Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman-era walled complex beneath Germany’s Frankfurt with shafts and pits containing what may have been remains of an ancient cult’s ritual sacrifices.
The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) are currently supporting efforts to study the sanctuary in the ancient city of Nida in Frankfurt.
Parts of the sanctuary first came to light during excavations between 2016 and 2018, and again in 2022 during construction of a new primary school.
“The central cult district of Nida represents an archaeological discovery of almost unparalleled significance in Europe,” said Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt’s city commissioner for culture and science.
During excavations, archaeologists found that the sanctuary’s walled complex remained largely undisturbed since Roman times of about early 2nd century AD.
It had eleven stone buildings constructed over several phases, along with about 70 shafts and ten pits used for ritual depositions.
These pits contained ceramic vessels, plant and animal remains, including those fish and birds, believed to be the ritual meals and offerings made to the gods.
The remains also point to evidence of human sacrifice, a finding that would be extremely rare for this region.
However, it remains unclear which deities were worshipped, researchers say.
Several gods, including Jupiter, Jupiter Dolichenus, Mercurius Alatheus, Diana, Apollo, and Epona seem to have been worshipped – a mix indicating that the site was an important regional centre.
Buildings in the Roman complex seem highly unusual, according to archaeologists, with no known parallels in the Roman provinces of Germania or Gaul.
Researchers also found 5,000 fragments of painted wall plaster as well as bronze fittings from doors and windows, pointing to richly decorated structures.
More than 250 Roman coins and over 70 silver and bronze garment clasps were also found, some still intact.
Such objects were widely used as offerings in Roman sanctuaries throughout the empire, researchers say.
A dedication from a soldier to Mercurius Alatheus, dated to 246 AD, hints that the sanctuary remained active at least into the mid-3rd century AD.
The Roman sanctuary may have been known for its cultural diversity and as one of the most significant urban centres in the region until it was abandoned around 275/280 AD, researchers say.
“The evidence pointing to possible human sacrifice at the cult district of Nida is entirely exceptional,” they wrote.
“The fact that the discovery was made during construction of the new Römerstadtschule vividly demonstrates how past and future intersect in our city,” said Marcus Gwechenberger, Frankfurt’s City Councilor for Planning and Housing. Römerstadtschule is an inclusive elementary school located in Frankfurt-Heddernheim, Germany.
