Roman Watchtower 14/4

The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes, with a length of 550 km, from Eining near Regensburg to Rheinbrohl on the Rhine, is the largest archaeological monument in Germany and has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Limes (Latin: border path/wall) refers to the border fortifications of the Roman Empire, which were erected towards the end of the 1st century AD.

This border was monitored by more than 900 towers, which were built in timber construction during the initial phase, starting around 80 AD. Stone towers followed, which were plastered from 150 AD onwards. Excavations have shown that the white plaster often had cracked joints, which were painted in terracotta. This created the impression of beautiful ashlar masonry.

The tower, unusually large at 4.7 x 6.3 m, re-examined, conserved, and partially reconstructed by the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation in 1980, stood dominantly on the ridge and offered a wide panoramic view. The ring wall, on which Wp 14/4 is located, dates back to prehistoric times and is thus considerably older than previously assumed by earlier research. Also striking about this complex is an intermediate wall, which was subsequently built inside the tower. The course of the older wooden palisade was indicated with wooden logs during the tower restoration in 1980. The size of the tower could indicate its dual use, which required more personnel, because west of this site, Eidam discovered a Limes passage in 1887, during the first excavations at Wp 14/4, which existed both during the time of the oak palisade and the later stone wall. In 2007, this tower site was renovated again and the now rotten oak palisade was renewed. West of Wp 14/4 stands a Bismarck monument erected in 1901, on which the inscription proclaims that it was built "from stone blocks of an Alamannic ring wall and from stones of the Roman wall". To have visual contact with Wp 14/5, this tower must have been at least five meters high.