Археологичид 8000 хүний багтаамжтай амфитеатр бүхий эртний хотыг илрүүлсэн ч оршин суугчид нь яагаад хотоо орхин явсан нь тодорхойгүй хэвээр байна.
Австрийн Стайн тосгоны ойролцоо, Дунай мөрний эрэг дагуух эртний Ромын хилийн бүсээс 2000 орчим жилийн настай, 25-30 га талбайг хамарсан томоохон хотын туурийг илрүүллээ. “GeoSphere Austria”-ийн судлаач Марио Валлнер болон түүний багийнхан 2015 оноос хойш газрын гүний радар болон соронзон хэмжилтийн арга ашиглан хийсэн судалгаагаар энэхүү хотыг нээсэн байна. МЭ 80 оны орчимд байгуулагдсан тус суурин нь цэргийн бэхлэлт болон эмх цэгцтэй гудамжны сүлжээнээс бүрддэг бөгөөд 8000 үзэгчийн багтаамжтай амфитеатр нь тухайн үеийн хотын хөгжил цэцэглэлтийг илтгэж байна.
Судлаачид тус газраас 640 орчим зоос болон эд баялагтай иргэд амьдарч байсныг гэрчлэх томоохон оршуулгын газрыг олжээ. Энэхүү хот нь эртний Грекийн газарзүйч Клавдий Птолемейн тэмдэглэлд дурдсан “Клаудивиум” байж болзошгүй гэх таамаглал дэвшүүлж байгаа боловч одоогоор хотын нэрийг баталгаажуулсан бичээс олдсонгүй. Газарзүйн байрлал болон түүхэн он цагийн хувьд таарч байгаа ч археологийн баримтууд эцсийн дүгнэлт гаргахад хангалтгүй байна.
Хотыг ямар нэгэн байгалийн гамшиг эсвэл дайралтад өртсөн ул мөргүйгээр орхисон нь эрдэмтдийн анхаарлыг татаж байна. Уг үйл явц нь МЭ 180 оны орчимд Ромын эзэнт гүрэн хилийн хамгаалалтаа өөрчилж, цэргийн хүчээ баруун зүгт орших Лауриакум руу төвлөрүүлсэнтэй холбоотой байж болзошгүй хэмээн таамаглаж байна. Урчуудын багаж хэрэгсэл болон бусад эд зүйлс Лауриакумтай ижил төстэй байгаа нь иргэд цэргийн шинэчлэлтийг даган нүүсэн байх магадлалыг нэмэгдүүлж байгаа юм.
Олон улсын Ромын хилийн судалгааны конгрессын хамтран даргалагч Ребекка Жонсын тэмдэглэснээр, энэхүү геофизикийн судалгаа нь зөвхөн гадаргын төдийг илрүүлсэн бөгөөд газар доор асар их шинжлэх ухааны нөөц бололцоо байгааг харууллаа. Хотын жинхэнэ нэр болон оршин суугчид яагаад ийнхүү орхин явах болсон шалтгааныг тодруулахаар цаашид үргэлжлүүлэн судлах шаардлагатай байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A lost Roman city has been discovered beneath the fields of Austria, complete with an amphitheater that once held 8,000 people. Archaeologists think it could be Claudivium, a city mentioned almost 2,000 years ago. But there’s another mystery: why did its residents leave a seemingly prosperous city without any clear signs of destruction?
The discovery was made near the small village of Stein, along the Danube River, where the Roman Empire once maintained a heavily defended frontier. Known as the Danube Limes, this network of forts and watchtowers protected Roman territory while attracting traders, craftspeople, and families who settled nearby.
Researchers have been exploring a six-mile stretch of this former frontier between Enns and St. Pantaleon-Erla since 2015. What they found was far bigger than expected: a city covering 62 to 74 acres, with organized streets, residential neighborhoods, and evidence of wealth. Founded around 80 CE, the settlement appears to have been abandoned roughly a century later.
A Roman City Built to Entertain 8,000 People
One of the biggest surprises was the discovery of a large amphitheater with room for around 8,000 spectators. That’s quite a crowd for a settlement that had remained hidden for so long. According to a 2025 study published in ArchéoSciences, archaeologist Mario Wallner of GeoSphere Austria and his colleagues spent three years mapping the site using ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry.
Their surveys revealed a carefully planned street network, with residential blocks arranged around a military fort. The streets followed the same orientation as the fort, showing just how closely the city was connected to the Roman army. The amphitheater was about the same size as the one at Carnuntum, a major Roman center farther along the Danube, according to University of Innsbruck archaeologist Gerald Grabherr.
And the amphitheater wasn’t the only sign of prosperity. Archaeologists also recovered around 640 coins and identified a large cemetery northwest of the city. Some graves and burial monuments were unusually large, suggesting that wealthy residents once lived there.
Did Ptolemy Know Its Real Name?
The findings may help unravel a long-standing mystery surrounding Claudius Ptolemy, the ancient Greek astronomer and geographer. Ptolemy described a Roman city called Claudivium and recorded its coordinates. For centuries, its exact location remained uncertain. Now, researchers have found a settlement that appears to fit his description.
The geography offers another clue. Ptolemy mentioned a river flowing in from the north, which could be the Aist River, a tributary that joins the Danube near the newly discovered city. Even the dates seem to line up. Claudivium disappears from historical records after approximately 180 CE, around the same time the settlement near Stein appears to have been abandoned.
There’s just one problem: nobody has found the city’s name written anywhere at the site. Archaeologists have uncovered bronze military diplomas, documents associated with Roman soldiers, but no inscription identifying the settlement as Claudivium. For now, the connection remains an intriguing possibility rather than a confirmed discovery.
Why Would People Walk Away From A Thriving City?
Archaeologists found no clear traces of an attack, even though the settlement had once been home to a prosperous Roman community. Instead, the evidence points to an orderly departure, possibly connected to changes in the empire’s military presence along the Danube.
The settlement was abandoned around the time Rome reorganized its frontier defenses following the Marcomannic Wars. The fighting began around 166 CE and involved Germanic and Sarmatian peoples. After Marcus Aurelius died in 180 CE, Emperor Commodus negotiated peace and concentrated Roman forces at Lauriacum, about four miles west of the site.
The move may also have drawn civilians away from Stein. Researchers found comparable bronze-casting tools and clothing pins at both settlements, suggesting that some artisans relocated their workshops to Lauriacum. This could explain why a city with substantial public buildings and signs of wealth was abandoned without evidence of a major disaster.
But the archaeological record is still incomplete. As Rebecca Jones, co-chair of the International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies, explained:
“[This] geophysical survey has, literally, only scratched the surface. [It also] demonstrates what huge scientific potential still lies in the ground.”
Researchers have uncovered an important piece of Roman history, although the city’s possible identity as Claudivium and the precise reasons for its abandonment have yet to be confirmed.
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.
