Three Rivers Cycle Trip: Report for the Roman Society

Three rivers cycle trip: report for the Roman Society

Summary:

Between 2 June and 15 July, I cycled 2039km from the Hook of Holland to Vienna, following the course of the rivers Rhine, Moselle and Danube through 6 countries, and visiting 32 Roman sites and museums on the way – please see map attached below for the route and itinerary. I wrote a blog of places I saw and reflections from the road, and at 3 August had attracted over 720 visits to the site and well over 3700 views of the 35 articles largely through promotion on social media, through the Society, and by word of mouth amongst personal contacts. Blog posts with more information, including details of every visit, can be found here: https://cyclingarchaeologist.wordpress.com

My aims before setting out were to examine art at the edge of the Empire, especially sculpted stone, to see those objects and archaeological sites within their landscapes, and to travel at approximately the pace of a Roman horseman to gain a sense of perspective on trade and movement of goods such as stone. In addition, I made appointments to meet experts on provincial sculpture in Germany, Switzerland and Austria and was interested to see how different museums and sites were displayed in different ways.

It was a particular thrill to see in real life so many of the towns, monuments, and artefacts I had only read about. From the Igel monument, possible comparator for the tomb monument at Stanwick, Northamptonshire discovered in the 1990s which I have been helping to research for Historic England, to the amazing preservation of buildings in Trier, often through consecration as churches, and the beautiful collections of the Habsburgs on display in Vienna, I feel I have acquired deeper understanding not only of the sites and objects from 2000 years ago but also of the layers of history in between.

Key findings:

·  Sources of stone

Analysis of stone type is a growing area of work, and can offer incredible insights into trade routes and value of artworks in the ancient world. Several European research projects are underway or already published, but museum labels have often not yet been updated with more information than broad identifications such as limestone, sandstone, tufa or marble. As a non-specialist in geology, I found it difficult to determine very precisely the material used and its source.

That said, some sites did offer fuller explanations. At Xanten and Augusta Raurica for instance, where archaeologists have carefully reconstructed sections of the settlements, descriptions of types and sources are given, and there is analysis of the decorative stone from the Barbara thermae in the Rheinishces Landesmuseum Trier. I also spoke to several curators who were very kind in giving me more information.

In addition, even from quite simple descriptions, some patterns emerged. Local material was often the default option, though imports to the Netherlands and northern Germany seems to have made up for the paucity of good building stone in those areas - Norroy limestone to build Xanten temples and for the Nehalennia altars in Leiden, for instance. Sandstone, presumably local, was used at Trier and for the amazing tomb monuments from Neumagen, and in the later period at Strasbourg and in its surroundings. Stone carving in the 1st century seems to have been characterized by use of limestone for military stele, highlighting again a similar trend in change from early military use of limestone to local sandstone seen later in parts of Britain, however further research is required to confirm that. Local tufa, cut from the Rhine riverbed or the Eifel region, was used for building materials where the need for a (cheaper?) stone that would take fine carving was less. Projects continue in Vienna, Bonn, Xanten and Trier to examine the vast amount of sculpture and stonework held in stores to ascertain stone sources as well as to catalogue and analyse motifs.

Mediterranean marble was seen only in small quantities except as imports within later collections, but there were large sculptures at Trier and Cologne, reliefs at Tulln, and smaller figurines in Vienna, some of exquisite quality.

Apart from some statue fragments, and some whole feet, hands and fingers, there was remarkably little in the way of bronze sculpture. The magnificent bronze head possibly of Trajan or of an important figure keen to resemble him at Nijmegen was an exception, and reminded me of the heads of Hadrian and Claudius (or perhaps Nero) that we have also from rivers in southern Britain. Also exceptional was the cache of bronze cavalry parade armour from Straubing, moulded with figures of gods and heroes, in an incredible state of preservation. Pre-Roman bronzes of Hallstatt and La Tène cultures were in evidence at sites and museums along the Danube.

·  Movement of large objects by river, insight into ancient pace and perspective of travel

My average of 50km per day was a little more than a Roman rider might complete, and allowed me to adopt their steady pace. Cycle paths also took me away from roads, through woods and on riverbanks, affording in a small way the sense of remoteness an ancient traveller may have felt. I didn’t always know where there would next be a place to stop for refreshment and became self sufficient, carrying all I might need. The rivers were in flood when I visited, it having rained for some weeks with little abatement, and the speed of the stream and swirling eddies created even in the shallows emphasised the impetus behind offerings to gods for safe passage.

I followed the route of several main Roman roads: the Limes road on the west bank of the Rhine all the way from the North Sea to Basel; parts of the Ausonius road near the Moselle; the road south of the Danube between Regensburg and Passau; and I took a train along the route of the Agrippa road out from Cologne to Nettersheim. Surface often determined the speed of my progress by bike and well-made Roman roads would no doubt have sped travel considerably.

Nonetheless, travel by boat, especially for large cargoes, would no doubt have been more efficient. However, as shown in the Museum für Antike Schiffart in Mainz, from watching flat-bottomed boats with shipping containers on the Rhine, and on all ferry schedules on the Danube, the difference between passage upstream and downstream was significant. This seemed to be reflected in sources of stone too, as material seemed to move downstream, though location of quarries may have been a factor.

·  Types of monument, iconography and motifs

It is very hard to generalise briefly for such a large area and number of sites, each kind of object warranting considerable research on its own, but it was clear that while the familiar groups of Roman sculpted objects can be seen across the areas visited (stele, tomb monuments, dedicatory altars, some reliefs and free standing sculpture), there were also regional differences. Jupiter column fragments and the totenmahl relief tombstones were generally seen only in the Rhineland, for example, while reliefs associated with Mithras were infrequent. The range of tomb monuments seen was impressive, especially the vast collection at Rheinisches Landemuseum Trier, where scenes of daily life, travel and trade featured, and the volume and detail of those at the Römisch-Germanisches Museum Köln was staggering. Analysis of altars could give insights into patterns of worship of certain deities, though one must be aware of the bias of survival, and I can see mileage in a close look at some of the architectural carvings such as tomb pediments in considering how craftsmen shared ideas and how workshops operated.

Amongst the most remarkable pieces were those where Roman and provincial styles met to produce a new, different artistic approach. The Cygnus relief in Vienna shows some of the Classical deities associated with the myth depicted replaced with those that could have appealed more to a Celtic or local viewer. The museum in Bonn displayed a fascinating collection of pieces according to a wide range of styles, from tantalising fragments of large pieces such as the Aeneas group or Jupiter’s bronze hair, military tombstones of the 1st century, and much later carvings of the 4th and 5th centuries. The 3rd and 4th century large sandstone grave steles seen at Strasbourg Museum, or the pieces from the sanctuary at Donon also in that museum are of strong provincial type and recall some of those from the north west Midlands in Britain.

I was aware to take care to distinguish styles from different places and to be clear on provenances as several museums have collections from a number of locations.

·  Objects and sites within landscape

The chance to make the links between museum collections some way apart from each other was fantastic. In Mainz, I saw a scale model of a boat I had seen on a monument in Trier, and I could compare the stones I saw in museums to that in the hills I cycled past. The chance also to understand the topography and accessibility helped me understand why some settlements grew up where they did and why certain trade routes were preferred. The Igel monument placed by a river had additional impact and the situation of the Celtic Heuneburg on top of a hill was eminently defensible, while the sanctuary of the Matres at Nettersheim by a river felt still imbued with some numinous force on a balmy sunny day.

·  Varying approaches to museums and display of archaeology and ancient art

I saw a lot of museums and sites, all focused on displaying Roman artefacts and archaeological remains to visitors, each approaching the task in different ways. Several museums also housed collections of different media (for instance paintings) and from different periods, since they were the landesmuseum for a state or area. While some presented this local history chronologically, others like the museum at Bonn offered thematic displays focused on large topics such as power, transport, and religion. I found this approach could be more inspiring but the chronological easier to follow, especially for the non-specialist. Most sought to present finds innovatively, and ensured that the limits and advantages of retrieving finds archaeologically were well conveyed, especially at the Archäologisches Landesmuseum for Baden-Württemberg in Konstanz. The experimental archaeology on display at the Museum für Antike Schiffart in Mainz was especially impressive and absorbing, giving real insights into how the boats worked, how they were made, and what it was like to operate them.

Some sites had large structures to visit – at Trier, for instance – or had reconstructed parts of them, and the explanations of how this was done were interesting. The archaeological park at Archeon may have been selective in its presentation of the past, but it really brought the sights, smells and sounds of history to life for lots of children!

·  Forming relationships with continental scholars

This was a real highlight and I was very grateful for the kindness and time of several European experts on provincial sculpture to talk to me about work underway or sites to visit, and to show me around their institutions and give me insights into the academic culture in their areas. We shared positive discussions and remarked on the fact that we have similar questions albeit in examining different bodies of material. It was fantastic to tell them more about my own plans for research, to highlight some of the great examples we have of different sculptures in Britain, and perhaps to pave the way for potential collaborations. I can see that a combined vision for methodology and approach will make research results easier to compare and even more valuable in future. Everyone to whom I spoke was keen to involve British researchers, and I look forward to building on these contacts.

A further highlight was the opportunity to stay with local families by finding accommodation through the Vrienden op de Fiets organisation or Warm Showers website, and to enhance my language skills too. I was made so welcome.

What next?

I was most grateful for the support of the Roman Society, both financial to enable me to undertake this trip and in terms of publicity of my blog. What I saw and learned will be invaluable for my DPhil project, due to start in October 2016. The project will build on my experience as co-author of the London and South East volume of the International CSIR series, and will set the British sculpture within the Continental context, examining links especially between the SE and the Rhineland and Moselle region in terms of motifs, stone types, artistic styles and practice. I learned a huge amount on my trip, though now have even more questions to pursue!

I also hope that this will prove to be the first leg of a complete circuit of the Roman Empire by bike, though at the moment several areas through which I would need to pass are sadly unsafe for lone travel. However, I am already planning a trip to Hadrian’s Wall and thinking how I will finish the Danube frontier – keep an eye on the blog site for more travel tales and missives from the edge of the Empire.

Penny Coombe, August 2016

Main route – red points

London

Harwich International Port

Hook of Holland
Leiden
Alphen aan den Rijn

Utrecht
Wijk bij Duurstede