Definition: The modern city of Regensburg, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers in Bavaria, has the largest Iron Age Roman fortification in the region. Established about AD 80, the fort became important during the Marcomannic Wars of AD 166-180, and was the legionary headquarters of the 3rd Italian Region. The fort includes an area of some 25 hectares, with a wall 8 meters high and 2 meters thick of cut limestone and sandstone. Built to support a crush of some 6,000 soldiers, the fort area includes four cemeteries, the largest of which contains 5,000 burials. The Roman remains were reported in the early 16th century by Johannes Thurmair, and excavated in the 1980s by A. Faber, and again in the 1990s by Peter S. Wells.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
Also Known As: Ratisbon
