Lost Roman City Discovered in Austria May Be Claudivium, Ptolemy's Forgotten Settlement
In Lower Austria, near St. Pantaleon-Erla, archaeologists have identified an undiscovered Roman city through geophysical surveys. This settlement, covering an area of 62 to 75 acres, includes a grid layout of streets and an amphitheater that could accommodate 8,000 spectators. A significant cemetery containing affluent burials was uncovered in the northwest. The site, situated close to two Roman military outposts, might correspond to Claudivium, referenced by Ptolemy, due to matching coordinates. Established around 80 C.E. and likely abandoned around 180 C.E. after Emperor Marcus Aurelius's death, artifacts indicate a migration to Lauriacum. Since 2015, the site has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Danube Limes. Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Rebecca Jones from National Museums Scotland emphasized its importance for research.
Key facts
- Geophysical surveys near St. Pantaleon-Erla, Lower Austria, revealed a large Roman city covering 62 to 75 acres.
- The city had gridded streets and an amphitheater with a capacity of about 8,000 people.
- A large cemetery with countless graves and burial mounds was found in the city's northwest.
- The settlement was located near two Roman forts: a first-century timber-and-earth fort and a second-century stone fort.
- Researchers suspect the city may be Claudivium, mentioned by Ptolemy, as his coordinates and river description align.
- The name Claudivium disappears from historical records around 180 C.E., coinciding with the city's abandonment.
- The city was founded around 80 C.E. and abandoned about a century later in an orderly withdrawal.
- The site is within the Danube Limes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been explored since 2015.
- Artifacts suggest some residents relocated to the neighboring legionary town of Lauriacum.
- The area was never developed and is now used for agriculture, preserving it as a 'time capsule'.
Entities
Artists
- Ptolemy
- Marcus Aurelius
- Commodus
- Johanna Mikl-Leitner
- Rebecca Jones
- Phillip Barlag
- Sarah Kuta
Institutions
- GeoSphere Austria
- 7reasons
- UNESCO
- National Museums Scotland
- International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies
- OÖLKG
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Austria
- St. Pantaleon-Erla
- Lower Austria
- Danube River
- Aist River
- Enns
- Noricum
- Lauriacum
- Rome
- Scotland
- Longmont
- Colorado