Roman Wooden Watchtower

Under Emperor Trajan, Roman border troops built wooden watchtowers on the Raetian Limes. This present Schreiber-Bogen cardboard model sheet is based on a faithful replica of the original, which is situated near Michelstadt in the Odenwald and is in accordance with the latest archaeological findings.

There are hardly any sources for information on the construction of Roman watchtowers. Reconstructions of the towers along the Limes are often based on reliefs on the Trajan Column in Rome. Excavations along the course of the Roman Limes revealed that the towers were erected on low hills, which were surrounded by flat ring ditches. The foundation was made up of stones layered on top of each other as a drywall construction. At the four corners there were recesses for mighty corner posts. Beams were probably attached in slots on each side of the tower and these were laid on top of each other to make a grid that would hold the foundation together. Inside the foundation was filled with clay.

Above the foundation the Romans erected towers in block construction. They built beams or logs horizontally on top of each other. The model for the present model had no platform on the outside of the tower. There were two large windows on each side, from which the Roman soldiers controlled the Limes.

Initially, the Limes, i.e. the border between the Roman Empire and Germania, existed only as a guard road controlled by the military, which was lined with wooden towers. Later on, wooden palisades were erected along the guard road. At the end of the 2nd century the dilapidated wooden towers were replaced by stone towers. Later, the border troops set up ramparts and ditches immediately behind the palisades. Nowadays only a few traces of the wooden buildings have survived.