An international research team has secured more than €1 million to investigate a recently uncovered Roman cult district.
Roman-period archaeology in Hesse has reached a new stage of progress. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) have together awarded more than €1 million ($1.2 million USD) to fund detailed research on excavations at a major Roman sanctuary in the ancient city of Nida (Frankfurt-Heddernheim).
Over the next three years, this support will allow researchers to carry out an in-depth study of one of the most important archaeological finds from Roman Germania in recent decades.
Grant application spanning Frankfurt and Basel
The research project was recently officially presented at a press conference held at the Archaeological Museum of the City of Frankfurt.
Dr. Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt’s City Commissioner for Culture and Science, commented on the project: “The central cult district of Nida represents an archaeological discovery of almost unparalleled significance in Europe. Its comprehensive scholarly investigation will further establish Frankfurt as a hub of international cutting-edge research. The project demonstrates the strength of our research landscape when museums, universities, non-university research institutions, and heritage conservation work hand in hand to make research visible within the city.”
School construction uncovers Roman cult complex
Archaeologists uncovered the cult district of Nida during a series of excavations carried out by the Monument Office between 2016 and 2018, with additional work in 2022, in Frankfurt’s Nordweststadt area. The investigations took place ahead of construction of the new “Römerstadtschule” and involved excavating more than 4,500 square meters at the heart of the former Roman city. Within this area, researchers revealed a large, enclosed complex.
Almost the entire site was excavated and recorded using modern archaeological techniques, and the remains were found to be remarkably well preserved, showing only minor disturbance after the Roman period.
Marcus Gwechenberger, Frankfurt’s City Councilor for Planning and Housing, emphasized the discovery’s broader significance: “The newly uncovered cult district of the Roman city of Nida is among the most important archaeological finds in Frankfurt in recent years. The funding now makes it possible to scientifically analyze this exceptional discovery in depth. At the same time, it recognizes the continuous and highly professional work of our municipal heritage office. This project also illustrates how urban development and research go hand in hand in Frankfurt. The fact that the discovery was made during construction of the new Römerstadtschule vividly demonstrates how past and future intersect in our city.”
Archaeological Evidence of Roman Cult Practices
The sanctuary consists of eleven stone buildings that were constructed in multiple phases, along with around 70 shafts and ten pits used for (ritual) depositions. The layout of the buildings is highly unusual and has no known parallels in the Germanic or Gallic provinces of the Roman Empire. More than 5,000 fragments of painted wall plaster, together with bronze fittings from doors and windows, point to a carefully designed and richly decorated architectural complex.
Excavations of the shafts and pits produced large numbers of ceramic vessels and extensive remains of plants and animals, including fish and birds. Archaeologists interpret these materials as traces of ritual meals and offerings to the gods. To support detailed study, 150 samples were collected for archaeozoological and archaeobotanical analysis.
A key focus of the research is the examination of 254 Roman coins and more than 70 garment clasps (fibulae) made of silver and bronze, some of which are fully preserved. Across the Roman world, such objects are commonly associated with offerings and votive gifts in sanctuaries. In contrast, indications of possible human sacrifice at the cult district of Nida are highly unusual. Even with the exceptional preservation and the abundance of finds, it remains difficult to determine exactly which deities were worshipped at the site.
Inscriptions and images, however, point to the presence of several gods, including Jupiter, the chief deity of the Roman pantheon; Jupiter Dolichenus, especially favored by soldiers; Mercurius Alatheus, associated with trade and commerce; Diana, goddess of nature; Apollo, linked to healing; and Epona, the Celtic Roman goddess of fertility. Together, these dedications suggest that the complex served as a sanctuary of regional significance where multiple deities were honored at the same time.
Current evidence indicates that the cult district was founded in the early 2nd century CE. A dedicatory inscription from a soldier to Mercurius Alatheus, dated to 9 September 246 CE, shows that the sanctuary continued to be used at least into the middle of the 3rd century CE.
Interdisciplinary Research Team Enables Comprehensive Study
The approval of this large-scale research project underscores the importance of archaeological research in the Frankfurt region. It also serves as a strong example of the close networking of academic institutions within the Rhine-Main area, both among themselves and in collaboration with international partner institutions.
The funding provides a unique opportunity to investigate this regionally significant complex through an interdisciplinary approach. Focusing on the analysis of interior design and depositional practices, the project aims to reconstruct the ritual activities carried out at the site. In doing so, the cult district of Nida will be embedded within the broader cultural and historical context of the sacred landscapes of the Roman north-western provinces. The project will involve five early-career researchers in doctoral and postdoctoral positions across the participating institutions.
One year after the presentation of the “Frankfurt Silver Inscription”: Research on Nida enters the next phase
In addition to the cult district, other excavations conducted by the Monument Office over the past decades have yielded important insights into the settlement history and topography of Nida. Just over a year after the presentation of the “Frankfurt Silver Inscription” – the oldest known Christian written testimony north of the Alps – the Roman city on Frankfurt soil is once again the focus of public attention.
The research team now has the unique opportunity to collaboratively explore Roman religions in Frankfurt and investigate temples, sacrifices, and rituals. The high-quality, exceptionally well-preserved findings underscore the exceptional importance of Nida for Roman-period archaeology in Germany. Founded as a military base in the 70s of the 1st century CE, the settlement developed into the economic and cultural center of the Limes region by the early 2nd century.
Characterized by remarkable cultural diversity, Nida remained one of the most important urban centers in Roman Germania until its abandonment around 275/280 CE.
Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.