Archaeologists in Switzerland have uncovered the ruins of a Roman-era amphitheater — possibly the youngest on record — where spectators likely watched gladiator fights and animal hunts with bated breath.
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00:00Archaeologists in Switzerland have uncovered the ruins of a Roman-era amphitheater,
00:05and it may be one of the youngest of its kind on record.
00:13Just like spectators at the famous Colosseum in Rome,
00:16spectators at this arena likely watch gladiator fights and animal hunts.
00:20Researchers discovered the amphitheater while monitoring construction work for a new boathouse
00:26for the Basel rowing group on the Rhine in December 2021. The site falls within the ancient Roman city
00:32of Augusta Rorica, and it already has two other known Roman-era amphitheaters. But this amphitheater
00:39was thought to be extraordinarily young, at least by Roman standards. Researchers think it was built
00:44in late antiquity or in the 4th century AD, possibly making it the youngest amphitheater of its kind.
00:50So, what are the clues pointing to its age? For starters, the amphitheater was built in a quarry
00:56that the Romans abandoned in late antiquity. This means that the structure was built after the
01:01quarry work stopped, or in the 4th century. Another clue is that the building materials and style in
01:08which they were used are reminiscent of a late antique fort wall. Also compelling is the discovery
01:14of a coin at the site, which dates to AD 337 to AD 341. Finally, let's dig into the history of Augusta Rorica.
01:23The ancient Roman city already had two other known amphitheaters, as we mentioned,
01:28that were in the upper part of the city. There was no reason to build one in the lower part of the city,
01:34said Jacob Balotcher, an archaeologist at the site and head of excavations in Kaisergass, Switzerland.
01:40Near the newfound amphitheater is a Roman fort, known as the Castromorascense, which was built in
01:46about AD 300. The fort was built to protect the northern border of the Roman Empire, as just across
01:53the Rhine River was Germania. In about 351 AD, Germanic tribes crossed that Rhine River and destroyed the
02:01fort, although it was later rebuilt. This fort had military personnel, but it was also an administrative
02:07center. So perhaps the better question is, why not build a Roman-era amphitheater there to entertain
02:14all the people in that area? The oval-shaped amphitheater was sizable. It was about 164 feet long
02:21and 131 feet wide, but it was small compared with the Colosseum. That marble built in the AD 70s held
02:28roughly 50,000 people, and its central arena was about 285 feet by 180 feet, or larger than the entire
02:37square amphitheater, just found in Switzerland.