Cities, villages, fortresses - Thurgau - Eschenz / Schaffhausen - Stein am Rhein (Tasgetium) - The fortress

Introduction The settlement The baths Commerce

The writing tablets Religion The fortress Burials

The remains of a fortress were found in Stein am Rhein, on the south side of the Untersee. They are known from old descriptions and several excavations in the 20th century. The fortress measured 94 x 94 m., with walls that were 1.75-3.10 m. thick. It had polygonal towers. The main gate was on the south-west side. To the south a moat was found. Some scant remains of buildings have been found in the interior, including a small church from the fifth century. From the fortress a bridge must have led to the opposite shore. Here the bridgehead was discovered in 1986, a square building, perhaps with towers.

Plan of the fortress and the bridgehead. Bänteli-Ruckstuhl 1987, Abb. 1.

Reconstruction of the fortress and the bridge. Höneisen 1993, Abb. 84.

A stretch of the wall of the fortress. Photo: Wikimedia, Lokolia.

Two fragments of an inscription recording the construction of the fortress were found in the early 16th century. They were reused in a floor of the church in the area of the fortress (Kirche St. Johann auf Burg), and were therefore much worn. The inscription can be dated to the end of 293 or the beginning of 294 AD, so to the reign of Diocletianus and his colleagues Maximianus, Constantius and Galerius. The work was carried out by Aurelius Proculus, governor of the province. His name could be supplemented, because the inscription is very similar to an inscription from Vitudurum (Oberwinterthur ZH). The inscription from Vitudurum records the building of a murum Vitudurensem. Therefore the supplement murum Tasgetiensem, "wall of Tasgetium", has been suggested for the inscription from Stein am Rhein.

IMP(erator) CAES(ar) CAIVS A[ur(elius)] V[al(erius)] DI[ocletianus pont(ifex)] MAX(imus) TRIB(unicia) P(o)T(estate) X[I imp(erator) X co(n)s(ul)] V [p(ater) p(atriae) proco(n)s(ul) et] [Im]P(erator) C[aes(ar)] MA[rcus Aur(elius)] V[a(lerius)] M[aximianus] [t]RI[b(unicia potestate)] P(ater) P(atriae) PROC[o(n)s(ul) P(ii) F(elices) Augg(usti) et] V[al(erius)] C[onstantius] [Galerius V]A(lerius) M[ax(imianus)] NOB[i]LISS[imi Caess(ares) mur] [um Tasge]T(iensem) A SOLO SVM(p)TV SV[o fecer(unt) Aur(elio) Procu] [lo pr]AESIDE [provinciae ---]

Inscription on limestone. W. 1.39, h. 0.735, d. 0.247. Kolb et al. 2022, nr. 704. Photo / drawing: EDCS-75200020.

Introduction The settlement The baths Commerce

The writing tablets Religion The fortress Burials

[16-Jan-2024]