During recent renovations of a playground near the wall of the ancient Roman camp in Haltern am See (Germany), a team of archaeologists from LWL (Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe) made a discovery of great historical significance. Among the findings are a Roman-era glass set, two ancient bread ovens, military shoe nails, and eight pits that contained the remains of the wooden and earthen wall posts surrounding the settlement.

The project’s lead archaeologist, Dr. Bettina Tremmel, a specialist in Roman provincial archaeology at LWL, explained that the renovation work on the playground, located along Römerstraße, began in the summer and caught her team by surprise.

However, given the location, they considered it highly likely that archaeological remains would be found, as this area was part of the original fortifications of the Roman camp. For this reason, Tremmel ordered a series of emergency excavations and archaeological analyses to document any finds before the work continued.

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The drone image shows the excavation area. The circles mark the post pits of the wooden earth wall posts, the arrow marks the location of the caliga nails. Credit: T. Ciesler / LWL

The wooden and earthen wall, previously reconstructed at the camp’s west gate (known as Aliso in Roman times), was a crucial structure for the settlement’s defense and served as a protective barrier for Roman soldiers.

In addition to the pits of the posts that supported the wall, the archaeologists also found two ancient ovens, which were probably used by the legionaries to bake bread more than 2,000 years ago. These ovens, along with other pits containing waste remains from that era, provide a fascinating glimpse into daily life within the camp.

One of the most interesting discoveries was a series of nails belonging to the caligae, or Roman military boots. The archaeologists detected these nails using a pinpointer, a small metal detector that allowed them to locate the precise area where the remains were found.

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The spiked sole of a reconstructed caliga. Credit: P. Jülich / LWL

Although the leather of the boots had completely disintegrated over time and due to the sandy soil conditions in Haltern, the nails that originally held the layers of leather together were found in an almost intact arrangement. The archaeologists suspect that these nails belonged to a small boot that had folded at the heel, possibly as a result of intense use.

Andreas Weisgerber, a conservator at LWL, detailed that the sole of the caliga was quite robust, with an estimated thickness of about 0.8 centimeters, made up of three leather layers held together by these hand-forged iron nails.

The nail tips were bent at the top of the sole to secure the structure. Tremmel explained that, although Roman soldiers did not wear socks, walking on these soles with multiple nails (around 60 on each) probably created a sort of massage effect on their feet.

SOURCES

Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe

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