Cities, villages, fortresses - Aargau - Bad Zurzach (Tenedo) - Bridges

Introduction Early fortresses and vicus Late fortresses Bridges Church

Poles belonging to bridges near the forts were seen and documented in 1819. Many poles were extracted in the 1980's. There may already have been a bridge in the early Imperial period, but the first known bridge belongs to the early fourth century. It was made entirely of wood, and could be dated on the basis of the tree-rings of its wooden poles (diam. 0.25-0.30). The yokes stood 15 m. apart and were 10 m. wide. A second bridge next to it dates back to the years 368-376 AD, again as shown by tree-rings (this bridge seems to have been built in two phases). Five diamond-shaped yokes of wooden poles stood 12 m. apart. It has been suggested that they supported stone yokes.

The wooden poles of the two Roman bridges as documented in the 19th century. Keller 1860, Taf. V.

The remains of one of the wooden poles, in the Bezirksmuseum Bad Zurzach.
Photo: Wikimedia, Buchstapler.

A bridgehead was excavated on the other side of the Rhine, in Rheinheim (Germany). A fortress was built here as well (42.50 x 41 m.), in the late first century BC. On the corners were square towers (7 x 7 m.). The walls were 2-3 m. thick. A bit further on was a military camp, at locality Dangstetten.

Introduction Early fortresses and vicus Late fortresses Bridges Church

[6-Oct-2023]