CIMRM Supplement - Mithraeum I. Güglingen, Germany.

Fig. 1: Mithraeum at Güglingen.

Fig. 2: Plan of the Mithraeum.

Fig. 3: Circular pit at the main aisle.

See also Mithraeum II.

In 1999 rescue archaeology revealed a Mithraeum at Güglingen. The temple was of stone, and oriented WSW-NNO, and measured 11m x 7.5m. The podia were 1.50m wide, and c. 60cm high.

According to German Wikipedia, excavations in the area continued from 1999-2005. A second, timber-frame Mithraeum was found. The site has been made into an open-air museum.1 However Mithraeum I has been reburied. The stone structure was built in the second half of the second century and existed until the 3rd century.2

Richard Gordon wrote a summary for the Electronic Journal of Mithraic Studies, which is reproduced here as the EJMS site is now heavily corrupt and the .doc file now inaccessible.3

Coordinates: 49° 22' 36" N, 8° 09' 08" E / 49.37667° N, 8.15222° E.4

Bibliography.

  • Walter Joachim, "Ein röisches Mithraeum mit römischen und alamannischen Siedlungsresten in Güglingen, Kreis Heilbronn," Archaeologische Ausgrabungenin Baden-Wuerttemberg, 1999 (Stuttgart, 2000) pp. 139-143.
  • Gordon, Richard: "Mithraeum in Güglingen, Landkreis Heilbronn (Baden-Württemberg), Germany", EJMS, Volume I, 2000 (English, Zipped Word97) zip Unfortunately now corrupt.
  • Andrea Neth: "Fernab des Militärs: der vicus von Güglingen". In: Vera Rupp, Heide Birley (ed.): Landleben im römischen Deutschland. Theiss, Stuttgart 2012, ISBN 978-3-8062-2573-0, p. 99-102. (Reference from German Wikipedia)
  • Klaus Kortüm, Andrea Neth: "Römer im Zabergäu. Ausgrabungen im vicus von Güglingen, Kreis Heilbronn". In: Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2002, p. 116-121 (Reference from German Wikipedia)
  • K. Kortüm and A. Neth, "Roms Provinzen an Neckar, Rhein und Donau", Imperium Romanum 1, Stuttgart: Theiss, 2005. p.225-9, with figs 275-6. Review at JSTOR in JRS here.

1German Wikipedia here. This states that the site was a vicus of some 80 houses, cobering 10 acres. The name of it is unknown. It was settled mainly by craftsmen. 30 houses, a baths, and 2 mithraea were excavated. It was settled around 125 AD, and abandoned around 250 AD and set alight. Alamanni occupied the site afterwards.
2Also according to German Wikipedia: "Das Mithräum I, das 1999 ausgegraben wurde, ist heute wieder vom Erdboden bedeckt. Dieses Mithräum war das ältere derartige Heiligtum vor Ort. Der massive Steinbau wurde in der zweiten Hälfte des 2. Jahrhunderts errichtet und später noch verändert. Er existierte bis ins 3. Jahrhundert. Sein Kultraum war etwa 65 Quadratmeter groß."
3An archive copy was mercifully preserved at Mithraeum.eu, from which I obtained it.
4Supplied by John W. Brandt - thank you.

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