About 15 kilometers southwest of the city of Nazareth, archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered the remains of a large military camp that the Romans used for 180 years and where 5,000 soldiers were once stationed.
The now exposed complex belonged to the Legio VI Ferrata (the sixth legion, also known as the “Iron Legion”; note) and is located near the current kibbutz Megiddo. The Roman camp was 550 meters long and 350 meters wide.
Hidden under a wheat field
“The camp was the permanent military base for more than 5,000 Roman soldiers for over 180 years, from 117, 120 to about 300 AD,” said Yotam Tepper, director of the IAA excavations. The discovery was preceded by years of excavation, which eventually revealed that the base was located under a wheat field near Kibbutz Megiddo.
“Two main roads crossed in the middle of the 550 meter long and 350 meter wide camp, and this is where his headquarters were located. From this starting point, all distances along the Roman imperial roads to the most important cities in the north of the country were measured and marked with milestones, Tepper said.
The walls of the ancient buildings have not been preserved because most of the building stones have been removed over the years to be reused in construction projects from the Byzantine and early Islamic periods, scientists involved in the excavations say.
The only permanent Roman camp in Israel
According to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), the fortress at Meggido is the only permanent Roman base camp in Israel. Other previously discovered camps are often smaller because only auxiliary troops used them. In other cases, they served only the short-term purpose of a siege, the researchers said.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
