Landscape archaeology in municipium's hinterland
A long‑term aim of the Aguntum Research is to integrate the wider surroundings of Aguntum comprehensively into (field) archaeological research. A detailed landscape analysis will, in particular, refine our understanding of the region’s economic foundations. On the basis of evidence from the municipium, the alpine environment appears to have been especially suited to sheep and goat husbandry, while cattle breeding played only a secondary role.
Research on the municipium’s hinterland is, however, still in its early stages. Only a few settlement sites in the wider area have been investigated to date, and no direct evidence of Roman mining has yet been found, despite the abundant rock‑crystal finds that would suggest such activity. In cooperation with scholars within and beyond the university, further studies are underway to elucidate the structure and development of the surrounding landscape.
Geophysical prospection in the Municipium Claudium Aguntum
Geophysical prospection within the municipium remains challenging due to the area’s geological conditions. Surveys conducted in 2010 indicated several building structures. The difficulty of interpreting such data is exemplified by features presumed to lie in the central courtyard of the commercial forum: a rectangular, near‑square anomaly was initially interpreted—by analogy with other Roman sites—as a cult building. Excavation, however, revealed it to be a rectangular water basin which, in its integration into the overall complex, currently has no known parallels in Roman architecture.
Literature
M. Auer / F. Bleibinhaus / M. Tschurtschenthaler / M. Unterwurzacher, Municipium Claudium Aguntum. Geophysikalische Prospektion auf geologisch schwierigem Terrain, ÖJh. 82, 2013 (2014), 7-21.
Geophysical prospection in the suburb
On behalf of the Federal Monuments Office, geophysical surveys were conducted in 2013 in the suburb east of Aguntum’s city wall. The identified building structures indicate a continuation of the dense development previously documented by E. Swoboda in this area. While no excavations are currently planned at the site, expanding the prospection area would be desirable for a more comprehensive understanding of the ancient city.
Literature
B. Zickgraf / N. Buthmann, Archäologisch-geophysikalische Prospektion auf dem Grundstück Nr. 190/1, Gemeinde Dölsach, Katastralgemeinde Stribach, Tirol, FÖ 52, 2013, D4499–D4513.
Geophysical prospection in the late antique settlement of Lavant
As part of the re‑evaluation of the “Bishop’s Church” of Lavant, geophysical prospection was also carried out on the Kirchbichl at Lavant. The results confirm the dense development of the Kirchbichl previously identified by Miltner in trench sections, although complete building footprints could not be captured. Especially on the hilltop, the prospection data reveal massive walls that can be associated with the medieval phase of occupation.
Literature
B. Zickgraf / B. Schroth, Archäologisch-geophysikalische Prospektion, Spätantike Siedlung am Kirchbühel, Lavant, KG Lavant, Tirol, FÖ 62, 2023, D8938-D8957.
City and surrounding area - The administrative area of the Municipium Claudium Aguntum
To bring the municipium’s administrative territory into sharper research focus, a survey of all Roman and Late Antique finds and features in East Tyrol and parts of Carinthia and South Tyrol was initiated in 2013/14 with support from the Tyrolean Science Fund (TWF). This GIS‑based survey, conducted in cooperation with Dr. Armin Heller (Department of Geography, University of Innsbruck), provides the foundation for further studies of Aguntum’s surrounding area.
An expansion of geophysical prospection in the wider environs of the Roman city is currently in planning.
Literature
M. Auer / Ch. Sperger, Das Umland von Aguntum. Eine GIS gestützte Kartierung kaiserzeitlicher und spätantiker Siedlungsplätze, in: M. Auer/H. Stadler (Hrsg.), Von Aguntum zum Alkuser See. Zur römischen Geschichte der Siedlungskammer Osttirol (Wiesbaden 2018).
Aguntum, nahe römische Fundplätze (rot) und Georadar südlich der Bundesstraße