Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman vicus of Oedenburg, referred to as Argentovaria in the Geography of Ptolemy, is a major archaeological site located in Biesheim (High Rhine). Although the link between the ancient name and the site was not confirmed by archaeology, excavations attest to a Roman occupation from the beginning of the first century, near a strategic ford on the Rhine. Under Vespasian, the military camp was abandoned by the army and reinvested by civilians, marking the beginning of a lasting civilian occupation.

Archaeology distinguishes two phases of occupation in the first half of the first century: first at the Rheinacker site (northeast), then in the Ried area (southwest), on both sides of the Rhine diversion canal. Between the end of the second century (circa 192) and the beginning of the fourth century, the Oedenburg site was actively occupied, before reaching its peak between 312 and 415, with a concentration of habitats on the plateau rather than in the valley. A fortress was built there in the fourth century, as evidenced by military artifacts (curtains, swords) and a silver ingot stamped (Donativum).

The first discoveries date back to the seventeenth century, with Gallo-Roman objects exhumed sporadically. Systematic excavations began in 1824 and 1868 when the Rhine Canal was built. Since 1960, polls have revealed remnants of Julio-Claudian camps (1999), civilian buildings, necropolis and religious objects. An international mission (France, Germany, Switzerland) has been searching the site annually since 1998. Ranked a historic monument in 1989, the remains are exposed to the communal museum.

The site appears on the map of J.D. Specklin (1576) and illustrates the evolution of a border vicus, marked by strategic displacement and continued occupation until the beginning of the fifth century. The excavations reveal a mixed life, both civilian (habitat, necropolis) and military (armament, fortress), reflecting the importance of the Rhine as an axis of control and exchange under the Roman Empire.

External links