Roman deity statue found at Castra Stativa!

Stuttgart, a city steeped in history, continues to reveal its ancient secrets with every excavation. Recently, archaeologists delving into the remnants of the Roman fort, Castra Stativa, unearthed a remarkable artifact—a statue depicting a Roman god.

Dating back to the Roman period, Stuttgart was home to Castra Stativa, a formidable fortress erected in AD 90. Its purpose was clear: to safeguard the villas dotting the Stuttgart basin and to watch over the vital highway connecting Mogontiacum (Mainz) to Augusta Vindelicorum (Augsburg).

At the excavation site near Altenburg School, archaeologists from ArchaeoBW and the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) made an extraordinary find. Among the traces of the fort’s existence, they uncovered a stone sculpture crafted from sandstone.

Standing at a modest 30 centimetres in height, the statue portrays a unique fusion—a kneeling figure with a human head atop a serpent's body. This blend hints at a Germano-Roman deity, embodying the syncretism of cultures during that era.

Photo Credit: LAD/A. Thiel

Experts speculate that the figure once adorned a grand column dedicated to Jupiter, a common sight in Roman public squares. Similar artifacts discovered in the region, now housed in the collections of the Württemberg State Museum, further validate this hypothesis.

The significance of this find doesn't end with the statue itself. The discovery allows archaeologists to connect it with a fragment long stored in the museum's depot, possibly reassembling a Jupiter giant column that once graced a prominent street intersection in Roman Stuttgart.

The Stuttgart Regional Council aptly described the find as a "great stroke of luck," underscoring its importance in piecing together the puzzle of the city's rich Roman heritage.