Roman camp, Marktbreit

The Roman camp at Marktbreit (Römerlager Marktbreit) is a Roman legionary camp from the period of Emperor Augustus. It is located in the municipal territory of the Lower Franconian town of Marktbreit on the left bank of the River Main in the district of Kitzingen in the German state of Bavaria.

It is remarkable because until 1985 it was never suspected that a legionary fortress was built so far northeast in Germanic enemy territory.

Location
The historic monument is located at a strategic site northeast of the town on the hill of Kapellenberg, a terrain spur in the acute angle between the Main (Moenus) and the Breitbach stream. Due to the course it follows in this area, the Main forms the so-called Main Triangle. In Antiquity there was almost certainly a ford here.

From this early period, the Marktbreit camp is the only one so far discovered that is located on the Main. It is also the farthest east for its period as well as one of the largest in Germania Magna overall. Archaeological finds show that, earlier, there had been a settlement of the Hallstatt culture on the site. In addition, a grave has been found that is associated with the Corded Ware culture.

Discovery and historical significance
The camp was discovered in 1985 by the Aerial archaeologist,. Sondages and especially magnetometer research during the investigations in the period 1986 to 1993 by the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege in Würzburg revealed an older, smaller camp, roughly nine hectares in area, and a larger, more recent camp, roughly 37 hectares in size. Of the smaller camp, only the ditch has survived; of the larger one there is a 2.8-metre-wide earth and wood wall and remains of the interior buildings. An architectonic feature is a praetorium (commandant's residence) oriented axially and joined to the principia (staff building). Such a central staff building is found in the Roman camp at Haltern. Along with the irregular ground plan and the design of the gate areas, this detail enables it to be dated to the time of Augustus. Six Roman coins and a terra sigillata stamp give a more precise date of 5 to 9 AD. In addition, soldiers' accommodation blocks (contubernia), defences and gate systems have been investigated.

This time horizon should enable its historical situation to be well classified. The camp at Marktbreit was probably built around 5/6 AD by the Romans during their Marcomannic campaign in which no less than twelve legions and their auxilia took part. While the commander, Tiberius, marched from Carnuntum (today, Petronell-Carnuntum) northwards against King Marobodus, the legate, Gaius Sentius Saturninus, pushed eastwards from Mogontiacum (Mainz), following the course of the Main, into Bohemia. Shortly before the two armies united, however, the campaign had to be called off because of the Pannonian uprising.

The camp at Marktbreit fits into this scenario, perhaps not so much as a transit camp with a small core staff to protect the deployment and supplies during the campaign but, in view of its size and the representative buildings, as a planned centre for large-scale conquest. That does not explain the extreme paucity of archaeological finds, however. Whether its expansion was ever completely finished is not yet clear; but the large building would certainly have made an impression on the local population. In any case, after the campaign had been called off, the fortification was no longer needed and was destroyed by fire.

Civilian settlement
Not far from the camp, a civilian settlement was established (canabae legionis) to support the camp.

Conservation
The area of the camp is a protected monument under the  of Bavaria. Research and the deliberate acquisition of finds has to be approved. Accidental finds must be reported to the monument authorities. Artefacts are displayed inter alia in the Roman Cabinet at the Malerwinkelhaus at Bachgasse 2 in Marktbreit. Furthermore, there is an archaeological hiking trail with eight information boards from the car park on the Main to the Kapellenberg, which gives an idea of the vast scale of Marktbreit's military camp.

Literature

 * Martin Pietsch, Dieter Timpe, Ludwig Wamser: Das augusteische Truppenlager Marktbreit. Bisherige archäologische Befunde und historische Erwägungen. In: Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 72, 1991, pp. 263–324.
 * Martin Pietsch: Die Zentralgebäude des augusteischen Legionslagers von Marktbreit und die Principia von Haltern. In: Germania 71, 1993, pp. 355–368.
 * Axel Posluschny, Die hallstattzeitliche Siedlung auf dem Kapellenberg bei Marktbreit, Unterfranken. Bayerische Vorgeschichtsblätter. 62, 1997, pp. 29–113.
 * Siegmar von Schnurbein: Die augusteischen Stützpunkte in Mainfranken und Hessen. In: Ludwig Wamser (ed.): Die Römer zwischen Alpen und Nordmeer. Zivilisatorisches Erbe einer europäischen Militärmacht. Katalog-Handbuch zur Landesausstellung des Freistaates Bayern, Rosenheim 2000. von Zabern, Mainz, 2000. (= Schriftenreihe der Archäologischen Staatssammlung 1), ISBN 3-8053-2615-7 und ISBN 3-927806-24-2, pp. 34–37 with ground plan.
 * Ludwig Wamser: Legionslager Marktbreit. Marktbreit, Lkr. Kitzingen. In: Ders. (publ.): Die Römer zwischen Alpen und Nordmeer. Zivilisatorisches Erbe einer europäischen Militärmacht. Katalog-Handbuch zur Landesausstellung des Freistaates Bayern, Rosenheim 2000. von Zabern, Mainz, 2000. (= Schriftenreihe der Archäologischen Staatssammlung 1), ISBN 3-8053-2615-7 und ISBN 3-927806-24-2, Cat. No. 250 pp. 436–438 with illustrations of real and virtual models.