In 2011 an artisanal building was excavated in Attiswil, in the north-east part of the canton, at the address Leimenstrasse 15. The building was in use from the early first century until the 30's of the third century (some traces of a fire were found). Various building phases were identified. The first building was made of wood. A child's grave was found inside. The burial of newborns in Roman buildings has been seen frequently in excavations. Later a half-timbered building with a cellar was erected. This building collapsed in the middle of the second century, but was replaced immediately by a building with better foundations. The new building, measuring 25.00 x 14.50 m., had rooms next to a long corridor. The cellar was given up. Inside the building several hearths were found, but the precise activity that took place inside remains unclear. Most likely the building had a relation with a nearby villa, such as the one at Flumenthal-Scharlenmatte (in the canton Solothurn) or a villa in Attiswil at the locality Gärbelhof (of the latter villa only a few walls were found).
View of the building. Photo: Bacher-Dévaud 2013, Abb. 1.A bit to the west, at the locality Wybrunne, a lime kiln was excavated in 1996. It was covered with a layer of charcoal and ash up to 12 cm. thick, the remains of the last firing. It may have collapsed at the end of the second or in the first half of the third century. The kiln was halfway between the two villas, which were about 1400 meters apart.
View of the kiln. Photo: Ramstein 2005, Abb. 3.
Literature
Jahrbuch des Bernischen Historischen Museums 41-42 (1961-1962), 438-439; Archäologie im Kanton Bern 6A/6B (2005), 170-171; Ramstein 2005; Bacher-Dévaud 2013.
[12-Dec-2023]
