Possible Mithraeum at Thun-Allmendingen

TNMM 2256 ↔ CIMRM 1377

In 1824–1825 C. F. L. Lohner made excavations in the Renzenbühl, a pasture, at about half an hour's distance from Thun "am Ende der Thunallmend, unter der Strasze von Thun nach Amsoldingen". Here he determined the outline of five apartments, one or more of which may have served as a Mithraeum, but this remains questionable.

Lohner in Der Schweizerische Geschichtsforscher VIII, 1834, 430ff; A. Jahn, Der Kanton Bern Deutschen Theils. Bern 1850, 253ff; MMM II 503f No. 239bis and fig. 447; O. Tschumi in Das Amt Thun I, 1943, 155ff; Staehelin, Schweiz, 562; O. Tschumi, Urgeschichte des Kantons Bern, 369.

The apartments stretch out in north-westerly direction and are situated in the vicinity of a rivulet. The insides are plastered white, though the northernmost one was painted red. The walls consist of tuff and stone (H. 1.50 D. 0.50).

The dimensions of the northernmost apartment are L. and Br. 2.65, of the second room L. 6.00 Br. 5.33. The next two rooms are smaller (L. and Br. 2.33) and of the westerly room the dimensions are L. 3.33 Br. 2.65. In the length of the latter room along the wall a stone bench (H. and Br. 0.65) was built.

Numerous skulls and antlers of deer were found, offering to Mercury. In the neighbourhood many traces of fire, some human bones and iron utensils.

About two mtrs behind the second apartment on a round base of masonry (H. 1.33) a granite basin (diam. 1.25) in which a hole that through the base communicated with the earth. Eastwards a stone pavement, with two granite slabs on which an altar without inscription.