Team

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jan Bemmann
Universitätsprofessor
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie
Regina-Pacis-Weg 7
E-Mail: jan.bemann(at)uni-bonn.de
Tel.: 0228/73-7325

Prof. Dr. Michael Schmauder
Abteilungsleiter LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn
Colmantstr. 14-16
53115 Bonn
E-Mail: michael.schmauder(at)lvr.de
Tel.: 0228/2070-0

Dr. Heike Kennecke
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie
Regina-Pacis-Weg 7
53133 Bonn
E-Mail: heike.kennecke(at)uni-bonn.de
Tel.: 0228/73-6378

project description

In the nineteen-seventies a submerged stone bank in the Rhine, 500 m long and crescent-shaped, was supposed as a Roman Harbour in Königswinter for the first time (Röder 1974, 534 ff.). Sometime later, an archaeologist who was flying over the region discovered a similar situation in Bonn, which he likewise interpreted as a harbour, analogue to Königswinter (Sölter 1981, 225).  Both banks are located in places of importance during the Roman period, in Bonn in front of the Roman fort, in Königswinter submontane Mt. Drachenfels.

Mt. Drachenfels consists of trachyte, a material suitable for construction. Stone quarry mining was very profitable there due to the neighbouring lower Rhine area which is poor on stone and the river facilitating the transport in addition.

Relicts of Roman buildings containing trachyte can in fact be found downriver, for example in Bonn,Cologne and Xanten. Moreover traces of roman mining can be located on Mt. Drachenfels in spite of strong overprinting during later periods.

Since both sites can’t be investigated with common archaeological methods, according to their situation in the middle of the stream, several methods of prospection like drilling, geophysical prospection and prospection with sonar shall clarify the origin of the formations. The assignment of divers is planed according to the prospection results.

A digital elevation model from Mt. Drachenfels has already been generated relying on Airborne Laserscanning whereby stone pits can be located as a base for field surveys. Additionally, a case study on goods traffic on the Rhine in relation to the spreading of the shipped trachyt is in process.

Übersetzung Heike Kennecke

Literature:

J. Röder, Römische Steinbruchtätigkeit am Drachenfels. Bonner Jahrbuch 174, 1974, 509–544.

W. Sölter, Das Römische Germanien aus der Luft (Bergisch Gladbach 1981).