Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
Ground Floor – Introduction Aventicum, Capital of the Helvetii Avenches – Roman Museum Ground Floor – Introduction Aventicum, Capital of the Helvetii The founding of Aventicum can probably be linked to the unsuccessful migration of the Helvetii in 58 BC and the subsequent return to their homeland. The name of the town is derived from Aventia, a Celtic protective goddess. Aventicum was the capital of the Helvetii. No precise indications are available as to when the town was founded. Over the past number of years, Late Celtic (1st century BC) tombs (1) and ditches southeast of what would later become Avenches have been discovered on several occasions. During the second half of the 1st century BC, an oppidum was located further south, on the Bois de Châtel. There is evidence of a harbour in Avenches dating from around AD 5/6 at the latest (plan, no. 4). The orthogonal grid of streets, which was characteristic of Roman towns, had also been set up. Until the 2nd century AD, more than 60 insulae (rectangular living areas) were created. The town had a forum (public square), several thermae (public baths) and at least eight temples. The cemeteries were located along the roads leading into and out of the town. Stone from the Jura Mountains was the main building material used. Large parts of the town were built on rather humid ground. For this reason it was necessary to stabilise the foundations by driving oak piles into the ground (2). This wood is often still preserved and can be dated precisely using dendrochronology (method for dating based on measuring tree rings). Aventicum experienced a first “golden age” around AD 30 – 50 during the reigns of the emperors Tiberius and Claudius. A group of larger than life-sized sculptures of the members of the imperial family decorating the forum of the town bear witness to this. In AD 71/72 emperor Vespasian whose father and sons spent part of their lives in Aventicum elevated the town to the rank of a colony named Colonia Pia Flavia Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata. At that time a town wall measuring 5.5 km in length was erected around the 563-acre territory. Shortly afterwards the theatre, the amphitheatre and the Cigognier sanctuary were built; these three buildings are typical examples of Roman public architecture. Far away from the borders of the Empire and spared of regional political crises, Aventicum prospered over a long period of time until the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Although the invasions of the Alamanni seem to have caused Aventicum around 180 AD B. Gubler, Zurich 1 2 3 Ground Floor Introduction
Ground Floor – Introduction Switzerland in Roman Times considerable damage, building activities were still ongoing in the 4 th century AD, in particular fortification work around the theatre. A large part of the population of Aventicum probably belonged to the tribe of the Helvetii. The members of the local elite undoubtedly preserved their status; they were the first to obtain Roman citizenship. These notables guaranteed both the survival of Roman culture and the maintenance of a certain degree of political stability. Until the 6th century AD Avenches was a bishop’s see. In the 7th century AD the town received the new name Wibili, which, later on, became Wiflisburg. Interest in the archaeological remains of the Roman city of Avenches began to arise in the 16th century. A few excavations were carried out from the 18th century onwards (1), but systematic investigations only started with the foundation of the Pro Aventico Association in 1885. The Roman museum was created in 1824. Since 1838, it has been installed in this medieval tower, which was built at the end of the 11th century on the remains of the Roman amphitheatre and using stones from that monument. The Roman Empire Over a period of eight centuries, Rome created an empire from a small nucleus founded in 753 BC. Around 300 BC, the conquest of Italy was achieved and by around 50 BC large parts of Europe, the Near East and North Africa had been annexed. In AD 117 the Empire had reached its zenith. Large sections of the Empire were protected against incursions from neighbouring peoples by a network of border fortifications (limes). The Roman domination over the conquered territory was based on five pillars: a strong army, an homogenous legislation, a common administration, one common currency and one or – more precisely – two official languages, namely Latin in the west and Greek in the east. During the 3rd century AD the deterioration of the climatic conditions as well as a number of economic and political upheavals marked the beginning of the decline, which led to the fall of the Western Empire in AD 476. However, Roman civilisation in Europe stayed very much alive for a further thousand years. Until the 16th century Latin remained the common language of educated people. Roman Law was the basis of quite a number of present-day legal systems and, with a few slight adjustments, the Roman calendar is still in use today. Switzerland in Roman Times The territory of present-day Switzerland became part of the Roman Empire in 15 BC at the latest and was integrated into five different provinces: The Grisons and a large section of eastern Switzerland were part of Raetia, the Ticino and the southern valleys of the Grisons belonged to Italia, the Valais to the Alpae Graiae et Poeninae, 1 Map of Avenches (J. C. Hagenbuch, 1727) 4 Ground Floor Introduction
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Ground Floor <strong>–</strong> Introduction Aventicum, Capital of the Helvetii<br />
<strong>Avenches</strong> <strong>–</strong> <strong>Roman</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Ground Floor <strong>–</strong> Introduction<br />
Aventicum, Capital of the Helvetii<br />
The founding of Aventicum can probably be linked to the unsuccessful migration of<br />
the Helvetii in 58 BC and the subsequent return to their homeland. The name of the<br />
town is derived from Aventia, a Celtic protective goddess. Aventicum was the capital<br />
of the Helvetii.<br />
No precise indications are available as to when the town was founded. Over the<br />
past number of years, Late Celtic (1st century BC) tombs (1) and ditches southeast<br />
of what would later become <strong>Avenches</strong> have been discovered on several occasions.<br />
During the second half of the 1st century BC, an oppidum was located further south,<br />
on the Bois de Châtel.<br />
There is evidence of a harbour in <strong>Avenches</strong> dating from around AD 5/6 at<br />
the latest (plan, no. 4). The orthogonal grid of streets, which was characteristic of<br />
<strong>Roman</strong> towns, had also been set up. Until the 2nd century AD, more than 60 insulae<br />
(rectangular living areas) were created. The town had a forum (public square),<br />
several thermae (public baths) and at least eight temples. The cemeteries were<br />
located along the roads leading into and out of the town.<br />
Stone from the Jura Mountains was the main building material used. Large parts<br />
of the town were built on rather humid ground. For this reason it was necessary to<br />
stabilise the foundations by driving oak piles into the ground (2). This wood is often<br />
still preserved and can be dated precisely using dendrochronology (method for<br />
dating based on measuring tree rings).<br />
Aventicum experienced a first “golden age” around AD 30 <strong>–</strong> 50 during the reigns<br />
of the emperors Tiberius and Claudius. A group of larger than life-sized sculptures of<br />
the members of the imperial family decorating the forum of the town bear witness<br />
to this.<br />
In AD 71/72 emperor Vespasian whose father and sons spent part of their lives<br />
in Aventicum elevated the town to the rank of a colony named Colonia Pia Flavia<br />
Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata. At that time a town wall measuring 5.5 km<br />
in length was erected around the 563-acre territory. Shortly afterwards the theatre,<br />
the amphitheatre and the Cigognier sanctuary were built; these three buildings are<br />
typical examples of <strong>Roman</strong> public architecture.<br />
Far away from the borders of the Empire and spared of regional political<br />
crises, Aventicum prospered over a long period of time until the beginning of<br />
the 3rd century AD. Although the invasions of the Alamanni seem to have caused<br />
Aventicum around 180 AD<br />
B. Gubler, Zurich<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
Ground Floor<br />
Introduction
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