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The settlement of Lahnau-Waldgirmes was built around the beginning of the common era, during the German wars of Augustus, but an analysis of the finds shows that it was abandoned around 9AD, after the defeat of Varus. From its architectural remains it has been identified as a civilian settlement, which either served as an administrative centre or, at least, was set up with the intention that it would do so after the conquest of Germany was concluded. Its name and planned legal status remain unknown, however, because of a lack of written sources.
A military camp to the east of the civilian site was probably only built after the town was abandoned.
The town was 7.7ha in area and was surrounded by a 3.2m wide earth and timber
rampart with gates and interval towers, and fronted by two V-shaped ditches.
The two known road alignments suggest the division of the southern area into
two blocks, with a third one to the west of the forum.
Reconstructed plan of the Roman features
The forum was located in the centre of the settlement, and has some claim to be the oldest stone-built structure east of the Rhine, although it was timber framed above the level of its stone dwarf walls. It was not, however, part of the initial plan of the site, as it overlies an older residential building (Building 5). The (54 x 45 m) complex consisted of a courtyard with a two-aisled basilica with three apses along the north side, whilst further wings flanked the other three sides. The presence and position of a life-sized bronze equestrian statue in the square is confirmed by surviving fragments.
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Reconstructed plan of the forum Germania 81/1 |
Reconstruction of the forum |
Post pits south-west of the east gate (Building 3) can be interpreted as a granary with raised floors (c. 27m x 12,5m) (horreum).
In the south-eastern quarter of the town (Building 1a-c) and in the area of the later forum (Building 5), houses have been found, of 9 rooms each, probably centring on covered atria. The houses were extended with further yards and service areas (1a) or pergolas (5).
Immediately south of the east-west street lay a structure (Building 2) behind a portico with one or two partially open rooms oriented towards the covered walk. The presence of a pottery kiln in the north-western room shows that they had been used by craftsmen, and a similar pattern is likely to have dominated the next building block (Buildings 10,14) as well.
The interpretation of the structures to the east of the forum (Buildings 7,9
and 13) remains unresolved, but they seem to be mostly contemporary with Building
5, and thus older than the forum itself. One house (Building 8) with its fronting
portico, mirrors the known houses on the other side of the road.
The existence of a supply of fresh water is attested by the presence of a timber-lined drain (?) north-east of the site, and by fragments of lead water pipes.
Text: Thomas Schmidts
A. Becker, Lahnau-Waldgirmes. Eine augusteische Stadtgründung in Hessen. Historia 52/3, 2003, 337-350.
A. Becker/ H.-J. Köhler, Das Forum von Lahnau-Waldgirmes. In: Archäologie in Hessen. Neue Funde und Befunde. Feschrift für F.-R. Herrmann. Studia hornoraria 13 (Rhaden/Westf. 2001).
A. Becker/G. Rasbach, Vortrag zur Jahressitzung 2001 der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission. Waldgirmes. Eine augusteische Stadtgründung im Lahntal. Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 82, 2001, 591-610.
A. Becker G. Rasbach/S. Biegert, Die spätaugusteische Stadtgründung in Lahnau-Waldgirmes. Archäologische, architektonische und naturwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen. Germania 81/1, 2003, 147-199.
S. von Schnurbein, Augustus in Germania and his new ‘town’ at Waldgirmes east of the Rhine. Journal of Roman Archaeology 16, 2003, 93-107.