Grown up in Petronell, the site of ancient Carnuntum. Early contact to archeology. Professional career in electronic engineering and as staff member at the Austrian Research Center Seibersdorf. After retirement: amateur-scientist for geology and history of Carnuntum
As a contribution to the ongoing discussion about Carnuntum's post-Roman period, the authors have... more As a contribution to the ongoing discussion about Carnuntum's post-Roman period, the authors have conducted a private research among the many treasure hunters and coin collectors of the region. It turned out that the "clandestine" local finds of Byzantine coins (the prevailing currency in the area during the so-called dark centuries) outnumbered the officially reported finds, but were of the same order of magnitude. As a by-product, we discovered a small number of Ostrogothic and Carolingian coins, representing the widely neglected Germanic element of Carnuntum's find coins. Thus, our data collection helps to fill some of the gaps in the Carnuntum coin finds spectrum, which still exist for the time of approx. 400-1100 A.D. The results indicate once more the outstanding position of Carnuntum as a trading place-even during the dark centuries.
Abstract:
The legionary camp and the canabae of Carnuntum were built on sediments of the Pleisto... more Abstract:
The legionary camp and the canabae of Carnuntum were built on sediments of the Pleistocene Danube. Various types of soil erosion (possibly in combination with seismic events) have led to severe damages in the riverside area of these Roman ruins. In general this is considered to be the result of a normal desintegration process which extended more or less uniformly over the centuries. However, a study of local chronicles and old excavation reports – in the light of the specific geological situation - reveals strong indications that much of this catastrophic damage must have occured during the Roman period of Carnuntum. The plausibility of this surprising hypothesis was supported by field survey and measurements. Archaeological evidence is presented in detail by an example: The “Big Channel”- the main aqueduct of the legionary camp.
Das Legionslager und die canabae von Carnuntum wurden auf den Donausedimenten des Pleistozäns errichtet. Durch Erosion (vermutlich im Zusammenwirken mit tektonischen Ereignissen) wurden diese römischen Ruinen in der Uferzone schwer in Mitleidenschaft gezogen. Üblicherweise werden diese Schäden dem normalen, über Jahrhunderte wirkenden Verfallsprozess zugeschrieben. Studiert man jedoch alte Chroniken und Grabungsberichte im Lichte der besonderen geologischen Situation, so ergeben sich deutliche Hinweise darauf, dass viele dieser Schäden durch eine bodenmechanische Katastrophe entstanden sind, die sich noch während der Römerzeit von Carnuntum ereignet haben muss. Diese Hypothese konnte durch Begehungen und eigene Messungen gestützt werden. Am Beispiel des „Großen Kanals“, der Fernwasserleitung zum Legionslager, werden die archäologischen Fakten im Detail präsentiert.
Dating historical events or artefacts by coins has a long tradition. The information contained in... more Dating historical events or artefacts by coins has a long tradition. The information contained in a closed ensemble of find coins, however, is higher than merely the age of the "terminal coin". Much of this additional information can be retrieved from the histogram of the ensemble. The paper describes a simple method for interpreting the "pattern" (or shape) of a coin hoard in terms of its coin circulation system (i.e. transport time, speed of circulation, etc.)
As a contribution to the ongoing discussion about Carnuntum's post-Roman period, the authors have... more As a contribution to the ongoing discussion about Carnuntum's post-Roman period, the authors have conducted a private research among the many treasure hunters and coin collectors of the region. It turned out that the "clandestine" local finds of Byzantine coins (the prevailing currency in the area during the so-called dark centuries) outnumbered the officially reported finds, but were of the same order of magnitude. As a by-product, we discovered a small number of Ostrogothic and Carolingian coins, representing the widely neglected Germanic element of Carnuntum's find coins. Thus, our data collection helps to fill some of the gaps in the Carnuntum coin finds spectrum, which still exist for the time of approx. 400-1100 A.D. The results indicate once more the outstanding position of Carnuntum as a trading place-even during the dark centuries.
Abstract:
The legionary camp and the canabae of Carnuntum were built on sediments of the Pleisto... more Abstract:
The legionary camp and the canabae of Carnuntum were built on sediments of the Pleistocene Danube. Various types of soil erosion (possibly in combination with seismic events) have led to severe damages in the riverside area of these Roman ruins. In general this is considered to be the result of a normal desintegration process which extended more or less uniformly over the centuries. However, a study of local chronicles and old excavation reports – in the light of the specific geological situation - reveals strong indications that much of this catastrophic damage must have occured during the Roman period of Carnuntum. The plausibility of this surprising hypothesis was supported by field survey and measurements. Archaeological evidence is presented in detail by an example: The “Big Channel”- the main aqueduct of the legionary camp.
Das Legionslager und die canabae von Carnuntum wurden auf den Donausedimenten des Pleistozäns errichtet. Durch Erosion (vermutlich im Zusammenwirken mit tektonischen Ereignissen) wurden diese römischen Ruinen in der Uferzone schwer in Mitleidenschaft gezogen. Üblicherweise werden diese Schäden dem normalen, über Jahrhunderte wirkenden Verfallsprozess zugeschrieben. Studiert man jedoch alte Chroniken und Grabungsberichte im Lichte der besonderen geologischen Situation, so ergeben sich deutliche Hinweise darauf, dass viele dieser Schäden durch eine bodenmechanische Katastrophe entstanden sind, die sich noch während der Römerzeit von Carnuntum ereignet haben muss. Diese Hypothese konnte durch Begehungen und eigene Messungen gestützt werden. Am Beispiel des „Großen Kanals“, der Fernwasserleitung zum Legionslager, werden die archäologischen Fakten im Detail präsentiert.
Dating historical events or artefacts by coins has a long tradition. The information contained in... more Dating historical events or artefacts by coins has a long tradition. The information contained in a closed ensemble of find coins, however, is higher than merely the age of the "terminal coin". Much of this additional information can be retrieved from the histogram of the ensemble. The paper describes a simple method for interpreting the "pattern" (or shape) of a coin hoard in terms of its coin circulation system (i.e. transport time, speed of circulation, etc.)
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The legionary camp and the canabae of Carnuntum were built on sediments of the Pleistocene Danube. Various types of soil erosion (possibly in combination with seismic events) have led to severe damages in the riverside area of these Roman ruins. In general this is considered to be the result of a normal desintegration process which extended more or less uniformly over the centuries. However, a study of local chronicles and old excavation reports – in the light of the specific geological situation - reveals strong indications that much of this catastrophic damage must have occured during the Roman period of Carnuntum. The plausibility of this surprising hypothesis was supported by field survey and measurements. Archaeological evidence is presented in detail by an example: The “Big Channel”- the main aqueduct of the legionary camp.
Das Legionslager und die canabae von Carnuntum wurden auf den Donausedimenten des Pleistozäns errichtet. Durch Erosion (vermutlich im Zusammenwirken mit tektonischen Ereignissen) wurden diese römischen Ruinen in der Uferzone schwer in Mitleidenschaft gezogen. Üblicherweise werden diese Schäden dem normalen, über Jahrhunderte wirkenden Verfallsprozess zugeschrieben. Studiert man jedoch alte Chroniken und Grabungsberichte im Lichte der besonderen geologischen Situation, so ergeben sich deutliche Hinweise darauf, dass viele dieser Schäden durch eine bodenmechanische Katastrophe entstanden sind, die sich noch während der Römerzeit von Carnuntum ereignet haben muss. Diese Hypothese konnte durch Begehungen und eigene Messungen gestützt werden. Am Beispiel des „Großen Kanals“, der Fernwasserleitung zum Legionslager, werden die archäologischen Fakten im Detail präsentiert.
The legionary camp and the canabae of Carnuntum were built on sediments of the Pleistocene Danube. Various types of soil erosion (possibly in combination with seismic events) have led to severe damages in the riverside area of these Roman ruins. In general this is considered to be the result of a normal desintegration process which extended more or less uniformly over the centuries. However, a study of local chronicles and old excavation reports – in the light of the specific geological situation - reveals strong indications that much of this catastrophic damage must have occured during the Roman period of Carnuntum. The plausibility of this surprising hypothesis was supported by field survey and measurements. Archaeological evidence is presented in detail by an example: The “Big Channel”- the main aqueduct of the legionary camp.
Das Legionslager und die canabae von Carnuntum wurden auf den Donausedimenten des Pleistozäns errichtet. Durch Erosion (vermutlich im Zusammenwirken mit tektonischen Ereignissen) wurden diese römischen Ruinen in der Uferzone schwer in Mitleidenschaft gezogen. Üblicherweise werden diese Schäden dem normalen, über Jahrhunderte wirkenden Verfallsprozess zugeschrieben. Studiert man jedoch alte Chroniken und Grabungsberichte im Lichte der besonderen geologischen Situation, so ergeben sich deutliche Hinweise darauf, dass viele dieser Schäden durch eine bodenmechanische Katastrophe entstanden sind, die sich noch während der Römerzeit von Carnuntum ereignet haben muss. Diese Hypothese konnte durch Begehungen und eigene Messungen gestützt werden. Am Beispiel des „Großen Kanals“, der Fernwasserleitung zum Legionslager, werden die archäologischen Fakten im Detail präsentiert.