 1st century AD near Bad Ems as well as evidence of a tunnel system. Apparently, the Romans only just missed a rich layer of ore there, which centuries later delivered tons of silver. The hapless mining project was abandoned early on, as evidence and historical evidence suggest.
At the beginning of the current discovery story was the observation of a hunter who looked from his hide at a cornfield near Bad Ems in Rhineland-Palatinate in 2016. He noted color differences, which he assumed were possible traces of subsurface structures. At his suggestion, the archaeological investigation began, which provided more and more exciting clues. It was initially shown that the trace came from a double ditch, which apparently once enclosed a Roman camp. The results of a geomagnetic "scanning" of the subsoil finally revealed an eight-hectare military camp with around 40 wooden towers.
As a result, an excavation project was initiated, the preliminary results of which are now being reported by the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. From the investigations of the structural remains it emerges that the camp apparently never reached the planned expansion level: the archaeologists only found traces of a solid building, as well as a storehouse and a magazine building. However, 3,000 soldiers may have been stationed in the camp, who apparently had to sleep in tents. Traces of fire also suggested that the camp had probably been deliberately burned down in the end.
Two mysterious Roman camps
As the team reports, the region is archaeologically not a blank slate: Ancient traces were discovered as early as 1897 on the so-called “Blöskopf”, just two kilometers from the current site as the crow flies. They were interpreted as the remains of a Roman smelting works because, among other things, metal slag was found. It was also assumed that this plant
connected to the Limes, which was built just a little further to the east around 110 AD. Against the background of a possible connection with the newly discovered camp, the archaeologists therefore devoted another investigation to the "blöskopf".
As reported by the Goethe University in Frankfurt, this excavation also caused some surprises: there was no furnace system on the “Blöskopf”, but another military camp with a capacity of around 40 men. The discovery of a coin minted in 43 AD proved that the building was probably not built in connection with the Limes, which was not built until 110 AD. The camp was also clearly martial in character: the archaeologists found surprisingly well-preserved remains of the ancient equivalent of barbed wire: "approach obstacles" consisting of pointed wooden poles, with which the tapering ditch around the camp was once equipped.
Digged just past the silver deposit
But what about the mysterious camps? A possible explanation was the protection of a Roman mining project in this region known for its silver deposits. The archaeologists also found evidence for this in texts by the Roman historian Tacitus, which could also explain why the facilities were abandoned again so quickly: He reports how the attempt in the relevant region under the Roman governor Curtius Rufus failed in AD 47 was to mine silver ore because the yields were too low.
As the Goethe University further reports, the long-standing archaeological project also provided exciting information: During investigations in the area, the Frankfurt archeology team discovered traces of a shaft and tunnel system that suggest Roman origin. The clou: It is becoming apparent that the tunnel is only a few meters above the so-called Bad Emser Gangzug. This lush silver ore layer was only later discovered and exploited in modern times. A total of around 200 tons of silver were extracted from the ground near Bad Ems. The Romans apparently just barely missed this "treasure", the results suggest. "However, further studies are necessary to verify all of this," concludes Markus Scholz from Goethe University. So it will be interesting to see what else the team will find out about this interesting story.