11 February 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

In Switzerland, a Roman amphitheater was discovered during the construction of boathouse

Archaeologists from Aargau Cantonal Archaeology have announced the discovery of a Roman amphitheater in Kaiseraugst, located in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland.

The amphitheater was discovered during the construction of a new boathouse for the Basel Rowing Club on the Rhine at Kaiseraugst. ​The facility is around 50 meters long and 40 meters wide and is located in the valley of a quarry that was abandoned in Roman times.

The Castrum Rauracense is located just west of the Kaiseraugst fort. To the south of the compound, found a large gate the amphitheater complex flanked by two side entrances and the remains of another entrance on the arena western side made from large sandstone blocks.

The grandstands were made of wood, and the impression of a wooden post could still be seen on the structure. All of the evidence, including the oval, entrances, and grandstand post-placement, points to an amphitheater. It dates to late antiquity, most likely the 4th century AD, based on the building materials used, the discoveries, and the fact that it was erected in an abandoned quarry.

The amphitheater was discovered during the construction of a new boathouse for the Basel Rowing Club on the Rhine at Kaiseraugst.
The amphitheater was discovered during the construction of a new boathouse for the Basel Rowing Club on the Rhine at Kaiseraugst. Photo: Aargau Cantonal Archaeology

As a result, the monument emphasizes the prominence of the Castrum Rauracense in the fourth century AD.

The researchers suggest that the amphitheater is the second amphitheater in the canton of Aargau after the Vindonissa (Windisch), and the third such monument found in Augusta Raurica.

Aargau Cantonal Archaeology stated: “The monument underlines the importance of the Castrum Rauracense in the 4th century AD. The fort was an important settlement with a military function on the Roman border, but also an administrative center.”

The threshold of the side entrance consists of a sandstone block.
The threshold of the side entrance consists of a sandstone block. Photo: Aargau Cantonal Archaeology

Around 44 BC, Lucius Munatius Plancus built Augusta Raurica, or Colonia Augusta Rauracorum, in the area of a native Gallic tribe known as the Rauraci. The town grew to be a thriving commercial trading center in the 2nd century AD, with a population of over 20,000 people.

The Kaiseraugst fort was an important settlement with a military function on the Roman border, but also an administrative center. The Roman city of Augusta Raurica, the archaeological site of the Roman city of Augusta Raurica, and the late antique Castrum Rauracense, form a unit. Today the site extends to both the Aargau and the Basel area.

KANTON AARGAU

Related Articles

Water Cultu in Hittites and Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument

4 February 2021

4 February 2021

The Hittites, which left their mark on the Bronze Age period in Anatolia, is a society that draws attention with...

Excavations at Körzüt Castle unearth 2 cuneiform inscriptions and a new Urartian Susi temple

25 October 2023

25 October 2023

During the rescue excavations carried out at the Körzüt Castle in the Muradiye district of Van province in eastern Turkey,...

1500-Year-Old Petroglyphs Found in Central Iran

13 April 2021

13 April 2021

Researchers have discovered 70 petroglyphs carved into the rock that they think is from the Sassanid era. The petroglyphs were...

1700-year-old weaving workshop discovered in southeast Turkey

4 December 2021

4 December 2021

Excavations carried out in the ancient city of Perre in the southeastern province of Adıyaman have unearthed a 1,700-year-old weaving...

Ancient ‘Cancer-Treating’ Magical Amulet Discovered in Türkiye’s Antioch of Pisidia

30 December 2024

30 December 2024

An intriguing artifact was discovered during excavations in the ancient city of Pisidia Antioch in Isparta province in western Türkiye:...

A basement discovered on the premises of the ruins of Hitoyoshi Castle in Japan could be a Jewish bathing facility!

7 December 2022

7 December 2022

Experts are still indecisive about why there was a bathing area in the basement which was discovered on the site...

Ancient Roman Chalice Contained Pig Fat Discovered in a 6th-century Anglo-Saxon Tomb in England

11 December 2024

11 December 2024

During excavations in Scremby, Lincolnshire in 2018, archaeologists uncovered an enameled copper alloy chalice in a 6th-century AD female grave....

The free online course from the Colchester Museums and University of Reading Department of Archeology

12 July 2021

12 July 2021

The opportunity to be among the first to examine 2,000-year-old cremated remains from Roman Britain and learn about the origins...

Iron Age and Roman Skeletons Discovered on Alderney

19 May 2021

19 May 2021

Well-preserved skeletons from the late Iron Age and Roman periods were found in Alderney, one of the channel islands. The...

1300-year-old baby footprints found in excavations at the ancient city of Assos in western Turkey

3 September 2021

3 September 2021

1300 years ago, a baby stepped on baked bricks prepared to make a bread baking oven. The baby was probably...

3000 years old wooden wishing well discovered in Germany

7 January 2023

7 January 2023

In the town of Germering, in the Germany state of Bavaria, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a well-preserved Bronze...

2400-year-old artifacts discovered in the Black Sea’s first scientific underwater excavation

25 March 2024

25 March 2024

Dozens of historical artifacts dating from the 4th century BC to the 12th century AD were unearthed in the first...

The sword, thought to be a replica, turned out to be an authentic 3000-year-old Bronze Age sword

22 January 2023

22 January 2023

A sword in Chicago’s Field Museum that was previously thought to be a replica has been revealed to be an...

Pompeii Reopening Antiquarium

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

The Antiquarium, a permanent museum within the Pompeii Archaeological pact, reopens. Opened in 1873, the Antiquarium was bombed during World...

One of the Oldest Tin-Bronze Knife in the Eurasian Steppe Discovered in a Unique Bronze Age Cemetery in Uygur ­Autonomous Region

29 January 2025

29 January 2025

Chinese archaeologists have recently uncovered a large and uniquely structured cemetery dating back to 2800-2600 BC, located about two kilometers...