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LVR-Archäologischer Park Xanten
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Themed Pavilions
The Park's themed pavilions offer special insights into the world as it was known to the Romans. Distributed throughout the Park, they complement the large Roman buildings with selected reconstructions and information on specific aspects of everyday Roman life.
A visit to the themed pavilions offers further insights into specific areas of Roman life.
Further themed pavilions are being planned in addition to the pavilion devoted to "Travel and traffic" and a protective building permitting a view of the foundations under Roman houses.
Travelling in Roman style: authentic carriages and an ancient map give an impression of the Romans' mobility.
Travel & traffic – On the road with the Romans
A new pavilion on the lawn behind the playgrounds is packed with information on ancient highways, couriers, maps – as well as three roadworthy reconstructed Roman carriages and carts.
The Romans were exceedingly mobile. They had to be, otherwise they could never have built and defended their vast empire. Many travellers journeyed on foot. Those who could afford to, travelled on a donkey or horse or in a carriage drawn by mules.
Those who could travel in a carriage drawn by a horse or donkey fared best.
Three Roman carriages reconstructed according to the latest research findings are on display in the pavilion. The cisium was a light travelling carriage for two people with little luggage; the carruca was a more comfortable carriage and the carrus a proper cart for heavy loads.
The metal parts and timbers used for the reconstructed carriages are supported by archaeological findings. All the carriages were hand-built by coachmakers using traditional techniques. In addition to the carriages, the pavilion also contains a reproduction of an ancient road map showing the Roman empire.
The pavilion affords a view of the ancient foundations.
Protective building on Insula 39 – A window into the ground
On entering the protective glass building, visitors look directly down onto an excavation site with the exposed foundation walls of Roman houses.
Dating back to the second and third centuries, the now exposed brick foundations are the remains of various typical construction phases found during excavations in the Roman city. It is not always easy for the archaeologists to date such partly overlapping foundations and correlate them correctly. At the same time, however, the sequence of building phases also provides interesting insights into the city's development..
The new APX building project alongside reveals just how the entire building may have looked in Roman times: since May 2007, three complete houses are being reconstructed in their entirety here.
