Mini temples and sacrificial pit discovered in Roman military encampment in Germany

Rare Roman ruins dating to the time of Caesar Augustus were recently unearthed in Germany, officials said.

The remains of two small temples and a sacrificial pit were found in Haltern, a small town near the Germany-Netherlands border, according to a Nov. 6 news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe, a municipal organization.

The archaeological discoveries were made at the site of a former sprawling Roman military encampment, officials said.

Rectangular clay foundations were all that remained of the temples, which would have been fashioned from wood and spanned an area of nearly 100 square feet. They appeared to be modeled after the iconic stone shrines that dotted numerous Roman cities.

Their excavation is considered significant because such temples have never been discovered in Roman military camps, officials said.

Between the two clay foundations, archaeologists located a ground-level sacrificial burn pit, which had been disturbed during previous excavations.

The pit’s floor plan curiously appears similar to that of a nearby Roman burial ground, though graves were forbidden in settlements under Roman law, officials said.

The complex was first exhumed nearly 100 years ago, but due to a lack of funds, many structural remains were left underground.

Archaeologists plan to continue investigating the unusual findings, officials said.

The remains of numerous Roman military camps have been discovered throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe.