A new mithraeum discovered during excavation in Trier
The 1.20 meter high limestone relief shows the figure of Cautes, who appears as the companion of the god Mithras. Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD), who is responsible for cultural heritage, spoke of a spectacular discovery when the find was presented in Trier. He explains ’once again the fascinating Roman heritage of our country, which is particularly visible here in Trier’.
A new main fire station is to be built on the site
The excavations of the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage in Rhineland-Palatinate have been underway on the site of the former police headquarters since February. The city’s new main fire station is to be built there. Trier claims to be the oldest city in Germany and was once the largest Roman metropolis north of the Alps. For Trier, this is the second evidence of such a place of worship for the god Mithras, Ebling said.
It is assumed that the newly discovered cult room was destroyed and abandoned towards the end of the fourth century AD. In the Roman Empire, the Mithraic cult was widespread, especially among military personnel. The relief is already in the restoration workshops of the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Trier. The state archeology department has 18 months to dig on the site of the former police headquarters.
References
- SWR (2023) A new mithraeum discovered during excavation in Trier
- Forscher entdecken in Trier römische Kultstätte. In Trier, der ältesten Stadt Deutschlands, haben Forscher eine römische Kultstätte ausgegraben.
- SWR (2023) A new mithraeum discovered during excavation in Trier
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