Rare Roman Bridgehead Fort Found Along the Danube River - Archaeology Magazine

Rare Roman Bridgehead Fort Found Along the Danube River - Archaeology Magazine

Stamped Roman bricks of the XIV and XV legionary units, found near Carnuntum, Austria CARNUNTUM, AUSTRIA––According to a statement from the Austrian Archaeological Institute, a mysterious stone structure known as the Ödes Schloss or “Desolate Castle” is actually a rare Roman bridgehead fort, the only one ever found in Austria. The site is located just two miles from the Roman legionary fortress of Carnuntum along the Danube River. Bridgehead for…

Archaeologists solve the mystery of the “Deserted Castle”

Along the shores of a Danube tributary near Stopfenreuth are a section of ruined walls known locally as the “Deserted Castle”. For years, the true purpose of the structure has remained a mystery, with interpretations of the monument pointing to a medieval castle, or even a fortification used during the time of the “First Turkish War.” However, recent excavations by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) have identified the site to be a Roman bri…

After excavations it is clear that the fortification "Ödes Schloss" is a Roman "bridge-head-castle", which could have secured a floating bridge to the Germanic land.

It is located off the coast of a tributary of the Danube in Austria.

First Roman bridgehead fort discovered in Austria solves 'Deserted Castle' mystery

Archaeologists have found the first confirmed Roman bridgehead fort ever discovered in Austria, positioned in the Danube floodplains near the site named “Ödes Schloss” close to Stopfenreuth in Lower Austria. The discovery, led by researchers at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and the Carnuntum Archaeological Park, reveals interesting new insights into the Roman Empire’s northern defense line and its control over trade routes such as the A…

The "Ödes Schloss" is known as the "Ödes Schloss" or "Ödes Schloss" (Öde's Castle"). After excavations last year, it is now clear that - as already assumed about 150 years ago - it is a Roman "Brückenkopfkastelle" - the first of its kind on Austrian soil. Whether there was once a fixed bridge over the Danube, however, is doubtful, according to one of the experts involved.