In 1962 and 1963 the remains of a villa were excavated near Ersigen (some 18 kilometers to the north-east of Bern as the crow flies), at the locality Murain. An area measuring 110 x 60 m. was investigated. The villa was used from the second quarter of the first century until around 200 AD.
Plan of the villa. Drack-Fellmann 1988, Abb. 366.
A: main building; B: baths; C-D: secondary buildings; E: gate (?); F: dividing wall.The main building (A) was 46.50 m. wide. It had a porticus on the north side and two tower-like projections on the south side. It was later enlarged, and baths (B) were then added. The baths consisted of a row of five rooms, the southern one with an apse. Towards the south secondary buildings were added (C, D), of which the western one was excavated only partially. A gate in a dividing wall seems to have led to the area in front of these buildings (E, F).
Among the finds were fragments of window glass and of paintings, some imitating marble. From the fourth century comes a gold ring with a glass paste intaglio depicting a gecko or a salamander.
The gold ring with the gecko or salamander. Photos: Grütter-Bruckner 1966, Abb. 24.
Literature
Grütter-Bruckner 1966; Huber-Millioud-Zwahlen 1966; Stampfli 1966; Drack-Fellmann 1988, 391-392.
[3-Nov-2023]
