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 TheRoman theatre in Augusta Raurica | |
  Augusta Raurica Shown within Switzerland | |
| Alternative name | Colonia Augusta Rauracorum |
|---|---|
| Location | Augst,Basel-Landschaft,Switzerland |
| Region | Germania Superior |
| Coordinates | 47°32′2″N7°43′17″E / 47.53389°N 7.72139°E /47.53389; 7.72139 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Lucius Munatius Plancus |
| Founded | Around 44 BC |
| Abandoned | Around 260 AD |
| Periods | Roman Republic toRoman Empire |
| Site notes | |
| Website | augustaraurica |
Augusta Raurica is aRomanarchaeological site and anopen-air museum inSwitzerland located on the south bank of theRhine river about 20 km east ofBasel near the villages ofAugst andKaiseraugst. It is the site of the oldest known Roman colony on theRhine.
Augusta Raurica, orColonia Augusta Rauracorum, wasfounded byLucius Munatius Plancus around 44 BC in the vicinity of a localGallic tribe, theRauraci, relatives of theHelvetii. No archaeological evidence from this period has yet been found, leading to the conclusion that, either the settlement of the colony was disturbed by thecivil war following the death ofJulius Caesar, or that Plancus' colony was actually in the area of modern Basel, not Augst.
Successful colonization of the site had to wait forAugustus'conquest of the central Alps around 15 BC. The oldest find to date at Augusta Raurica has been dated to 6 BC bydendrochronology.
The inscription on Munatius Plancus' grave merely states the name of the colony asColonia Raurica. A fragmentary inscription from the Augustinian period speaks of theColonia P[aterna] (?) M[unatia] (?) [Felix] (?) [Apolli]naris [Augusta E]merita [Raur]ica (letters in brackets are reconstructions). Apart from this fragmentary reference, the first certain witness to the use of the nameAugustus comes from the geographerPtolemy in theAncient Greek formAugústa Rauríkon (lat.Augusta Rauricorum).
Augusta Raurica played an important role in Augustus' plans of conquest with two other colonies that bear his name:Augusta Praetoria (modernAosta at the southern end of theGreat Saint Bernard Pass) andAugusta Vindelicum (modernAugsburg, an outpost on theDanube). These threeAugustae form the corners of a triangle that reaches across the alpine conquests of Augustus, the long base of which form theRhine knee to the Danube formed the frontier against unconqueredGermania.
Duringexcavations it was determined that the city was founded on a highplateau just south of theRhine river. Two small rivers, theErgolz and Violen, have carved a triangle in the plateau, the base of which is about 1 kilometer wide along the base of theJura Mountains, and the apex points northward toward the Rhine, about 1 kilometer from the base. This point is the site of the Romancastrum, or military fortification. The city is, therefore, well-defended by steep slopes to the north, east, and west.
The next step in planning the city was thesurveying of the area according to thearchitect's plans for the city. Every important public building had its specific place, starting with thetemple ofJupiter as the sacred high point from which the street network would spread. The architect, who was responsible for executing the plans for the city, next laid alongitudinal axis across the triangle 36˚ west of north to form themain street of the settlement. Other longitudinal streets were laid out parallel to the main street at intervals of 55 meters. The main street was then divided into sections of 66 meters (255Roman feet), which formed the corners of 10crossing streets. This created a series of rectangular blocks of around 50 by 60 meters. Thestreets were laid on a solid bed of gravel and flanked by gutters on both sides. The more important roads featured covered sidewalks behind rows ofcolumns.
The limits of Colonia Raurica can no longer be determined with absolute accuracy. However, the approximate boundaries can be established by examining the extent of Augst in theEarly Middle Ages. This would seem to indicate the colony extended from Basel toward the mouth of theAare, then up the Aare to the mouth of theSigger belowSolothurn, across to theLüssel, and then back down theBirs to Basel, though this is still conjecture. New research, based on tiles stamped with the mark of theVindonissa Legion, indicates some administrative dependence on Vindonissa. This would indicate that the colony reached over theBözberg towardFrick, with theThiersteinberg below Frick forming the eastern boundary. The western boundary, was near the mouth of the Birs, possibly marked by a border station. Early Romancremation remains, found in 1937 by the church inNeuallschwil, show that such a post did exist on the main road north (towardBlotzheim) intoAlsace. The Colonia Raurica, on the whole, contained the modernCanton of Basel, the Frick valley, and the eastern Jura Mountains of theCanton of Solothurn. The total area of the colony was around 700 km2.
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By the 2nd century AD, Augusta Raurica was a prosperous commercial trading centre and, in its glory days, the capital of a localRoman province. It is estimated that the population reached approximately 20,000 people. Augusta Raurica prospered between the 1st and 3rd centuries, and exported smoked pork and bacon to other parts of theRoman Empire. The city possessed the typical amenities of a Roman city, anamphitheatre, a mainforum, several smaller forums, anaqueduct, a variety oftemples, severalpublic baths and the largestRoman theatre north of the Alps, with 8,000 to 10,000 seats. Many of these sites are open to visitors year-round.
In 250 AD, a powerful earthquake damaged a large part of the city. Shortly after, around 260 AD,Alemanni tribes and/ormarauding Roman troops destroyed the city. The Romans attempted to maintain their military position by building a fortress on the Rhine,Castrum Rauracense, the walls of which are still partly intact. Augusta Raurica was resettled on a much smaller scale on the site of thecastrum. These two settlements form the centers of the modern communities ofAugst andKaiseraugst.
In 1442, these communities were divided along theErgolz andViolenbach [de] rivers. The western portion was given to Basel, which became acanton of Switzerland in 1501. From 1588,Basilius Amerbach, assisted by the painterHans Bock, documented the rediscovery of the Roman settlement.[1] In 1833, Augst became part of theCanton of Basel-Land. The eastern part became part ofHabsburg territories and, to differentiate between the two towns, was renamed Kaiseraugst. Kaiseraugst became part of Switzerland in 1803 after the defeat of the Habsburgs during theNapoleonic Wars.
The excavation site and the late Roman castle, theCastrum Rauracense, are listed asheritage sites of national significance, as are the early Christianbaptisterium and the brickkiln at Liebrüti.[2]
Many of the Roman buildings have been discovered and conserved through excavations, and most are open to the public:
Several private commercial buildings also have been found (ataberna, abakery, apotter, and atilekiln), as well as portions of a sewer. Around 80% of the built-up area has yet to be excavated. Augusta Raurica is the best-preserved Roman city north of theAlps that has not been built-over inmedieval or modern times.
TheRoman Museum houses the most important finds from the Roman city and presents the history of Augusta Raurica. In the museum, visitors will often find special exhibits, as well as the most significant archaeological find at Augusta Raurica: thesilver treasure of Kaiseraugst. This treasure hoard was found in the fortress in 1961–1962, and it is presumed to have once been the property of a commander. The museum also has a reconstruction of aRoman house, with artifacts and reconstructions showing daily domestic and commercial life from the Roman period.
The site is located some 750 m (2,460 ft) south ofKaiseraugst railway station, which is served by the half-hourly operatingS1 service ofBasel S-Bahn.
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