Cities, villages, fortresses - Bern - Bern-Engehalbinsel - Villa or sanctuary

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Amphitheatre Villa or sanctuary Burials

Some 500 meters to the east of the amphitheatre three sections of a building were excavated in 1921: a square building with sides of 16.90 m. and with a porticus on one side; a smaller square building (max. meas. 9.70 x 8.25 m.) with a hypocaust; a long corridor (52.85 x 3.45 m.) with tower-like projections on either side. The back wall of the corridor was decorated with paintings. The building (only partially excavated) has been called a villa, but it has also been suggested that it formed part of a sanctuary.

Plan of the three excavated sections of the villa or sanctuary. Fellmann 1984, Abb. 1-3.

Near the long corridor a metal inscribed plaque, broken in three parts, was found in 1984 by someone using a metal detector. It is made of almost pure zinc. The production of pure zinc seems to be a recent discovery (around 1800), so the object has been regarded as a (brilliant) forgery. However, the alloy also contains lead, iron, copper, tin and cadmium. The object could well be genuine and date from the first century BC. The language is Celtic, using Greek letters.

ΔOBNOPHΔO (Dobnoredo) ΓOBANO (Gobano) BPENOΔΩP (Brenodor) NANTAPΩP (Nantaror)	To the world traveler Gobanus, by the residents of Brenodurum in the Aare Valley.
Meas. 0.092 x 0.072 m., th. 5-8 mm. Kolb et al. 2022, nr. 322; EDCS-70700001. Photo: Fellmann 1999, Abb. 3.

The Celtic smithing god Gobannos (or Deus Cobannus) is known from five inscriptions. Brenodurum would be the ancient name of the settlement on the Enge peninsula.

A bronze statuette of the Deus Cobannus from Gaul.
J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu (California, USA).
H. incl. the plinth 0.76 m. Photo: Fellmann 1999, Abb. 10.

Introduction Houses and workshops Temples Baths

Amphitheatre Villa or sanctuary Burials

[26-Oct-2023]