Archaeologists discover lost temple to war god near abandoned Roman military fort in Germany

A temple dedicated to the Roman war god Mars was unearthed in Germany's Taunus forest near the Kapersburg fort. The excavation, led by Dr. Kai Mückenberger and Manuel Pieper, uncovered the temple during its third season. Alongside the remains, archaeologists found two inscribed votive stones, a statuette of the goddess Victoria, and other fragments, offering new insight into religion at the edge of the Roman empire.

A temple dedicated to the Roman war god Mars was unearthed during excavations in Germany's Taunus forest, the Hessian State Office for Monument Preservation announced in September. The excavation team, led by archaeologist Dr. Kai Mückenberger and Excavation Director Manuel Pieper, uncovered the temple during its third excavation season at the site. It is located near Kapersburg, one of the best-preserved Roman forts along the Upper German-Raetian Limes in Hesse. A Roman auxiliary unit, the Numerus Nidensium, was stationed there for about 150 years before abandoning the site during the Limesfall. Alongside the temple's remains, archaeologists found two inscribed votive stones, a statuette of the goddess Victoria, and additional statue fragments. The discoveries provide additional insight into the presence of religion at the edge of the Roman empire. Researchers from the University of Frankfurt, led by Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, are analyzing the votive stones. Evidence of later settlement was also found, including an antique fibula and fragments of handmade pottery linked to the Alemanni, marking the first archaeological evidence that the site was used after the Romans left. The excavation also shed light on the settlement's layout and dimensions, with traces of Roman roads and terracing. Mückenberger noted the unparalleled level of preservation due to the forest cover.