Israeli archeologists unearth central Roman Legion base
The permanent presence of the Roman Empire in the Judaea province housed about 5,000 soldiers belonging to Legio VI Ferrata
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Wednesday its unearthing of a military base belonging to a Roman Legion, dating to about 1,800 years ago, found near Tel Megiddo.
IAA Director Eli Escusido described the find as significant enhancing an already vibrant archeological area, near the World Heritage Site National Park of Megiddo, as well as near one of the earliest Christian prayer halls in the world.
Not only significant in its location, but also in its size and uniqueness. The military base belonging to the Legio VI Ferrata (Sixth Ironclad Legion) was the only one located and exposed in Israel.
"The Roman Legion camp at Legio was the permanent military base for over 5,000 Roman soldiers for more than 180 years, from 117–120 to about 300 CE,” IAA excavation director, Dr. Yotam Tepper, explained.
“Two main roads intersected at the center of the 550 m long and 350 m wide camp, and its headquarters were erected here. It was from this base point that all the distances along the Roman Imperial roads to the main cities in the north of the country were measured and marked with milestones," Dr. Tepper described the significance of the base.
“The unique contribution of the results of this research project lies in the rarity of such archaeological discoveries,” the archeologist said, particularly due to the most other camps being temporary or small in size.
"None compares with the entire complex of the legionary base, as has been uncovered in the archaeological excavations at Legio, next to the Megiddo Junction," Dr. Tepper stated.
"The rooftiles, some of which were stamped with the VIth Legion stamps, were used for various purposes, for roofing buildings, paving floors and coating walls. The technology and know-how, the building techniques, and the weapons that the Legion brought with it from the home country, are unique to the Roman army, reflecting specific Roman Imperial military footprints," he concluded.
Some of the other findings were coins, parts of weapons, pottery sherds, and glass fragments.
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