On various occasions in the 19th century a Roman settlement came to light to the east of Lenzburg, in the heart of the canton, at locality Lindfeld. Several excavations were carried out in the 19th and 20th century. The vicus (B) was built in the first half of the first century. The ancient name of the village is unknown.
Plan of the excavations. Drack-Fellmann 1988, Abb. 395.
Reconstruction drawing of the south part of the settlement, seen from the north. Hartmann-Weber 1985, 179.
In the south-east part of the settlement four buildings were investigated: houses and workshops 1-4. The original buildings were half-timbered and destroyed by a fire in the second half of the first century. They were then replaced by stone houses behind a porticus along a street that was six meters wide. These houses too were destroyed by a fire, in the second half of the third century. To the east traces of more buildings, including a kiln for ceramics, have been investigated over a distance of 140 meters.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Plan of buildings 1-4. Ammann-Feer - Simonett 1936, Taf. 1.More buildings were found to the west (5-14). Most of these were houses, shops, and workshops, often half-timbered. The stone building 13 may have been a public building, building 14 seems to have been a hall. These two buildings lie next to a small square (19 x 50 m.). A few more buildings and workshops were excavated further to the west. Wells were also found here (D). Coins suggest that these buildings (which were not destroyed by a fire) were given up shortly before 260 AD.
From the centre of the vicus a wall that was at least 130 meters long runs towards the north (C). To the north of the wall a large theatre (A) was discovered in 1964. The building is 64 meters wide. It was erected in the years 50-150 AD. It could hold 4000-5000 spectators, far more than will have lived in the vicus (400-600?), so used by people from the territory. About 200 meters to the south-east of the theatre a burial place was discovered.
The remains of the theatre during the excavations. Photo: Wiedemer 1965(2), Abb. 63.
The remains of the theatre today. Photo: Wikimedia, Boehlich.Many more details emerged through geophyiscal research in the 2020's. A rectangular structure at the west end, measuring 60 x 70 meters, seems to have been a temple. The size of the temple, taken together with the theatre, suggests that the settlement was visited by people for religious purposes and perhaps also meetings.
The results of the geophysical research. Photo: Kantonsarchäologie, Kanton Aargau.
The remains of what seems to have been a temple. Photo: Kantonsarchäologie, Kanton Aargau.In the 19th century some objects of particular interest were found, at unspecified locations: two bronze vessels with handles decorated with panthers, a large capital, and a fragment of a monumental inscription that may mention the Imperial house as domus divina ("divine house") and deities.
The two bronze vessels. Photo: Jacobsthal 1935, Abb. 1.
Left: fragment of a capital (w. 0.45, h. 0.38). Laur-Belart 1935, Abb. 6.
Right: fragment of an inscription (w. 0.51, h. 0.61).
Kolb et al. 2022, nr. 369. Photo: EDCS-10900285.
A video about the settlement by the Kanton Aargau.
Literature
Laur-Belart 1935(1); Jacobsthal 1935; Ammann-Feer - Simonett 1936; Drack 1952; Wiedemer 1964; Wiedemer 1965(1); Wiedemer 1965(2); Wiedemer-Tomasevi-Schmid-Doppler 1966; Doppler 1966; Tomasevi 1967; Müller 1968; Hartmann 1980(2); Hartmann-Weber 1985, 179-181; Niffeler 1985; Niffeler 1988; Drack-Fellmann 1988, 427-430; Drack-Fellmann 1991, 164-165.
[28-Sep-2023]
