History

Initially erected as a temporary winter camp in the year 6 AD, Carnuntum grew between the 1st and 4th century AD into a city of about 50,000 and became the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia Superior. Besides the legionary fortress and the military city surrounding it, a flourishing civilian city (municipium) also formed outside the military zone.

The limes, the northern border of the Roman Empire, was marked in Carnuntum by the Danube. Carnuntum developed into a significant Roman city thanks to its militarily vital location for securing the border of the empire but also because of its vicinity to key trade routes. Carnuntum was situated at the crossroads of two of the most important ancient long-distance trade routes, the Amber Road from the Baltic to Aquileia, and the Limes Road from west to east along the north border of the Roman Empire.

Rediscovery and scientific research

Modern scientific research began in the second half of the 19th century. In 1885 the society “Verein Carnuntum” was founded, which – as the Gesellschaft der Freunde Carnuntums (Friends of Carnuntum) – has been operating up to the present day as one of the oldest societies for the promotion of archaeology. The Museum Carnuntinum in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg was opened by Emperor Francis Joseph in the year 1904. The Museum was privately financed with the aim of providing a “home for Carnuntum’s finds”. In the 20th century further excavations in Carnuntums former civilian city in Petronell-Carnuntum were undertaken with the purpose of creating an open-air museum.

Despite 130 years of scientific research only an area of about 0,5 % of Carnuntum’s former city has been excavated. Some areas like the auxiliary fort and the legionary camp were covered up again after completion of the archaeological field research for conservation reasons; others, such as the Roman City Quarter, became a starting point for novel ways of museum presentation. The fact that large areas of the ancient city of Carnuntum were never built upon with modern buildings makes Carnuntum a unique treasure for science.

The Roman City Carnuntum as cultural and tourist attraction

In order to conserve the walls permanently, an unique concept was implemented by the Museum in cooperation with the authorities for the preservation of ancient monuments: a Roman city quarter was erected in the exact original location. The aim is to open a window back in time to the early 4th century AD, to the time of the Emperors’ Conference in Carnuntum.

The reconstructions were erected using methods of experimental archaeology and are fully functioning. Experimental means that Roman tools were recreated and used in the building work, the clay tiles for the underfloor heating systems were fired in Carnuntum’s own kiln and only old wood was used for roof constructions. Building work itself was carried out using ancient craftsmen’s techniques. The interiors were designed as far as possible following archaeological evidence, with murals, flooring and furnishing elements being reconstructed based on relief depictions. However, everything that can be seen is based on archaeological findings.

Carnuntum is today one of the most visited cultural and tourism attractions in Lower Austria. Every year about 180.000 guests visit the Roman City Carnuntum. An increasing number of international visitors have been recorded, especially since the discovery of the gladiator school in 2011. The Roman Carnuntum is one of the leading cultural heritage sites and an innovative leader in pioneering methods of research and state-of-the-art presentation. The European Commission acknowledged these achievements in 2014 by awarding Carnuntum the European Heritage Label.