Archaeological, geoarchaeological and geophysical investigations on changes of the fluvial system by the Romans between Odenwald and the River Rhine along the modern Landgraben (Hessisches Ried)- LANDGRABEN -

水路在罗马行省中扮演着重要的角色。除了大河外，小型通航水道对没有现有基础设施的新界发展尤为重要。在LANDGRABEN项目的框架内，我们打算重建罗马帝国边境地区Hessisches Ried的LANDGRABEN水道系统的变化，从基督诞生到公元5世纪。因此，重点将放在小溪和河流的重新定向，死水系统的重新激活以及几公里长的渠道建设和加强登陆地点。陆地堑是黑森斯盆地北部最重要的水道。这为中世纪和近代罗马人根据他们如何操纵当地水道的方式确定经济使用权和军事战略计划提供了理想的条件，并获得了相关的影响。我们计划在9个重点区域测试考古学和地质考古学的假设，这些区域介于地塬与阿尔特内卡低地之间，靠近它流入莱茵河的地方，基于罗马定居点和军营的遗迹。重点将放在河道的重建和罗马地塬作为奥登瓦尔德河和莱茵河之间的直接连接路径的意义上。在具体层面上，我们将测试以下假设：(i)罗马人通过重新激活死河汊和建造渠道有意改变河流系统，（ii）这些措施是区域水道系统运输地理规划结构的一部分，（iii）与罗马定居点选址和（iv）军事基础设施有关，最后，(v)里德河的现代河流景观代表了罗马时代结构良好的交通和军事规划措施的文化遗产。我们的建议是基于全面的考古、地球物理和地质考古初步研究，使用了创新和现代的方法，这些方法已经产生了有希望的初步结果。在项目框架内，我们将采用系统的跨学科方法，包括多传感器地球物理调查（EMI/MG， ERT， GPR，地震），地质考古研究使用直接推测，振动岩心钻探和沉积物分析进行古环境重建，以及考古调查，如调查，sondages，发现材料分析，考古植物学和陶瓷分析。到目前为止，景观操纵措施并没有引起罗马考古学的兴趣。然而，LANDGRABEN项目对未来的研究活动具有高度相关性，因为它将提高我们对罗马帝国西北省份自然资源利用潜力的整体认识。

Waterways play an important role in the Roman provinces. Besides large rivers, smaller navigable waterways are especially relevant for the development of new territories without existing infrastructure. Within the framework of the LANDGRABEN project, we intend to reconstruct changes of the watercourse system by the Romans along the Landgraben in the Hessisches Ried, a border region of the Roman Empire, for the time between Christ’s birth and the 5th cent. AD. Hereby, the focus will be laid on the redirection of creeks and rivers, the reactivation of dead fluvial systems as well as the construction of channels, several kilometers long, and of fortified landing places. The Landgraben is the most significant watercourse in the northern part of the Hessisches Ried. It offers ideal conditions to determine the economic right of use as well as military strategy plans of the Romans based on the way how they manipulated local watercourses and to seize related effects for medieval and modern times.We plan to test archaeological and geoarchaeological hypotheses in nine focus areas between where the Landgraben meets the Altneckar lowlands and close to where it flows into the River Rhine based on remains of Roman settlements and military camps. The focus will be laid on the reconstruction of the river course and the significance of the Roman Landgraben as direct connection path between the Odenwald and the River Rhine. On a concrete level, we will test the hypotheses that (i) the Romans intentionally modified the fluvial system by reactivating dead river arms and constructing channels, (ii) such measures were part of a planned structurization of the transport geography of the regional water course system and (iii) were relevant for the selection of sites for Roman settlements and (iv) military infrastructure, and finally, that (v) the modern fluvial landscape of the Ried represents the cultural heritage of well-structured transport and military planning measures during Roman times.Our proposal is based on comprehensive archaeological, geophysical and geoarchaeological preliminary studies using innovative and modern methods that have already yielded promising initial results. Within the frame of the project, we will apply a systematic, interdisciplinary approach comprising multi-sensor geophysical investigations (EMI/MG, ERT, GPR, seismics), geoarchaeological studies using Direct Push-soundings, vibracore drillings and sediment analyses for palaeoeoenvironmental reconstructions, as well as archaeological investigations such as surveys, sondages, analyses of found material, archaeobotanical and ceramic analyses.So far, landscape manipulation measures have not attracted much interest in Provincial Roman Archaeology. The LANDGRABEN project, however, is of high relevance for future research activities as it will improve our overall knowledge on the usage potential of natural resources in the northwestern provinces of the Roman Empire.