Battle at the Harzhorn
Encyclopedia
The Battle at the Harzhorn took place in the early 3rd century
between Germanic
and Roman
troops near the Harzhorn hill between the towns of Kalefeld
and Bad Gandersheim
, in the state of Lower Saxony
, Germany
.
The battle
field, spanning several square kilometers, was determined in December 2008 and is currently being excavated. Roman coinage found at the site gives a probable date of the battle to the reigns of Roman emperor
s Severus Alexander (222
to 235
), or Maximinus Thrax
(235 to 238
).
Archaeologists view the battlefield as a spectacular discovery of extraordinary scientific importance. Along with the Kalkriese battlefield and the Roman camps Bentumersiel and Hedemünden, this is one of the very few Roman archaeological sites in Northern Germany.
(211
to 217
) and Severus Alexander dates the battle to the 2nd quarter of the 3rd century AD. This places the battle at the junction between the reign of the Severan emperors
and the beginning of the Crisis of the 3rd century.
s and the Crisis of the 3rd century.
, a common soldier, to the purple, mark the epoch event of the Crisis of the 3rd century. Over the next 50 years, the Roman Empire would be ruled by some 20 to 25 claimants to the imperial throne, invaded by many foreign enemies (among them the Alamanni
, the Goths
, and the Vandals
), and even split into three competing empires.
or Cheiroballistra, which were exclusively used by Roman legions, prove, according to the scientists involved, that this battle involved a larger number of Roman troops.
The working hypothesis of the scientists is that the Roman troops were on their way back from the North German Plain
. They found the Harzhorn pass blocked by a large number of Germans, and had to fight their way through, using their superior Roman artillery
. The finds indicate a Roman success, due to their superior military technology
.
county archaeologist, who is responsible for this area.
, which is part of an ancient trade route
, and today occupied by the Bundesautobahn 7.
The artifacts are not from the pass itself, but from the Harzhorn hill, which lies directly West of it. The cliffs immediately north of here are very steep and almost impassible, making it an ideal ambush point.
Commodus
and some specific pieces of military equipment originally dated the battle to after 180
AD. A hypothesis suggested the early 3rd century, such as the supposed Germanic campaigns of emperors Caracalla
and Maximinus Thrax
. Both of these are attested in historical sources, but no archaeological proof had been found so far.
Later coinage finds depicting emperors Elagabal (218-222) and Severus Alexander (222-235) further suggests Maximinus Thrax's campaigns. The Historia Augusta, a late Roman collection of biographies of the Roman Emperors, mentions that Maximinus Thrax marched north from Moguntiacum (today's Mainz) about 300 (trecenta) to 400 (quadringenta) Roman miles. Since this was thought to be impossible, this passage was often changed to triginta and quadraginta (30 to 40 miles).
Numismatic Frank Berger dates the battle to between 230 and 235.
Germanic tribes had crossed the Rhine and devastated the Roman countryside in 233, in 235, Maximinus Thrax led the revenge campaign into Germania, which had been prepared by his predecessor Severus Alexander.
during the 3rd century, especially for the reigns of emperors Caracalla
(in the year 213) and Maximinus Thrax
(in the year 235). While this has been known to historians for a long time, there was never any archaeological proof of any campaign during this time within the Germania Magna.
The sources are unclear on the extent of such military operations. It was assumed that they took place near the Limes
. The few sources that suggested otherwise were assumed to be unreliable.
The Battle at the Harzhorn, as interpreted by the artifacts found to date, now proves that the Romans went far deeper into Germania during the 3rd century than was thought possible earlier.
and the campaigns of Germanicus
(until 16 AD). These campaigns mark the end of Rome trying to conquer the lands between Rhine and Elbe
and make them part of the Roman empire. In the following years, the Romans expanded their border fortifications
to include parts of Germania, and shorten their lines of defense. This integrated the Agri decumates
into the empire. However, campaigns deep into northern Germania were not known after this. The Battle at the Harzhorn is archaeological proof that they did nonetheless exist.
3rd century
The 3rd century was the period from 201 to 300 in the Christian/Common Era.In this century, the Roman Empire saw a crisis, marking the beginning of Late Antiquity. In Persia, the Parthian Empire was succeeded by the Sassanid Empire....
between Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
and Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
troops near the Harzhorn hill between the towns of Kalefeld
Kalefeld
Kalefeld is a municipality in the district of Northeim, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km north of Northeim. It comprises the villages of Dögerode, Eboldshausen, Echte, Kalefeld, Oldenrode, Oldershausen, Sebexen,...
and Bad Gandersheim
Bad Gandersheim
Bad Gandersheim is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the district of Northeim. , it had a population 10,572.Bad Gandersheim has many half-timbered houses and is located on the German Framework Road .- Geography :...
, in the state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
field, spanning several square kilometers, was determined in December 2008 and is currently being excavated. Roman coinage found at the site gives a probable date of the battle to the reigns of Roman emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
s Severus Alexander (222
222
Year 222 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Antoninus and Severus...
to 235
235
Year 235 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Quintianus...
), or Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax , also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome...
(235 to 238
238
Year 238 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pius and Pontianus...
).
Archaeologists view the battlefield as a spectacular discovery of extraordinary scientific importance. Along with the Kalkriese battlefield and the Roman camps Bentumersiel and Hedemünden, this is one of the very few Roman archaeological sites in Northern Germany.
Historical Context
Coinage of the Roman emperors CaracallaCaracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
(211
211
Year 211 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Terentius and Bassus...
to 217
217
Year 217 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Praesens and Extricatus...
) and Severus Alexander dates the battle to the 2nd quarter of the 3rd century AD. This places the battle at the junction between the reign of the Severan emperors
Severan dynasty
The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235. The dynasty was founded by the Roman general Septimius Severus, who rose to power during the civil war of 193, known as the Year of the Five Emperors....
and the beginning of the Crisis of the 3rd century.
The Severan Emperors
The Roman Empire was governed by the Severan dynasty of emperors from 193 to 235. The reign of the Severan emperors is seen as a last phase of relative stability before the tumultuous era of the Barracks emperorBarracks emperor
A Barracks emperor was a Roman Emperor who seized power by virtue of his command of the army. Barracks emperors were especially common in the period from 235 through 284, during the Crisis of the Third Century. There were approximately fourteen barracks emperors in 33 years, producing an average...
s and the Crisis of the 3rd century.
Crisis of the 3rd Century
The murder of the last Severan emperor Severus Alexander and the ascension of Maximinus ThraxMaximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax , also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome...
, a common soldier, to the purple, mark the epoch event of the Crisis of the 3rd century. Over the next 50 years, the Roman Empire would be ruled by some 20 to 25 claimants to the imperial throne, invaded by many foreign enemies (among them the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
, the Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
, and the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
), and even split into three competing empires.
The battle
The archaeologists responsible for the excavation believe that the about 1500 artifacts found at the battle site are associated with Roman legionnaire. Since Germanic tribes of the time were also sometimes equipped with Roman weaponry, one early assumption was that this could have been an inter-Germanic battle. Other Germanic excavations of the time reveal that many such conflicts were fought during the 3rd century. The finding of many bolts associated with the ScorpioScorpio
-Technology:* Scorpio , Roman artillery invented in 50 BC* Scorpio ROV, a class of submersible remotely operated vehicle, including the Scorpio II and Super Scorpio operated by the US and UK navies* Mahindra Scorpio, an Indian SUV...
or Cheiroballistra, which were exclusively used by Roman legions, prove, according to the scientists involved, that this battle involved a larger number of Roman troops.
The working hypothesis of the scientists is that the Roman troops were on their way back from the North German Plain
North German plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain...
. They found the Harzhorn pass blocked by a large number of Germans, and had to fight their way through, using their superior Roman artillery
Ballista
The ballista , plural ballistae, was an ancient missile weapon which launched a large projectile at a distant target....
. The finds indicate a Roman success, due to their superior military technology
Technological history of the Roman military
The technology history of the Roman military covers the development of and application of technologies for use in the armies and navies of Rome from the Roman Republic to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The rise of Hellenism and the Roman Republic are generally seen as signalling the end of...
.
Discovery
In 2000, hobby archaeologists using metal detectors discovered several artifacts at the Harzhorn while searching for a medieval fortress. When one of the artifacts they unearthed turned out to be a Roman hippo sandal, they notified the NortheimNortheim
Northeim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, seat of the district of Northeim, with, as of 2002, a population of 31 000. It's located on the German Half-Timbered House Road.-History:...
county archaeologist, who is responsible for this area.
Location
The battlefield lies on the Eastern edge of a hill range running East-to-West from the Harz mountains. In a North-South direction, it can only be crossed on a narrow passMountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
, which is part of an ancient trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
, and today occupied by the Bundesautobahn 7.
The artifacts are not from the pass itself, but from the Harzhorn hill, which lies directly West of it. The cliffs immediately north of here are very steep and almost impassible, making it an ideal ambush point.
Dating
There is no explicit date for the battle. A coin minted under and showing the portrait of emperorRoman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Commodus
Commodus
Commodus , was Roman Emperor from 180 to 192. He also ruled as co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180. His name changed throughout his reign; see changes of name for earlier and later forms. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded...
and some specific pieces of military equipment originally dated the battle to after 180
180
Year 180 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rusticus and Condianus...
AD. A hypothesis suggested the early 3rd century, such as the supposed Germanic campaigns of emperors Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
and Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax , also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome...
. Both of these are attested in historical sources, but no archaeological proof had been found so far.
Later coinage finds depicting emperors Elagabal (218-222) and Severus Alexander (222-235) further suggests Maximinus Thrax's campaigns. The Historia Augusta, a late Roman collection of biographies of the Roman Emperors, mentions that Maximinus Thrax marched north from Moguntiacum (today's Mainz) about 300 (trecenta) to 400 (quadringenta) Roman miles. Since this was thought to be impossible, this passage was often changed to triginta and quadraginta (30 to 40 miles).
Numismatic Frank Berger dates the battle to between 230 and 235.
Germanic tribes had crossed the Rhine and devastated the Roman countryside in 233, in 235, Maximinus Thrax led the revenge campaign into Germania, which had been prepared by his predecessor Severus Alexander.
Sources
Roman sources tell of larger campaigns east of the Rhine and north of the DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
during the 3rd century, especially for the reigns of emperors Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
(in the year 213) and Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax , also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome...
(in the year 235). While this has been known to historians for a long time, there was never any archaeological proof of any campaign during this time within the Germania Magna.
The sources are unclear on the extent of such military operations. It was assumed that they took place near the Limes
Limes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
. The few sources that suggested otherwise were assumed to be unreliable.
The Battle at the Harzhorn, as interpreted by the artifacts found to date, now proves that the Romans went far deeper into Germania during the 3rd century than was thought possible earlier.
Historical Consequences
The events on the Harzhorn took place some 200 years after the Battle of the Teutoburg ForestBattle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in 9 CE, when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius of the Cherusci ambushed and decisively destroyed three Roman legions, along with their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus.Despite numerous successful campaigns and raids by the...
and the campaigns of Germanicus
Germanicus
Germanicus Julius Caesar , commonly known as Germanicus, was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and a prominent general of the early Roman Empire. He was born in Rome, Italia, and was named either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle...
(until 16 AD). These campaigns mark the end of Rome trying to conquer the lands between Rhine and Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
and make them part of the Roman empire. In the following years, the Romans expanded their border fortifications
Limes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
to include parts of Germania, and shorten their lines of defense. This integrated the Agri decumates
Agri Decumates
The agri decumates or decumates agri were a region of the Roman Empire's province of Germania superior , covering the Black Forest area between the Main river and the sources of Danube and Rhine rivers, presently in Southwestern Germany...
into the empire. However, campaigns deep into northern Germania were not known after this. The Battle at the Harzhorn is archaeological proof that they did nonetheless exist.
Literature
- Michael Geschwinde u.a.: Roms vergessener Feldzug. In: 2000 Jahre Varusschlacht. Konflikt. Published by Museum und Park Kalkriese. Theiss, Stuttgart 2009, S. 228ff.
Links
- Project Harzhorn at the Lower Saxony Archaeology Portal
- Artikel im Informationsdienst der Wissenschaften
- Article in FAZFazFAZ may be an abbreviation for:*Football Association of Zambia*Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German newspaper*Financial Autonomous Zone, an economic proposal...
from 17. December 2008 - Article from 16. December 2008 in: FocusFocus (German magazine)Focus is a German weekly news magazine published in Munich and distributed throughout Germany. It is the third-largest weekly news magazine in Germany. It is considered conservative and leaned towards economic liberalism.- Overview :...
online - Article from 15. December 2008 in Archäologie Online
- Article from 17. April 2009 in taz
- RegioWiki article