Archaeological Findings Reveal a Thriving Roman-Era Community Near the Ancient Anreppen Camp in Germany (2025)

Delbrück-Bentfeld, a locality in the district of the city of Paderborn (northwestern Germany), has been the site of a significant archaeological excavation supervised by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL), uncovering new evidence about life in the region during the early centuries of our era.

Since November 2024, a team of specialists has been working at the site, where they have identified the remains of at least three agricultural settlements belonging to local communities, located near the ancient Roman camp of Anreppen. The most recent findings include a valuable gem engraved with the figure of the god Mercury and an enigmatic knife buried under unusual circumstances.

The excavations are linked to the expansion of the Schafbreite residential area, a project that has allowed for more precise documentation of the settlement’s scale. Initially, a study conducted eight years ago suggested that only an isolated farm existed in the area. However, current work has confirmed that the occupation was much more extensive and diverse.

Dr. Sven Spiong, from LWL-Archäologie in Bielefeld, explains that the Lippe River basin contains multiple traces of settlements from the first centuries after Christ. The opportunity to excavate a large area has enabled archaeologists to study the distribution and characteristics of these rural communities in greater detail.

One of the key discoveries has been the precise dating of one of the farms located in the eastern part of the site. Coins and ceramic fragments indicate that it was inhabited between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Additionally, the main building structures have been identified, including a large central building used as a residence, whose ground imprints allow for a reconstruction of its original layout. To the north and south of the farm, small semi-subterranean annexes were found, likely used for activities such as textile weaving.

Access to drinking water was a fundamental necessity for the settlement’s inhabitants. To meet this need, they dug a shallow well, allowing them to reach the water table. Soil markings indicate that its walls were lined with wood, which facilitated its preservation and use.

Another structure under study is a second farm located southwest of the site. In this area, remains of a furnace have been discovered, suggesting that, in addition to textile production, the community was engaged in metallurgy, particularly bronze casting for the production of ornaments. The presence of fragments of furnace walls vitrified by heat and metal residues leaves no doubt about this artisanal activity.

Archaeologists have also found several coins in different areas of the excavation, which will help precisely date the settlements once they are restored and analyzed alongside the recovered ceramics. According to Spiong, this will help answer one of the main questions of the research: whether the different farms coexisted simultaneously or if, instead, they were part of a single estate that was relocated at least twice due to the natural deterioration of its wooden structures.

One of the most striking objects recovered from the site is a small engraved gem, barely 1.5 centimeters in diameter. It features the image of Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and travel, holding a money pouch in one hand and a caduceus in the other, along with his characteristic helmet. Specialists believe this gem was part of a ring and that, given its Roman origin, it serves as further evidence of continued trade between local inhabitants and regions under imperial rule, even after the withdrawal of the legions.

Another discovery that has sparked great interest is an iron knife with brass decorative details, found in the soil of a small underground building in the western part of the settlement. What stands out is the way it was buried: with the blade facing upward but positioned so deeply that it posed no danger to anyone. Researchers wonder whether this act had a ritual purpose, such as a symbolic sacrifice to protect the building, or if the object was intentionally hidden. It has been determined that the knife is of Roman origin, reinforcing the idea of the persistence of cultural and commercial contacts between Germanic populations and the Roman Empire.

The mayor of Delbrück, Werner Peitz, has closely followed the progress of the excavation and highlights the importance of preserving these historical remains. The archaeological work in the Schafbreite expansion area provides us with a unique opportunity to better understand our past. Each finding is a piece of the puzzle of history, allowing us to get closer to the way of life of our ancestors and pass that knowledge on to future generations, he stated.

The study of the third farm, located at the westernmost edge of the excavation area, has been limited by urbanization plans. Nevertheless, surface findings suggest that the settlement extended far beyond the current boundaries of the excavation site, forming part of a complex network of villages along the Lippe River. Even after the Romans abandoned their camp in Anreppen, the network of interactions they had established with local populations persisted for at least two more centuries, leaving an indelible mark on the region’s history.

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