BAD EMS, GERMANY—Remains of a fence topped with wooden spikes have been uncovered at the site of a Roman military base in western Germany by Markus Scholz of Goethe University and Daniel Burger-Völlmecke and Peter Henrich of the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage in Rhineland-Palatinate, according to an Artnet News report. The site, made up of more than 40 towers and a camp, was destroyed by a fire that began in a watch tower. The heavily fortified structure protected a Roman silver mining operation, which was abandoned in A.D. 47, as recorded by the ancient Roman historian Tacitus. A rich vein of silver was eventually discovered in the region in 1897 during an archaeological investigation. To read about the Roman conquest of Germany, go to "The Road Almost Taken."
Wooden Roman Defenses Uncovered in Germany
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