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A Roman marching camp covering c.7.4ha has been found near the town of Šurany, in south-western Slovakia.
The discovery – which came about through an extensive ongoing archaeological project carried out by the Archaeological Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with M H Invest, in advance of the construction of a new industrial park – offers a rare opportunity to explore almost an entire Roman marching camp. The site lacks the rectangular ground plan common in Roman camps, but has all the characteristic defensive elements, including five entrance gates, fortifications, and a curved ditch-and-rampart system.
The camp dates to the late 2nd century AD and is believed to be associated with the Marcomannic Wars, a series of conflicts that took place in AD 166 180 between troops under the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the Germanic tribes known as the Marcomanni.
What makes the site particularly intriguing is its abundance of human remains. A large number of both whole and partial skeletons were discovered, deposited in ditches, wells, and hastily dug shallow graves. The finds accompanying them indicate that the deceased are mostly Roman soldiers: spears, arrowheads, parts of helmets, segmented and scaled armour, legionary buckles, coins, and iron nails from the soles of military sandals. At present, researchers are uncertain whether these men were killed in combat or by disease. They are also puzzled by the large number of objects accompanying the bodies. It is hoped that lab analysis and further genetic and anthropological research could provide answers to these questions. Meanwhile, archaeological work at the site will continue into the future.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: ArÚ SAS – M Ruttkay, M Vojteček, M Cheben, M H Invest
