There were Romans all over the area of Germany that Varus thought of as his province. How is this known? Well one way is the discovery of a small village near Waldgirmes in the Lahn valley in central Germany.

This location was originally thought to be a military camp used as a base during the attempt to control the area from the Rhine and the Elbe Rivers. However archeology evidence has uncovered several buildings including houses made of wood and the foundation for a large stone building that is shaped like that of a common style for a forum found in many Roman towns. Suggesting the start of an administration for that area of the province.

Additional finds at the site show that a Roman upper class was present. What is noticeable is that there were very few weapons found. Perhaps the Romans that populated the location felt untreated by the German population around them.

Obviously the site would have been abandoned after the disaster of the Teutoburg Forest as the coins found there date before 9 AD. When Rome abandoned everything on the right bank of the Rhine.

When Rome would take the right bank of the Rhine around, 116 AD, the Limes was established 9.3 miles to the west of the Waldgirmes location and the place unused.

Above information based on work by:

Professor Dr. Siegmar von Schnurbein ( Roman-Germanic commission Frankfurt )
Professor Dr. Egon Schallmayer ( National Office for Care of Monuments Hessen in Wiesbaden)

The excavation is being carried out into cooperation with the national office for care of monuments Hessen, and the department of archaeological and Palaeontologi care of monuments, Wiesbaden and the Roman-Germanic commission Frankfurt.