Life at the frontier - Carnuntum as a cultural hub

The Danube Limes was not only a military border of the Roman Empire, but also a zone of intensive interaction between population groups along the Danube. While the Roman Empire with its partly fortified cities, trading centers and legions dominated south of the Danube, Germanic settlement areas stretched to the north. This border region was not only the scene of military conflicts, but also an area of economic exchange and cultural encounters.

As early as the middle of the 1st century BC, the northern Danube region was inhabited by population groups that the Romans referred to as Celts and Germanic tribes. “Germanic” was therefore a collective term for various groups such as Marcomanni, Quads or Lombards, who lived in decentralized settlements and not a proper term for these communities.

The settlements mostly consisted of individual farmsteads with post houses and pit houses, and society was characterized by tribal structures, with many leaders maintaining close ties to the Roman Empire and often consolidating their power through Roman support. In the 1st century AD, Tacitus describes how Germanic kings were supported not only by military but also by financial aid from Rome. This led to close ties between Germanic princes and the Roman administration.

Sitting "Barbarian" with his hands tied behind his back, found at Carnuntum. - © Niederösterreichische Landessammlungen

Even if written sources such as Tacitus' Germania are important sources on the relationship between Romans and Germanic tribes, it must be remembered that the Roman perspective is always described here and must therefore be read critically. The literary designation of the area of the Germanic tribes as “Barbaricum” and the description of the inhabitants as “barbarians” (ancient Greek bárbaros, “stutterers”) already provides some insight into the ancient views. Even in Roman art, “barbarians” were usually depicted kneeling, bound or begging - an ethnic distinction is rare. Germanic tribes can often be recognized by the so-called Suebi knot, a hairstyle typical of the Suebi tribe. In political propaganda, they often flank a tropaion, the victory pole hung with weapons, which also symbolizes the superiority of Rome in miniature form on coins or statuettes.

It is important here not to project today's concepts such as nation states or territorial state territories retroactively onto antiquity. Even if the Roman (Danube) Limes represented the border of the empire, it should not be imagined as the Iron Curtain. Germanic groups also settled south of the Danube, as excavations in Bruckneudorf (district of Neusiedl am See) or Pellendorf (district of Bruck an der Leitha) show. There was a constant exchange in border regions, so these were more spheres of influence and power than precisely measured state territories. 

After Hadrian's Wall and Antonine's Wall in Great Britain and the Upper German-Raetian Limes in Germany, the Danube Limes from Passau to Budapest has formed the third section of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” since 2021.

The Limes foreland between Boiodurum, the ancient city of Passau, and Carnuntum was an important contact zone. Germanic groups settled here and were partly under the direct or indirect influence of Rome. Particularly along the March and in the Weinviertel region, where several Roman marching camps from the time of the Marcomannic Wars have also been identified, a high settlement density developed from the 2nd century AD, which was linked to the course of the Amber Road - an important trade route from the Adriatic to the Baltic Sea.

Germanic settlements often feature numerous Roman imported goods, including drinking utensils, bronze objects and luxury goods. Carnuntum grew into an important production and trading center in the 1st century AD, exporting goods across the Danube to the north. From the 2nd century AD, this exchange intensified along the Amber Road, which connected the Mediterranean region with northern and central Europe.

Roman tableware (Terra Sigillata, found at Drösing) from the Germanic settlement area north of the Danube. - © Niederösterreichische Landessammlungen

It should therefore be emphasized once again that the Danube Limes was not an insurmountable barrier, as trade relations had shaped the region since the 1st century. Roman goods such as olive oil, wine and fine tableware reached Germanic regions, while raw materials such as wool, animal skins, meat products, honey and amber were exported from there. Trade often took place via middlemen - in Germania in stages, while in Carnuntum Roman merchants took over the processing. Pliny the Elder, for example, reports on trade relations and transportation routes through Germanic areas along the Amber Road: 

Another sign of cultural exchange is the adoption of Roman building methods in Germanic settlements. Especially in today's Bratislava-Dúbravka or Zohor, there are traces of Roman villa architecture combined with Germanic building traditions. The integration of Germanic warriors into the Roman army also strengthened these interactions. In the 3rd century AD, for example, Germanic units are documented in Egypt or in the late antique imperial residence of Ravenna. This exchange increased further in late antiquity, when Germanic warriors were increasingly in Roman service. 

The Roman troops not only secured the border, but also promoted the economy and culture along their marching routes. Regular payment of soldiers stimulated trade, veterans settled in the areas surrounding the camp sites and infrastructure measures such as road construction changed the region for good. The Romans brought new technologies and organizational structures with them, while Germanic rulers benefited from Roman support and trade. 

The border on the Danube Limes was much more than a military barrier - it was an interface between people who influenced each other for centuries despite military conflicts. With the end of Roman rule in the 5th century AD, the political structures collapsed, but the cultural influence of Rome remained palpable. Carnuntum remains a unique testimony to this frontier world - a life between military and civil society, war and trade, Roman order and cultural exchange.

Event tip

On the first weekend in April, the people of Carnuntum come to life: Under the theme of ‘Life on the Frontier’, cultural mediators from the Roman town will embody historical inhabitants of the ancient Carnuntum and tell stories of trade, exchange and life on the Roman Limes.