Archaeologists are investigating the site of a Roman military camp located near the town of Šurany in southwestern Slovakia. The site dates to the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius during the Marcomannic Wars, a series of conflicts fought between the Roman Empire and Germanic tribes from AD 166 to 180.
Find Adds to Historical Record of Roman Military Operations
According to the Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and its research partner MH Invest, the camp is the most significant discovery in an industrial site of approximately 150 hectares, that is now part of the largest archaeological excavation ever done in Slovakia. Researchers estimate the size of the camp, the first in the Nitra region, at approximately 7.4 hectares. The research will add to the historical record of Roman military operations north of the Danube.
This Šurany site is unique in its shape, but it contains defensive features typical of Roman military camps, such as five entrance gates, ramparts, and ditches. One of the entrances is a clavicula–a curved ditch intended to slow down an attack. This feature has not been found in Slovakia before.
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