A SIGNIFICANT archaeological discovery linked to Julius Caesar’s Roman Empire was uncovered in Droitwich’s twinned town of Bad Ems in Germany.
Researchers from Frankfurt’s Goethe University have this year discovered an artefact – sharpened wooden stakes – believed to have been written about by Julius Caesar in the first century and would have been used to line the fences of his camps.
First reported in LiveScience, until this year, no example of this military technology has ever been found.
The spikes were located by archaeological Frederic Auth, who has led excavations in Droitwich’s twinned town of Bad Ems, Germany since 2019 according to the Goethe University.
Although Goethe University experts say more research is needed to confirm the theories relating to the Roman origins of the artifact, the archaeological site in Bad Ems has a rich history of discoveries linking the site to Julius Caesar’s Roman Empire.
In 1897, digs in Bad Ems unearthed processed silver and metal slag which bought researchers to believe the site had one housed a Roman smelting operation.
The site is also near to a fortification which made up part of the northern border of the Roman Empire, known as the Limes, assumed to have been built in 110 A.D.
Later excavations have uncovered two previously unknown military camps in the area and a coin minted in 43AD.
Other research theories suggest the site was home to an unsuccessful attempt to mine silver in the area in 47 AD, by the Roman governor, Curtius Rufus, supported by evidence of writing from Roman historian, Tacitus.
The wooden spikes will be housed in the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum in the city of Mainz.
The Standard recently wrote how Droitwich celebrated 40 years of twinned history with the German town of Bad Ems, by raising the municipalities flag at a ceremony on September 16.
Mayor of Droitwich Spa, Coun Kate Fellows, and chairwoman of the Droitwich Spa German Twinning Association, Aimee Donnison were in attendance.
The flag was presented to Droitwich Twinning Association by Bad Ems at a celebratory dinner earlier this year.
It includes symbols of Bad Ems, the River Lahn and the Roman frontier running through the region.
In 1983 Droitwich Spa signed a twining charter with the German town and the two twinning associations visit one another on alternate years.
In May around 35 twinners travelled to Bad Ems for the first time since the pandemic to celebrate the anniversary, where they enjoyed a rooftop drinks reception at a new Spa Hotel, a day trip to Bonn, and afternoon tea in Hackers Kurhotel.
