Roman Watchtower 14/78

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.

At Wp 14/78, the location of the Limes on the mountain spur becomes particularly clear. The name of the field, Pfahlbuck, already indicates that the knowledge of the Pfahl, as the Limes fortifications were often called in earlier times, was never completely lost in this area. To the north, the Kälbertal lies down in the valley; to the south and west, the Altmühl flows deep below. In antiquity, there was visual contact from here to the Böhming fort. On the visible older, approximately 11 x 11 m large wooden tower mound, the still approximately 20 to 40 cm deep ring ditch and the four post holes, approximately 20 cm deep, excavated by the RLK, can be recognized. A little to the west of it, again in a Limes bend to the north, lies a 5.5 x 6.5 meter stone tower, to which the later erected Limes wall was subsequently added. The Kipfenberg Tourist Association equipped the site in 1996 with a "Limes Tower" built in a rustic style. This tourist viewpoint does not correspond in its construction to the actual excavation findings on the Raetian Limes. The same applies to a limited extent to the section of the palisade erected with the tower. In the course of its development into a tourist attraction, a new excavation took place at the tower. Subsequently, a 0.80 cm high partial reconstruction was erected on the original foundations and the surrounding trees were felled. The crossing of the older palisade with the Limes wall has since been visible through the opening of the palisade ditch at the intersection. After this tower, the Limes wall, now running in a west-east direction, can be followed for a good 53 meters to the end of the mountain spur on a steep slope. Then it breaks off. However, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the structure is said to have been traceable further down the slope. In the valley at the Altmühl, the RLK found well-preserved wooden border barriers.