A villa had to be rescued at the locality Thürner to the north of Leuzigen, a town that is some seven kilometers to the south-west of Solothurn and a bit to the south of the river Aare. The remains were disturbed by a burial place from the seventh century. The first excavations were carried out in 1842-1843, when bathing rooms were identified at the west end. These rooms were unearthed once more in 1931. The remains were partly destroyed by the work in a gravel quarry in the 1930's and 1940's. The east half of the main building could be excavated in 1950. Today all remains seem to have fallen victim to the quarry.
Plan of the excavations. Suter-Bacher-Koenig 1992(1), Abb. 6.
The rooms were arranged behind a porticus (11) flanked by tower-like projections, one of which had been preserved (9). A room at the north end (6) had two reinforcing round piers on the northern corners. In 1950 destroyed mosaics and fragments of paintings were found in the eastern part of the villa. As to the baths, room C seems to have been a cold bath (frigidarium). In the 19th century rooms with hypocausts and marble slabs were seen.
View of the excavations of room 6 with a round reinforcing pier. Suter-Bacher-Koenig 1992(1), Abb. 3.
View of the excavations of room 10. Suter-Bacher-Koenig 1992(1), Abb. 4.In 1931 a remarkable bronze applique for furniture was found. It consists of two snakes protruding from an acanthus leaf. On the bodies stand two birds, also arranged symmetrically, whose heads are unfortunately lost. The ceramics and coins suggest that the villa was built in the second half of the first century or at the latest at the beginning of the second century. It was used until the third century.
The bronze applique of snakes and birds (w. 0.18, h. 0.07). Suter-Bacher-Koenig 1992(1), Abb. 13.
In 1843 a cippus with a funerary inscription was found in the area. The text is worn. For some time it was thought that it was made by Anotius Ingenuus for his wife Tigellia Pusinna. Today a different reading is preferred.
D(is) M(anibus)
[F]LOR[e]N
TINA VIX(it)
ANNO(s) L
SANCTIVS
INGENS
CONIV(n)X
F(aciendum) [c(uravit)]To the gods of the underworld.
Florentina
has lived
50 years.
Sanctius
Ingens,
her husband,
had this made.Funerary inscribed cippus of limestone found in 1843.
Preserved h. 1.60, w. 0.55, d. 0.45.
Photo: Suter-Bacher-Koenig 1992(1), Abb. 14.
Drawing: EDCS-10800573. Kolb et al. 2022, nr. 338.
Literature
Drack-Fellmann 1988, 430; Drack-Fellmann 1991, 165; Suter-Bacher-Koenig 1992(1).
[5-Nov-2023]
