La viLLe romaine d'augusta raurica, à augst (canton de bâLe, suisse)
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Sommaire >> English abstract La ville romaine d’Augusta Raurica, à augst (canton de bâle, suisse) résumé Donald F. Offers restaurateur en chef En accord avec les trois axes principaux de notre stratégie de base, la conservation des ves tiges et des fouilles sont en parallèle avec la recherche et l’interprétation, le but essentiel de la ville romaine d’Augusta Raurica. Augusta Raurica, avec sa tradition ancienne de conservation, met tout en œuvre pour la sauvegarde d’un riche patrimoine culturel pour les générations futures et pour rendre vivante l’histoire en l’interprétant, à travers des animations et des évé nements, ou des publications à destination du public. À Augusta Raurica les méthodes de restauration et de conservation sont préférées aux recons tructions complètes. Plusieurs exemples de projets récents de conservation, de reconstruc tion partielle et de présentation, d’après des critères internationaux, notre plan général ainsi que notre identité en tant que société, en tant que guide, ont été discutés dans cet article. La gestion de site est un processus extrêmement important et constant qui exige un per sonnel qualifié pour la maintenance du site, tant pour les vestiges que pour l’infrastructure d’accueil des visiteurs, telle que le parc de stationnement, les restaurants, les équipements et ainsi de suite. Les ressources pour cela devraient toujours être incluses dans le budget de maintenance à long terme. Aujourd’hui Augusta Raurica est devenue une importante attraction touristique pour la région. Si l’une de nos tâches principales est de fournir au visiteur les informations les plus pertinentes au sujet du passé en ayant recours à toutes les méthodes à notre disposition, nous devons néanmoins garder à l’esprit que notre devoir principal est d’être les gardiens attentionnés des rares témoignages archéologiques qui ont survécu aux ravages du temps.
Contents >> Résumé français The Roman City of Augusta Raurica (canton of basel-landschaft, switzerland) abstract Donald F. Offers chief restorator In accordance with the three main principles of our basic strategy the preservation of the ruins and the finds is, are together with research and interpretation, the major goal of the Roman town of Augusta Raurica. With its long tradition of conservation Augusta Raurica strives to protect the rich cultural heritage for future generations and to bring history alive in interpreting this in the form of educational presentations and publications for the public. In Augusta Raurica conservation and restoration methods are preferred above complete re constructions. While most reconstructions are made with the intention of protecting the ob ject, they are often irreversible, do not always enhance the understanding and may be histo rically and archaeologically incorrect. Several examples of recent projects of conservation, partial reconstruction and presentation, using international standards, our general plan and our corporate identity as a guide, have been discussed in this article. Site management is an extremely important and constant process which requires appropriate staffing for the maintenance of the ruins as well as the infrastructure for the visitors such as parking facilities, amenities, restaurants and so forth. The resources for this should always be included in long term maintenance and budget plans. Today Augusta Raurica has become an important tourist attraction in the region. It is one of our major tasks to successfully inform the visitors about the past using all methods available, but at the same time we should bear in mind that it is our main obligation to be the sen sitive caretakers of the sparse archaeological evidence that has survived the decay of time.
Sommaire >>
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(canton of basel-landschaft, switzerland)
Donald F. Offers
chief restorator
A ugusta Raurica, in Switzerland, is a unique archaeological site in central Europe:
no other Roman city is so extensively conserved in the protective ground as here
in Augusta Raurica. Today a part lies in Augst in the Canton of Basel-Landschaft,
another in Kaiseraugst in the Canton of Aargau. An agreement between the three
cantons Basel-Landschaft, Aargau and Basel-Stadt secures the care of the site, ena-
bling the necessary excavations and the conservation of the finds and the ancient
monuments. To this day only one fifth of the city has been excavated and eighty
percent of the ruins, covering an area of 106 hectares, still lies intact barely half a
metre under ground level. It is the obligation as one of the Head Departments of the
ministry of Education, Culture and Sport1 (BKSD) in Basel-Landschaft to conserve
and preserve, to protect, research and interpret all of this to the public. The methods
applied in Augusta Raurica may be an interesting contribution in the discussion for
this Colloquium in Bèziers.
Historical Background
An inscription on the funerary monument in Gaete in Italy of Lucius Munatius Plancus, gover
nor of Gaul and friend of Julius Caesar, witnesses the foundation of the colonies of Lugudu
num (Lyon) and Raurica. The date of the foundation is thought to be the year 44 BC. The first
buildings were erected around 15 to 10 BC under the emperor Augustus, the first name of the
new colony was probably Colonia Munatia Felix Appolinaris Augusta Emerita Raurica.
In antiquity, Augusta Raurica with its bridges over the Rhine was the meeting point of two
important traffic routes and became an important centre of trade and industry. The routes
went from south to north connecting Italy and the Rhineland via the Great St. Bernard Pass,
and from west to east between Gaul and the upper Danube and Raetia. In its heyday, around
150-200 AD, the upper and lower parts of the town covered approximately 106 hectares
and numbered around 20 000 inhabitants. The majority of traffic of both goods and people
between the south and the fortified northern frontier of the empire (limes) crossed the Rhine
here. Nowadays, the area of the Roman town is again touched by one of the main motorway
axes through Europe which crosses the Rhine 10 kilometres downstream at Basel.
In the middle of the third century AD earth tremors may have destroyed large parts of the flou
rishing town and around 275 AD Germanic invasions or internal civil wars again caused consi
derable damage to the town. Following the destruction of the upper town many inhabitants
moved to the lower town by the Rhine. After Roman troops built the fortress in Kaiseraugst
(Castrum Rauracense) in around 300 AD, the townspeople shared the benefit of protective
fortifications and for several years the Castrum Rauracense was the main base for the Legio
Prima Martia which guarded a large section of the imperial frontier.
Brief storyboard of the conservation
After the collapse of the Roman Empire no large settlement continued here, the capital of the
area developed in Basel and the ruins were left to decay over the following centuries. The first
and oldest excavations and scientific investigations north of the Alps were begun in the ruins
of the theatre by Andreas Ryff and Basilius Amerbach2 as early as 1582. Since 1878 the Histo
1. Bildungs,- Kultur- und Sportdirektion des Kantons Basel-Landschaft (BKSD).
2. Documents of these excavations are kept in the library of the University of Basel.
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
rical and Antiquarian Society of Basel3 (HAGB) has regularly excavated the site and since 1957
a permanent excavation team has been at work all year round. The HAGB bought the theatre
and Schönbühl temple site (Fig. 1) in 1884 with the aim of protecting it from further ruination
and use as a stone quarry. In 1935 the Pro Augusta Foundation4 (PAR) was established and
together with the HAGB and the Canton of Basel-Landschaft large sections of the Roman city
have been bought and placed under protection.
After more than a decade of groundwork, a law5 was at long last passed on the 11th of De
cember 2002 by the Parliament of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft enabling the protection of
Figure 1
Fig. 1. The Schönbühl temple complex as it looks today with a view towards Basel.
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
3. Historische und Antiquarische Gesellschaft zu Basel (HAGB).
4. Stiftung Pro Augusta Raurica (PAR).
5. „Gesetz über den Schutz und die Erforschung von archäologischen Stätten und Objekten“, in Archäologiegesetz / ArchG, http://
www.bl.ch/docs/recht/sgs_7/793.0.htm
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
the complete site including all ruins above and below the ground. With the acceptance of the
law, in operation since March 1st 2003, the canton is the first in German-speaking Switzerland
which has, by effectively using the law, such an important means of protecting its past.
The Conservation and Restoration concept
In accordance with the three main principles of our basic strategy, the preservation of the ruins
and the finds is, together with research and interpretation, a major goal of the Roman town of
Augusta Raurica. The Roman town is well known on a national and on an international level
and forms a very important reference for general Roman research. Both the ruins as well as
the finds are best conserved by leaving them in the ground, since by excavation they become
exposed to weathering, to vegetation growth and pollution and without taking preservation
measures would slowly and surely decay. It is our duty to protect the evidence of the past
with the best possible methods so that its authenticity and the connection with the historical
environment can also be ensured in the future.
In the past decades many excavations
have taken place and many monumental
ruins have been documented but unfor
tunately destroyed and lost to the public
(Fig. 2). From the 1950’s several other ruins
such as the Grienmatt temple, the amphi
theatre and the theatre have been restored,
but due to outdated restoration methods,
these ruins need extra maintenance and
have to be repeatedly restored using mod
ern methods available today.
These Roman ruins here are conserved,
restored and maintained according to
academic principles and standards6 and
before each new restoration project ar
Figure 2 chaeological research, damage analysis
Fig. 2. The destruction of the Roman retaining walls discovered during the exca and documentation needs to take place.
vation “Kastelen” in Augst in 1995 to make place for a new conference building.
In this process it can be specified whether
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
the ruin or monument must be conserved,
restored or partially reconstructed. In each
case the main issues to be kept in mind are the respect for the original material substance
and long-term preservation of the monument. A restoration plan is drawn up in co-ope
ration with archaeologists, monument conservators, restorers, architects, stone-cutters
and craftsmen in which all steps of the process conform to methods and rules laid down
in international and national guidelines.
After conservation projects, site management is an extremely important and constant process.
This requires appropriate staffing for maintenance of the ruins as well as the infrastructure for
the visitors such as parking facilities, amenities, restaurants and so forth. The resources for
this are included in long term maintenance and budget plans.
Preventive maintenance and continuous care of monuments guarantees long term conserva
tion. Every three years the condition of all ruins in Augusta Raurica is carefully checked and
documented in a damage report. The report is an instrument to determine the restoration
priorities. In enables damage to be recognized and treated promptly to prevent the result of
extensive damage and in doing so, most importantly, to ensure the safety of visitors.
6. ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites) the international charters for the conservation and restoration of monu-
ments, http://www.international.icomos.org/charters.htm
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
The first large restoration project started in the theatre in 1934 where an attempt was made
to conserve the ruin by injecting cement (Fig. 3). Nine years ago the parliament of the Canton
of Basel-Landschaft passed a motion to invest in a total conservation and reconstruction pro
ject that will be completed in 2007. The earlier restoration work and the original structure has
been severely damaged over the years by weathering from rain, frost, salts, vegetation and
incorrect restoration methods like those mentioned above to such an extent that the theatre
had become very dangerous to the public. In the past the top of the theatre was even covered
by many large trees which caused extensive damage to the original substance. During this
restoration project, not every tree has been removed due to evidence that the roots of these
specific trees left standing hold the wall core together. In the restoration project a protective
layer, so called wall-capping (Fig. 4), of similar limestone has been built over the original ruin.
The original Roman wall core has been separated from the wall-capping by a coating of a
mixture of lime and sand7 and layers of waterproof Sika MonoTop 107 seal8. The wall-capping,
clearly marked with small ceramic tiles in the joints as a separation between the old and new
masonry, is constructed using a mortar9 with a hydraulic lime and trasscement base. In 2004
changes of products in the cement industry have caused us to review10 the quality of the
former trasscement used and due to problems with salts it became necessary to renew the
recipe of the mortar with low alkaline cement from the HeidelbergCement AG in Germany11.
Delivery problems of the hydraulic lime in Switzerland has been solved by purchasing a natural
lime from the Zement- und Kalkwerke Otterbein GmbH & Co, also in Germany. The wall-cap
ping, varying from thirty to sixty centimetres, thus permits moisture to seep through the crown
Figure 3
Fig. 3. Injecting cement in the theatre walls
during restoration work in 1934.
(Karl Stehlin Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Fig. 4. Recapping the original walls
of the theatre with similar limestone.
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Figure 4
7. Lime mixture : 1 part hydraulic lime to three parts sand 0/4 mm.
8. Sika MonoTop 107 Seal from the Company Sika AG in Switzerland ; (www.sika.ch)
9. Recipe old mortar : 30 parts sand 0/4 mm, 18 parts sand 0/8 mm, 9 _ parts hydraulic lime and 7 _ parts trasscement
10. Year book of Augusta Raurica, Jahresbericht n° 26, 2004 . Thomas Hufschmid and Ines Horisberge, Matter ; Das römische Thea-
ter von Augst : Sanierungs- und Forscungsarbeiten, 2004, p. 136-139.
11. Recipe new mortar : 45 parts of sand 0/4 mm, 15 parts of sand 0/8 mm, 14 _ parts of hydraulic lime (natural high hydraulic lime,
NHL 5 “hydradur” from the company Zement- und Kalkwerke Otterbein GmbH & Co (http://www.zkw-otterbein.de) in Grossenlüder-
Müs in Germany and 7 _ parts of low alkaline cement (CEM II/A-LL 32.5 R-C) from the company HeidelbergCement AG, (http://www.
heidelbergcement.com) in Germany.
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
and exit through the sides in doing so, it slows down and stops the seepage of moisture into
the original sensitive core of the structure.
Unfortunately almost all of the huge seating blocks in the theatre have been removed and
reused over the past centuries as building material in the area. The Swiss federal commission
for the care of monuments12 together with the Canton therefore decided to partially recons
truct the ancient audience seating as part of the project. It is very important to create a very
clear distinction between old and new so in this case no new massive sandstone blocks whe
re used as the difference between old and new sandstone blocks would, after several years
of weathering, be undetectable to the public. Therefore in place of massive blocks, stainless
steel cages (Fig. 5) filled with fragments of red sandstone with a sandstone slab on top were
installed. Even from a short distance the optical result is successful (Fig. 6) and presents a very
clear message to the public that this part of the theatre has been reconstructed.
Figure 5
Fig. 5. Reconstruction of the audience seating
in the theatre using stainless steel cages filled
with fragments of red sandstone
with a sandstone slab on top.
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Fig. 6. The theatre as seen from the Schönbühl
temple complex. The overall optical effect
of the new audience seating, even from
a short distance, is very successful.
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Figure 6
In Augusta Raurica conservation and restoration methods are preferred above reconstruc
tions like those in the neighbouring countries13 of Switzerland. e choose to conserve the ruins
by following a sensitive approach which changes as little as possible of the original substance,
and by only partially reconstructing in order to make the historical information understandable
to the public. The decision whether to use wall-capping or to provide a shelter for exposed
archaeological ruins is dependent on the criteria of the protective, aesthetic and interpretive
functions. In the case of shelters great care needs to be taken not to do more harm than good;
the shelter must protect against further decay and at the same time not dominate over the ruin
or monument14, it should fit in the landscape and, if possible, make an educational statement
to the public. In his article15 in The Conservation of Archaeological Sites in the Mediterranean
12. Eidgenössischen Kommission für Denkmalpflege (EKD).
13. For example, In Germany many roman sites have been reconstructed, see : Hartwig Schmidt, Archäologische Denkmäler in
Deutschland, rekonstruiert und wieder aufgebaut, Theiss, 2000.
14. More about this theme in the article by Neville Agnew : “Methodology, conservation criteria and performance evaluation for
archaeological site shelters”, in Conservation and management of archaeological sites (special issue on protective shelters), vol.
5, n° 1 & 2, James & James, 2001.
15. Hartwig Schmidt, “Reconstructions of Ancient Buildings”, in The conservation of archaeological sites in the Mediterranean
region : an international conference organised by the Getty Conservation Institute and the J. Paul Getty Museum, 1995.
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
Region Hartwig Schmidt concludes: “Reconstruction falls in the realm of tourist attractions,
and as such should not be part of archaeological sites. Activities on authentic sites should
be restricted to measures that preserve historic buildings and monuments : conservation,
restoration and anastylosis16. Only these practices can ensure the unaltered preservation of
the historical remains, thereby safeguarding their integrity as authentic records of history. In
addition to yielding important scientific data, archaeological sites bear witness to the transitory
nature of all human creations. The handling of ruins, therefore, should respect their nature.
The presentation should be responsible and modest and incorporate signs of aging. Archaeo-
logical practices should try to achieve a long-lasting conservation. They should not aim for
sensational presentations as a means to attracting visitors.
In 1955 Dr. René Clavel, the founder of the chemical industrial company Ciba Geigy, collected
and donated funds to build the authentic reconstruction of a Roman house and business pre
mises (Fig. 7). This full-scale reconstruction remains an exception in Augusta Raurica. While
it does not reconstruct a specific Roman building, it is based on archaeological excavations
in Augst and has a huge educational value for its many visitors to this day. Where a costly
renovation is not justifiable the option of reburial as a conservation method should be consi
dered. The three pottery kilns constructed in the 2nd and 3rd century AD at the south end of
the city and excavated in 1968/69 were protected by an entirely enclosed shelter, accessible
to the public. Unfortunately extreme moisture seepage coming from under the kilns could not
be controlled and over the years the kilns were threatened by total collapse. Total excavation
and destruction of all three kilns with the possibility of reconstructing them, or the reburial of
the kilns in their present state were the only feasible options left. We opted for reburial which
keeps the possibility of later restoration open and which ultimately cost a fraction of the other
option of excavation and reconstruction. The kilns were first covered by a synthetic fleece and
filled in with 40 m3 of fine gravel. A concrete floor was constructed over this one- to three-
metre layer of gravel and the shelter is used today as a storage room.
Another example, in this case a temporary conservation method, took place in the month
of August 2005 at a rescue excavation caused by a private building project near the Forum.
Unexpectedly the ruins of a Roman town villa were uncovered and as the scientific value of
this site is considerable the Canton of Basel-Landschaft voted to withdraw the building permit
and to conserve instead of to destroy the site. As it will take several years to obtain govern
mental funding and develop a restoration and presentation concept, it is absolutely necessary
to protect the ruins from the elements by temporary reburial. The ruins of the villa were cove
red with 900 m3 of fine clean sand (Fig. 8), in this case without using a separating layer, as
negative experiences with the forming of fungus and algae have occurred in past reburials.
To complete the short- to long- term protection a 40 cm layer of earth was applied above the
sand in which grass has been planted to form a moisture and frost buffer until re-excavation
can take place.
The protection
Several spectacular ruins were preserved in the 1980’s using enclosed protective shelters,
such as the brick & tile works and the trading house (Fig. 9), both in Kaiseraugst. These very
different shelters were not built according to a general concept, they dominate over the ruins
and present many maintenance problems today. In 1995 a concept was born which has been
further developed as the standard corporate identity of Augusta Raurica for protective shel
ters. A decision concerning open shelters over several ruins was reached and this opportunity
was taken to define a general concept which could be used for the coming decades.
The first shelter was built over the remains of a room with hypocaust belonging to a luxurious
residence found in Violenried near the Curia (Fig. 10). The remains of the walls were excava
ted during military fortification works in 1940 and were restored and partially reconstructed
16. Explained by Hartwig Schmidt, ibid., as the working method of Nicolaos Balanos at the re-erection of the Acropolis in Athens.
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 10
Fig. 7. The full-scale reconstruction of the Roman house and business premises
next to the museum of Augusta Raurica. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Fig. 8. Reburial of the ruins of the Roman villa, discovered in 2004 in Augst,
as a temporary conservation method until re-excavation is necessary.
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Fig. 9. The shelter over the Roman trading house built in 1985 in Schmidmatt
Figure 9 in Kaiseraugst. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Fig. 10. The shelter built in 1995 over the remains of a room with hypocaust
belonging to a luxurious residence. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
Figure 11
Fig. 11. The shelter built in 1998 over the reconstructed stone seating of the council meeting room of the Curia
or town hall on the Forum. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
in 1945. The walls, surviving in parts to a considerable height, were probably part of a dining
room with a hypocaust heating system. In 1995 the ruins were in a very bad state due to in
tensive weathering damage. The only way to protect and conserve the ruin was to recap the
walls and to build an open shelter generously covering the area above the room.
Out of this first attempt to protect against the elements in 1995, a choice of colours and mate
rials were developed and again used in 1998 in a second open shelter over the reconstructed
stone seating of the council meeting room of the Curia or town hall on the Forum (Fig. 11). The
large roof shelter was not built to protect the reconstructed stone seating but to solve the pro
blem of massive rain leakage through the concrete roof into the basement which is a original
Roman structure and which is used to display several large mosaics excavated in the 1970’s.
General plan for the presentation
In 2002 a general plan17 was created as an instrument to handle all aspects of our obligations
and responsibilities to protect and preserve, research and interpret the Roman town, as well
as our future plans and vision for Augusta Raurica and a new museum. The general plan
also functions as a tool box for our corporate identity defining the corporate design for the
shelters mentioned above, our own letter type, the Augusta Raurica logo, a standard for the
signposting at all the ruins, information panels and a guiding system around the open air park.
In the general plan a standard has been set for the natural building materials to be used for
monument restorations such as limestone masonry, sandstone and tuff.
17. Alex R. Furger, Gesamtplanung für die Römerstadt Augusta Raurica, 2002.The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
To create a better understanding of the monuments for our visitors we make a strict distinc
tion between original substance, restorations and partial reconstructions on the one hand,
where natural materials are used, and modern infrastructure on the other hand, whereby
steel, concrete and wood are used for example for shelters, walkways, retaining walls and, for
example, the buildings for stables at the animal farm.
To protect the visitors the ruins must be secured by railings. A Roman-style railing should only
be used when incorporated in the Roman ruins and in all other cases a modern railing is the
only standard option to be used as a safety measure.
A guideline for the use of lawns, small trees, bushes and hedges together with all types of ma
terials like gravel, marl, etc to mark the underground Roman structures has also been defined
in the general plan.
In his article18 in The Conservation of Archaeological Sites in the Mediterranean Region Renée
Sivan sums up very well what should be understood under the term presentation.
The presentation of a site should aim to bring history to life by use of the remaining archaeo-
logical evidence. And, at the same time that it portrays the reality of the past, the presenta-
tion should allow visitors to grasp the effect of time by creating direct visual contact with the
site. In other words, the presentation should enable visitors to become evolved with, and to
communicate with, the ruins and to gain a sense of their meaning. Every site is unique, both
in its present and past realities The appropriate interpretation depends on the physical evi-
dence that has survived. A successful presentation that is accurate, sensitive and attractive
takes into consideration the size of the site, its physical importance, and its aesthetic value. A
professional, after evaluating these elements, must make decisions about the message that
should be conveyed, the story that should be told and the methods that will best allow this
to be achieved.
Augusta Raurica, due to its size and nature, presents a wide range of information and many
educational opportunities to the visitors, mainly families and school children, who number
approximately 150’000 every year.
Several ruins like the bakery and sentry post and their presentation have already been dis
cussed in this article.
Furthermore with the help of well-edited pamphlets, efficient signposting and interpretive pa
nels, discovering the extensive site is made easy for all ages.
Many other forms of presentation are made available to all segments of the public ; here are
just a few examples ;
- The silver treasure, an important and interesting find, can be “seen” underground at the spot
where it was been found using a “periscope” and 3-dimensional photograph (Fig. 12).
-Teachers, using the educational rucksack (Fig. 13), have the opportunity to handle replicas
of important finds with their pupils at their exact find spots or at related monuments in the
archaeological park.
- There are many workshops available for groups, including the ceramic, silver treasure or
bread baking workshops...
- Schools can apply for one of the four loan boxes to be sent by mail to the school, where
pupils can handle and learn about original or replica Roman objects with the aid of educational
materials.
- In the “Roman” farm animal park you will find a two-storey pavilion with a small exhibition
on trade, transport and Roman agriculture. Upstairs on the first floor the pavilion has two
large windows : one looks out on to the restored east gate and the other on to the funeral
18. Renée Sivan, “The presentation of Archaeological Sites”, in The conservation of archaeological sites in the Mediterranean
region: an international conference organised by the Getty Conservation Institute and the J. Paul Getty Museum, 1995.The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
Figure 12 Figure 13
Fig. 12. The silver treasure, an important and interesting find, can be “seen” underground at the spot where it was
found using a “periscope” and 3-dimensional photo. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Fig. 13. Teachers, using the educational rucksack, have the opportunity to handle replicas of important finds with
their pupils at the exact find spots throughout the whole archaeological park. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
monument. From a marked point you will see, at the intersection of the window and the wall,
a seamless transition from the excavated and restored east gate or funeral monument into the
artist’s reconstruction painted on the inside walls of the pavilion.
- In cooperation with the tourist office in Basel19 it is possible to book tours for groups and
individuals in the museum or around the Roman city. It is also possible to book costumed
“interpreters” (Fig. 14) for a historical tour around Augusta Raurica.
- Our homepage20 on the Internet is an important source of information and is partly translated
into English and French. All 420 interpretive panels21 from around the site translated in two or
three languages have also recently been made available on the homepage.
- The Roman festival which takes place every year on the last weekend in August is a huge
success (Fig. 15) and a PR-event which ensures that Augusta Raurica is well known far over
the borders into France and Germany. In 2005 we reached our highest record with 27’500
visitors.
Case study (1) : the one-to-one reconstruction
A first case study has become educational highlights in our museum park : the Bath-house
with underground well-house.
During a rescue excavation in the north-east othe town centre a private bath (balnea) was disco
vered. The bath was built towards the end of the 2nd century and like most baths had three rooms
which were heated by the warm air heating system (hypocaust). In 1998 the excavation brought
a strange object to light, covered with yellow clay, with three openings. Visual inspection with
19. http://www.basel.ch/de/tourismus_freizeit/fuehrungen.html
20. www.augusta-raurica.ch
21. http://www.bl.ch/docs/kultur/augustaraurica/reise/plan_infotafeln.htmThe Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
Figure 14 Figure 15
a camera probe revealed a domed room, a well-house which had not
been entered for over 1700 years. As the debris was cleared from the
vault, evidence came to light of what may have been a historical murder
story or execution for crimes rendered, as no fewer than five human
skeletons were found. Also, scattered amongst the skeletons in the well
and the vault, 6000 small clay moulds were found which were used in
the first half of the 3rd century AD to cast large quantities of counterfeit
coins. The structure was built around the 1st century AD and consisted
in the first phase of a tunnel at least 11 metres long (Fig. 16) ending in
a roughly egg-shaped ground plan with a diameter of about 3.5 metres
seven metres under ground level. This was built like a Roman cellar, with
large wall niches and shafts from ground level for light and air.
A few generations later, the structure was considerably altered in connec
tion with the construction of the large privately-owned bath-house im
mediately adjacent to it by replacing the roof with a tuff vault. The well
shaft we see today is around 12 metres deep and reaches ground-wa
ter, which chemical analysis has shown even today has a high sulphur
content but a fairly low level of calcium carbonate which is especially rare
for this region. Water containing sulphur has been attributed with healing
properties since antiquity and this may have been the reason for building
such an expensive construction to contain the spring.
Figure 16
Excavating from 1997 until 1999, the Roman bath-house with the
Fig. 14. It is possible to book, in cooperation with
the tourist office in Basel, “interpreters” to make underground well-house was restored and opened to the public in
a historic tour on location in Augusta Raurica. August of the year 2000. Instead of building a protective shelter the
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica). decision was made to cover the original foundations, like the thea
tre, with a protective layer of limestone. The original Roman walls of
Fig. 15. Dancers performing for the visitors
during the Roman Festival, an event that takes the bath-house have been separated from the approximately 1metre
place on the last weekend of august every year. high wall-capping by a coating of a mixture of lime and sand and
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica). the waterproof layer. The wall-capping uses the mortar mentioned
above in the theatre restoration project and is clearly marked with
Fig. 16. The entrance to the eleven metre long
tunnel leading to the underground well-house.
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
Figure 17
small ceramic tiles in the joints between the old and new masonry.
The well-house and well-shaft have been amazingly preserved
and only small repairs of the masonry were necessary above the
niches where the planks had rotted away.
Furthermore, to make the well-house understandable und presen
table (Fig. 17) to the visitor the wooden planks have been res
tored in the three niches with oak and pine in accordance with
research done on the original, partially intact planks, which were
found during the excavation. A fibreglass lighting system has been
integrated in the thirty centimetre raised floor in which, to ensure
moisture transportation, the same mortar was used as for the ma
sonry restorations. For the safety of the visitor the slanting floor in
the tunnel and vault has been cast with course gravel to remove
the danger of slipping and the well shaft has been fenced off with
a railing and a grid has been placed over the well-shaft itself. Un
fortunately experience has taught us that the entrance to the well-
house must be locked every evening. Because we do not want
the public to access the well-house through the ruins of the bath-
house a walkway was constructed leading to a concrete stairway
down to the well-house. To make the functions of the bath-house
more understandable to our visitors the rooms that were heated in
Roman times are marked by orange crushed tiles and according
to the guidelines of the general plan all other rooms are marked
with dark grey crushed stone. Because the view from the walkway
Figure 18 beyond the bath-house into the storage yard of the neighbouring
Fig. 17. The well-house and well-shaft has been ama construction company is very distractive, a decision was made
zingly preserved. (Photo” Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
to place a 36 x 7 metre screen showing the buildings adjoining
Fig. 18. The large screen showing the destroyed or attached to the bath-house in Roman times (Fig.18) that were
Roman buildings adjoining the bath-house with the destroyed after the excavation.
conserved walls of the bath-house in the foreground.
(Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
The one-to-one reconstruction in this case took place in the computer where pictures of ani
mals from our Roman animal park and colleagues in Augusta Raurica and their family have
been integrated in this everyday scene. Information panels are kept as simple as possible as
three languages are used and the explanations must be as short as possible.
Case study (2) : the Bakery and the Sentry Post,
a new building
In 1965 there were plans to build a house on this site beside the theatre. The rescue excava
tion, however, brought to light unexpectedly rich finds and the ruins of what was thought to be
a tavern with the best preserved oven north of the Alps. Thanks to the cooperation of the de
velopers, this building plot could be exchanged for another and the archaeological site saved
for preservation. In Roman times, a massive retaining wall had to brace against the thrust of
the street (Heidenlochstrasse) leading up the slope to Kastelen Hill and at the foot of this wall
a row of small houses were built using limestone masonry on the ground floor and wattle and
daub walls on the upper floor. Over the years the buildings were used in different ways and
from about 250-270 AD several had ovens for bakeries. One of these is the oven discovered
during the excavations of 1966-1967. The bread from these ovens was possibly destined for
the military stationed in Augusta Raurica during times of trouble in the late third century AD.
Around 275 AD the building was destroyed by a large fire. During the excavation among the
many objects found in the ashes were four little bronze statues belonging to a house altar,
a so-called Lararium : a Minerva, two of Mercury and a dwarf. Furthermore many parts of
weapons, not complete sets of equipment but collected parts of three swords, sheaths and
spear points, were discovered in the ashes. It is therefore assumed that the floor above the
bakery served as a sentry post and a storage for weapon parts for a small detachment of
military troops.
More than 35 years after the discovery, the oven and hearth next to it were in an alarming state
and needed desperately to be newly restored. The oven had been badly damaged over a long
period by wasps that had built their nests in the clay wall of the oven and the total complex
was badly affected by moisture seepage. In 2001 the area around the oven and hearth was
removed and replaced by a waterproof concrete layer, the hearth was re-pointed with a lime-
based mortar and the whole oven covered with a new 10 cm layer of exactly the same clay
used to build the original oven, found not more than 20 metres away during an excavation in
the Giebenacherstrasse.
The enclosed protective shelter (Fig. 19) built over the complex in 1967 was very outdated
and of course did not fit in our new concept anymore. In particular it did not make it easy to
see nor to understand what historical information was being interpreted. In 2002 we took the
opportunity to make a clearer presentation of this particular ruin to our visitors while preserving
as far as possible the authenticity of the structure. A team in Augusta Raurica consisting of
archaeologists, a monument conservator, the museum conservator, a museum specialist and
an architect worked together to ensure that a maximal interpretation of the bakery and sentry
post could be reached, a interpretation which, of course, also fits into our general concept.
The old roof of the shelter and the iron gate were removed and a waterproof foil was placed
underground along the whole west wall (“the weather side”) where most of the moisture had
entered the structure in the past. The walls were raised with limestone an additional 2.1 me
tres and a new flat roof was covered with grey crushed stone and two “sentries” were placed
as silhouettes representing the fact that this actually was a second floor (Fig. 20) rather than
a roof in Roman times.
In order not to confuse the visitor by the presentation of different periods a hypocaust in the
back of the shelter belonging to an earlier period than the oven was filled with gravel and sea
led off with a layer of mortar.The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
Figure 19
Fig. 19. The outdated shelter built over the Roman bakery in 1967. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Fig. 20. The new presentation of the ruins built in 2002 with the two “sentries” placed as silhouettes interpreting the
fact that this actually was a second floor rather than a roof in Roman times. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Figure 20The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
During the excavation in 1967 the remains of a wall were found directly behind the oven and
a part of this wall has been reconstructed to show how such wattle and daub walls were built
in Roman times.
We can only guess what the Lararium looked like, so the house altar has been reconstructed using
modern materials to display replicas of the four statues (Fig. 21) found approximately at this spot.
Before the renovation of the shelter hardly any visitors took the effort to climb down the stairs
to the iron gate to look at the oven. To awaken the interest and curiosity of the visitor in the
new presentation a walkway leading from the street downwards and a platform above for
disabled visitors, including those in wheelchairs, has been placed so that the visitor can get
closer to the oven and displays.
A new lighting system highlights the objects of interest and is used to point out an original
Roman light shaft built into the back wall. During the excavation necessary for the renovation
of the shelter in 2002 it was discovered that the Roman wall facing the street was built of
wattle and daub on a foundation of limestone and not, as assumed, the front of a tavern with
sliding wood panel doors. This is the reason why the name of the ruin has been changed from
“Tavern” to “Bakery and Sentry Post”.
Fig. 21. The remains of a wattle and daub wall were found directly behind the oven and have been partly recons
tructed. Behind the walkway, on the right the house altar also has been reconstructed using modern materials
displaying replicas of the four statues found approximately at this spot. (Photo: Römerstadt Augusta Raurica).
Figure 21The Roman City of Augusta Raurica
(Canton of basel-landschaft, Switzerland)
David Offers
A modern retaining wall was built backing onto the street and on this a painting presents the
original wattle and daub wall with a doorway and window through which the theatre in Roman
times can be seen in the background.
Nearby a reconstruction of the bakery oven has been built for educational purposes under the
ancient retaining walls of the Schönbühl Temple where it is possible as a group to grind your
own flour and bake your own Roman bread. This is very popular with school classes and is
mostly fully booked for the whole season.
Conclusion
The methods discussed above are just a few examples of the possibilities for presenting and
interpreting an archaeological site. And as Renée Sivan puts it in conclusion of his article : “the
available solutions are as wide-ranging as human imagination and creativity, and new tech-
nologies are continually increasing the choices. Even so, regardless of technology, creativity,
and innovation, a presentation should not impinge upon the integrity of a site. It is important
not only to interpret the past but also to protect the archaeological heritage, leaving it intact
for the benefit of future generations.”
All the text used in the article and for the photos belongs to the corporate identity of the
Römerstadt Augusta.Contents
Contents Sommaire français
Christophe Vallet, President, Introduction
Centre des Monuments Nationaux
Michel-Edouard Bellet, Heritage Curator, Which questions, for which conference? The spirit. Presentation.
former Manager of the Ensérune site,
and Claire-Anne de Chazelles,
Researcher, CNRS
Joan Santacana i Mestre, General problems about the restitution
Taller de Projectes - Universitat de Barcelona
and Maria Carme Belarte Franco,
Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica
1 QUESTIONS OF METHODOLOGY
Jean-Claude Golvin, I 1. Meaning and definition problems
Senior Scholar, CNRS / Institut Ausonius, Résumé Abstract
University of Bordeaux III
Joan Santacana i Mestre, I 2. Archaeological restitution as model: the Spanish case
Taller de Projectes, University of Barcelona, Résumé Abstract Texte en catalan
and Maria Carme Belarte Franco,
Researcher, Institut Català d’Arqueologia Classica
Jean-Paul Petit and Jean-Pierre Braun, I 3. Development of a restitution area:
Heritage Curators, The European archaeological park of Bliesbruck-Reinheim
Service archéologique de Moselle (Moselle, France/Sarre, Germany) Résumé Abstract
Pierre André, Architect, I 4. Architectural restitution at Eretria (Eubea, Greece)
Archeologist, ESAG, Lyon (France) Résumé Abstract
Maud Le Clainche, I 5. A reconstitution: The archaeological medieval farm of Melrand (Morbihan, France)
General Manager Résumé Abstract
John H. Jameson jr, I 6. The Reconstructed Past: Glories, Perils and Dilemmas
Program Manager, ICOMOS Résumé Abstract
Florian Renucci, I 7. Guédelon (Yonne, France):
Program Manager building a thirteenth century castle, today
Résumé Abstract
Christian Olive, Researcher, I 8. Presenting a neighbourhood’s evolution over 2600 years:
Service régional de l’Archéologie, the Saint-Jacques sector, Béziers (hérault, france)
Languedoc-Roussillon Résumé Abstract
Michel-Edouard Bellet I 9. The gallic oppidum of Ensérune: what future?
Heritage Curator Résumé AbstractContents
2 FACING PROBLEMS IN SITU: SOME EXAMPLES
Michel Egloff, professor, II 1. Lakeside Prehistory:
University of Neuchâtel Fifteen millenaries of human presence at the Laténium (Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
Résumé Abstract
Philip E. Bennett, manager of Pembrokeshire II 2. Learning from the past: iron age fort,
Coast National Park Authority Castell Henllys (Pembrokeshire, Wales)
Résumé Abstract Whole English text
Giovanna Greco, professor, II 3. Experimental archaeology in Serra Di Vaglio
University of Naples (Potenza, Basilicate, Italy)
Résumé Abstract Testo italiano completo
Jean Chausserie-Laprée, II 4. Restitution and habitat enhancement:
Heritage Curator the example of Martigues (Bouches-du-rhône, France)
Résumé Abstract
Donald F. Offers, II 5. The Roman City of Augusta Raurica (canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland)
Chief Restorator Résumé Abstract Whole English text
David Rousseau, former Professor, II 6. The roman villae:
Researcher in Archaeology, UMR 7041, a presentation to the public
Paris 1- Sorbonne – Nanterre Résumé Abstract Whole English text
Bettina Birkenhagen, II 7. The German experiences and the Roman villa of Borg (Saar, Germany)
Heritage Curator – Perl- Borg Résumé Abstract Whole English text
Giovanna Battaglini, Professor, II 8. From research to enhancement:
University of Perugia The archaeological parc of Fregellae (Latium, Italy)
Résumé Abstract Testo italiano completo
Vincent Guichard, General Manager, II 9. Making visible the invisible:
and Claude Chazelle, Reflexions on the archaeological site of Bibracte (Nièvre, France)
Architect, Landscape-Designer Résumé Abstract
Marie-Marie-Christine Bailly-Maître, Research II 10. Enhancement of a medieval village in altitude, constraints and choices:
Directoer, CNRS, UMR 6572 LAMM, University Brandes-en-Oisans (Isère, France)
of Provence, and Alain Tillier, Head Architect, Résumé Abstract
Monuments historiques
Michel Colardelle CONCLUSIONS
Pour une éthique de la restitution sur les sites archéologiques ?
Jean-Paul Ciret Et le Centre des monuments nationauxVous pouvez aussi lire
