Archaeologists have discovered a Roman well on the edge of an open-cast mining area near Kerpen-Manheim in the Rhein-Erft district, in which the remains of an unusual Jupiter column lay. It is possible that it was deliberately thrown into the well in the 5th century as part of Christianization. In addition to the typical Jupiter sculpture as the coronation and other deities, the column was also adorned with an unusual depiction, the archaeologists report: a nemesis Diana who symbolized righteous anger in ancient times.
Traces from Roman times have been discovered more often in the past as part of the lignite mining in the Rhineland. These are often the remains of ancient manors, reports the team from the Office for Land Monument Preservation in the Rhineland (LVR-ABR). The fountain that you are now reporting on also belonged to such a villa rustica. After carefully removing the surrounding material, the approximately 15-meter-deep well was now exposed piece by piece and the finds found in it were recovered.
As the archaeologists report, the massive stone frame of the well is evidence of the high structural and logistical effort. “The sandstones, which weighed several tons, had to be transported several kilometers from the northern Eifel to the villa,” says Udo Geilenbrügge from LVR-ABR. Apparently the property was also adorned by a Jupiter column that was once about five meters high, as can be seen from the fragments found in the well. It is a structural element that is known from various sites in the former Roman-occupied part of Germania. But as the archaeologists report, the current find has interesting features.
Rare representation of a nemesis Diana
As usual, a representation of the supreme Roman god Jupiter crowned the column named after him. Of this sculpture, however, only the throne and the lower body of the god are preserved. The archaeologists report that a badly damaged relief at the foot of the column may also have represented Jupiter. In contrast, the images of three goddesses are better preserved: they depict Juno, Jupiter’s wife, and Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. The third illustration was, however, a surprise: the archaeologists interpret it as a Diana in the form of Nemesis – the goddess of righteous anger.
“The representation of Nemesis-Diana is something special in the Rhineland”, explains Erich Claßen from LVR-ABR. “We have little evidence that she was worshiped in this region in Roman times.” According to archaeologists, the goddess can be identified on the relief by means of the wagon wheel. She is also equipped with a short robe, which is usually typical of Diana, the goddess of the hunt. This form of representation as Nemesis Diana has so far only rarely been found in the entire Roman Empire, the experts emphasize.
Reference to religious developments
By dating ceramic shards, which were also found in the backfilling of the well, the team was able to prove that it was in use until the 5th century. “Such a long use is extraordinary,” says excavation manager Martin Grünewald. According to him, this could be an indication of the religious conditions in the Rhineland in late antiquity. “The wells discovered so far were usually filled with Jupiter columns as early as the 3rd or 4th century,” says Grünewald. It is believed that the elements considered pagan were deliberately thrown into the wells in the course of Christianization. Apparently, in the case of Kerpen-Manheim, this did not happen until the 5th century, although churches had long since been built in Cologne and elsewhere. It is therefore an indication that at that time the worship of Roman deities was still deeply rooted in the rural areas.
As the team finally reports, one important aspect of the find remains unclear: So far, one can only guess when the well was built. Like other ancient wells in the region, it may date from the second or third century AD. However, the archaeologists hope that the pending investigations on the wood of the construction will provide more specific information about the time the well was built.