Der Main als militärischer Nachschubweg in römischer Zeit

Neue archäologische und geoarchäologische Untersuchungen

Abstract

The River Main as a Military Supply Route in Roman Times. New Archaeological and Geoarchaeological Investigations
The rivers Lahn, Main and Neckar are the longest rivers in the Roman province of Upper Germany which connect the Rhine with the eastern parts of the province. Of the three rivers, the Main is the one which boasts the longest course through flat terrain outside the Central Uplands. The river and its network of tributaries played a central role in supplying the military in the province’s northern border section. Simultaneously, it served the transport of raw materials from the border to the hinterland. In recent years, both archaeological as well as geoarchaeological investigations have been carried out along the river, which supplement and broaden the picture of the used and controlled watercourse. This provides information on the various uses of the river from the 1^st to 4^th century AD.