Kneblinghausen

The northwestern wall of the Roman fort at Kneblinghausen.

Kneblinghausen: town in Germany, site of an ancient Roman fort.

The remains of the Roman fort that can be seen in the forest south of modern Kneblinghausen are very interesting because they are comparatively late. Unlike the other military settlements along the Lippe, which date back to the period of the Roman offensives between 13 BCE and 9 CE, Kneblinghausen belongs to a later age, when the limes had already been built and Roman had chosen for a more defensive strategy. The fort was built along an important trade road that connected the Rhine and the Weser.

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The same wall.

Its late age can be derived from the fact that its gates are of the clavicula-type, which became popular after 70 and is also know from the Roman forts surrounding Masada in Israel. The Kneblinghausen fort may have been built during Domitian's wars against the Chatti (in 83-85), or during a more or less contemporary operation against the Bructeri that is recorded by Pliny the Younger, or during the expedition that led to the capture of the Bructerian prophetess Veleda, who had played a role in the Batavian revolt (69-70) and was arrested by the Romans in 77.

Kneblinghausen was twice occupied. Originally, it measured about 10 ha; later, when a smaller unit occupied the site, the eastern wall was abandoned and a second wall was constructed. During this second phase, the surface area was 7½ ha.

A satellite photo can be found here.