Last Roman Gladiator Arena Unearthed In Switzerland
Archaeologists in Switzerland have uncovered the ruins of a Roman-era amphitheater — possibly the youngest on record — where spectators likely watched gladiator fights and animal hunts with bated breath.
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00:00 Archaeologists in Switzerland have uncovered the ruins of a Roman-era amphitheater,
00:05 and it may be one of the youngest of its kind on record.
00:08 Just like spectators at the famous Colosseum in Rome,
00:16 spectators at this arena likely watch gladiator fights and animal hunts.
00:20 Researchers discovered the amphitheater while monitoring construction work for a new boathouse
00:25 for the Basel Rowing Group on the Rhine in December 2021.
00:29 The site falls within the ancient Roman city of Augusta Rorica,
00:33 and it already has two other known Roman-era amphitheaters.
00:37 But this amphitheater was thought to be extraordinarily young, at least by Roman standards.
00:42 Researchers think it was built in late antiquity or in the 4th century AD,
00:47 possibly making it the youngest amphitheater of its kind.
00:50 So, what are the clues pointing to its age?
00:53 For starters, the amphitheater was built in a quarry that the Romans abandoned in late antiquity,
00:59 this means that the structure was built after the quarry work stopped, or in the 4th century.
01:04 Another clue is that the building materials and style in which they were used
01:08 are reminiscent of a late antique fort wall.
01:11 Also compelling is the discovery of a coin at the site, which dates to AD 337 to AD 341.
01:19 Finally, let's dig into the history of Augusta Rorica.
01:22 The ancient Roman city already had two other known amphitheaters, as we mentioned,
01:28 that were in the upper part of the city.
01:30 "There was no reason to build one in the lower part of the city," said Jacob Balocer,
01:35 an archaeologist at the site and head of excavations in Kaisergasse, Switzerland.
01:40 Near the newfound amphitheater is a Roman fort known as the Castrum Morisens,
01:45 which was built in about AD 300.
01:48 The fort was built to protect the northern border of the Roman Empire,
01:52 as just across the Rhine River was Germania.
01:55 In about 351 AD, Germanic tribes crossed that Rhine River and destroyed the fort,
02:01 although it was later rebuilt.
02:02 This fort had military personnel, but it was also an administrative center.
02:08 So perhaps the better question is,
02:10 why not build a Roman-era amphitheater there to entertain all the people in that area?
02:15 The oval-shaped amphitheater was sizable.
02:19 It was about 164 feet long and 131 feet wide,
02:23 but it was small compared with the Colosseum.
02:25 That marble, built in the AD 70s, held roughly 50,000 people,
02:30 and its central arena was about 285 feet by 180 feet,
02:35 or larger than the entire amphitheater just found in Switzerland.
02:40 [Music]