Roman Rhine settlement dynamics evidenced by coin distribution in a fluvial environment (Oedenburg, Upper Rhine, France)

Abstract

On the basis of archaeological and alluvial records, this paper presents the first spatial analysis of artefacts in relation to the evolution of the Rhine River, at the Gallo-Roman site of Oedenburg, during the first four centuries AD. The dataset consisted of several thousand Roman artefacts found by pedestrian prospecting over the last twenty years, over half of which were coins. This dataset was used together with high-resolution topography and geomagnetic mapping, to reconstruct settlement evolution, both on the terrace and in the floodplain. A comprehensive monetary chart has been compiled for the Oedenburg site, which highlights four major phases of settlement. These results provide a possible causal link connecting historical factors and alluvial events with intra-site evolution. Therefore, while changes observed during Phases I (until AD 68), II (AD 69 to AD 180) and III (AD 180 to AD 295) seem largely related to historical and societal events, Phase IV (AD 295 to AD 402) shows patterns of abandonment of the lower part of the floodplain that may well be related to an unusually humid period in the fourth century. These results are set in a broader context, from the Rhine catchment area to the Alps, and are in agreement with the wet conditions also documented in alluvial, lacustrine, geomorphological and palynological records in Germany (Lahn River, Lake Constance, Lake Nussbaumen, Kaisersthul area and the Black Forest). Studying the intra-site spatial distribution of artefacts with high temporal constraints, at a long-lived site with contrasted topography, opens new avenues for the detection of discreet events such as a higher water table, affecting only the lower zone.

Évolution de la plaine alluviale du Rhin dans la région du « Ried nord » : paléoenvironnement et interactions anthropiques depuis l’Âge du Bronze jusqu’à l’Antiquité / Haut Moyen Âge (Roeschwoog, Bas-Rhin, Alsace)

“…Ce phénomène est observé au cours de l'âge du Bronze sur la Loire par Castanet et al (2003) ou sur le Rhin au cours du iv e ap. J.-C. par Ollive (2008). Les auteurs mettent ces épisodes de reprise de l'activité alluviale en lien avec des défrichements et/ou une péjoration climatique.…”

Enregistrement sédimentaire et environnement Holocène de la plaine alluviale du Giessen (Scherwiller, Bas‑Rhin, Alsace)

“…Les contextes fluviatiles et les zones humides dans la Plaine d'Alsace ont déjà fait l'objet de plusieurs travaux (Maire, 1967 ;Carbiener, 1969Carbiener, , 1983Hirth, 1971 ;Vogt, 1978 ;Vogt, 1984Vogt, , 1992Schmitt, 2001 ;Boës, 2005 ;Ollive et al, 2006Ollive et al, , 2008Ollive et al, , 2009Boës et al, 2007). Les données que nous publions dans cet article s'inscrivent dans cette démarche.…”

Riverbed, Banks and Beyond: An Examination of Roman Infrastructure and Interventions in Response to Hydrological Risk in the Po–venetian Plain

“… 22 A similar outcome can be seen at the fort site of Oedenburg in France, where the lowest-lying parts of the adjacent vicus were abandoned in the fourth century, probably as a result of the rising water table and subsequent increased risk of flooding (Ollive, 2007: 651–2). See also Ollive et al , 2006, 2008.…”

“…20 Speleothem analysis from Renella cave in the Apuan Alps also points to a significant increase in flooding in northern and central Italy during the sixth century AD(Zanchetta et al, 2021).21 The floods here are considered exceptional events, as opposed to the smaller annual floods common in the region.22 A similar outcome can be seen at the fort site of Oedenburg in France, where the lowest-lying parts of the adjacent vicus were abandoned in the fourth century, probably as a result of the rising water table and subsequent increased risk of flooding(Ollive, 2007: 651-2). See alsoOllive et al, 2006Ollive et al, , 2008…”