Votive Monument Found at Roman Villa in Germany

It was more than four decades ago that archaeologists first unearthed the remains of the large Roman villa complex at Hechingen-Stein in southwestern Germany. Yet as excavations have continued at this site for the past three decades, more and more fascinating artifacts have been found that shed new light on the way elite Romans lived in the early part of the first millennium.

During the most recent round of excavations at this Roman open-air museum, something truly remarkable was discovered on estate grounds. These were more than 100 pieces of fragmented stone blocks from what would have once been a large votive (religious) monument that was constructed by the owner of the villa approximately 1,800 years ago.

The Museum That Finds Its Artifacts in the Backyard

Excavations at Hechingen-Stein have been carried out annually every year since 1992. They are sponsored by the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) in the Stuttgart Regional Council, and by the Roman open-air museum itself.

While these excavations have been productive, the votive monument is perhaps the most intriguing discovery that has been made over that time period. The pieces are covered with evocative imagery, all of which is familiar to experts who study Roman culture and religion.

A large block from the votive monument found at Hechingen-Stein. (State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council).

“The blocks are decorated with reliefs on all sides, showing ancient gods and figures from the associated legends,” Klaus Kortüm, an archaeologist from the Stuttgart branch of the LAD, said in a press release. “Following Roman times, the monument was broken up into pieces, both large and small, and scattered. Only some parts of the figures are recognizable and these can only be identified using better-preserved examples.”

Based on their size and the way they are designed, Kortüm and his colleagues believe they came from an unusually large religious monument. This sturdy pillar would have been constructed from stone blocks piled one on top of the other, and when complete and intact it would have been stood out in comparison to similar but smaller Roman structures found in Raetia and Upper Germania.

The archaeologists managing the excavations at Hechingen-Stein are certain more pieces of the stone block remain buried at the site. As of now what they have found is not enough to complete anything close to a full reconstruction of the monument, so they plan to work on creating smaller 3D-printed replicas of the object for display at the site. This will give visitors to Hechingen-Stein a chance to see exactly what the monument would have looked like when it was new.

Pondering the Mysteries of Hechingen-Stein

The spectacular Roman villa at Hechingen-Stein was built sometime in the second century AD. It has been classified as a villa rustica, which is the name given to Roman farmhouses and associated buildings that were constructed for agricultural purposes.

But among the 1,500-plus Roman villa rusticas that have been found in the rolling hills of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, this villa is truly unique.

Thick piece of Roman votive monument from Hechingen-Stein. (State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council).

For one thing, it seems the villa wasn’t connected to agricultural activity. It is located in a region that has notoriously poor soil quality, meaning that any crops the estate owner attempted to grow would likely have failed.

Also, the overall design of the estate is different than the typical rural Roman Empire-era installation in German territory. Its main building is bigger than the norm, and it possesses an inner courtyard, its own temple, several rooms with undersoil heating, and two areas for bathing. There is an encircling wall around the perimeter of the estate, yet another unusual feature that sets it apart from other Roman villas in the region.

The archaeologists hope the discovery of the votive monument blocks will help them fill in some of the blanks about the unknown but obviously highly religious Roman owner of the property. Pieces of such ancient monuments are often inscribed with information about the person who built them, the gods they were dedicated to, and the reason why the monument was built at that site.

A Roman Time Capsule Still Delivering Surprises

Based on what has been discovered at the open-air museum over the years, archaeologists believe the complex was abandoned sometime around the year 260. It seems this withdrawal must have been planned, as there was no damage to the buildings that would suggest they had come under attack.

Main building at the second-century Roman villa at Hechingen-Stein.  (Public Domain).

Fortunately, after the villa was abandoned it was mostly left alone and forgotten. This has made it an ideal destination for archaeologists, who’ve been able to recover intact artifacts and unearth whole structures that still have their original form.

Sadly, the votive monument appears to be the exception to this rule. It was broken up and scattered by someone, and while archaeologists hope to find more pieces of it in the future they don’t know if they will ever find enough to reconstruct the monument in its original form. For now the pieces that have been recovered, and the 3D replicas made from them, will be put on display at the Hechingen-Stein open-air museum, close to where they were found.

Top image: Large piece of carved stone from Roman votive monument at Hechingen-Stein, Germany.

Source: State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council.

By Nathan Falde