BRIGOBANNE
Germany.
A Roman auxiliary
fort near Hülfingen, Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg. This name, found only on the
Peutinger
Table (3.5), is almost certainly connected with this site and
its vicus although inscriptions are lacking. The fort lies on
a plateau S of the Breg, one of the two source streams
of the Danube, at the place where it is crossed by the
Roman road that connected the legionary camp Vindonissa (N Switzerland) and Arae Flavine (near Rottweil
am Neckar). The vicus lies a few hundred m from the
fort, on both sides of this road, in a plain on the N side
of the Breg.
The fort was founded from Vindonissa in the early
Claudian period as the westernmost fortification for the
Danube line, and secured under Claudius with forts in
Upper Germany and Raetia. Originally a primitive,
makeshift camp, it was expanded even before Claudius'
death into a permanent camp at least 3 ha in area; and
immediately after the uprisings of A.D. 69, it was enlarged to ca. 4.2 ha. Soon after the building of a road
in A.D. 73-74 from Argentorate (Strasbourg) diagonally
through the Black Forest to Arae Flaviae, the fort was
abandoned and the troops were moved farther N.
In a small valley ca. 50 m outside the W ditch of the
fort lies the garrison bath (40 x 20 m), restored in
1968-69 and now roofed. The usual rooms of a military
bath are visible in their essential remains. According to
some brick stamps of the Legio XI, stationed in Vindonissa from 70 until shortly after 100, the bath was built
between 70 and 74 (the probable date of the evacuation
of the fort). It was apparently later enlarged for the
population of the vicus.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
P. Revellio, “Das Kastell Hüfingen,”
Der Obergermanisch-Raetische Limes des Römerreiches
Abt. B, Band V2, no. 62a (1937)
MPI; id. & R. Nierhaus,
“Die Canabae von Kastell Hüfingen,”
Badische Fundberichte 20 (1956) 103-14
I; R. Nierhaus, “Römische Strassenverbindungen durch den Schwarzwald,”
Badische Fundberichte 23 (1967) 117-57
M; H. Schönberger, “The Roman Frontier in Germany: An Archaeological Survey,”
JRS 59 (1969) 154 & 192 no. 159; A. Eckerle,
Römische Badruine in Hüfingen (1970 brochure)
PI.
R. NIERHAUS
