The foundation walls
contain niches used to store scrolls
CATHERINE HICKLEY
The foundations of a Roman
building that is probably the oldest library in Germany have been uncovered in
central Cologne in archaeological excavations during the construction of a new
parish building for the protestant church.
The walls are comparable to
other libraries of the Roman Empire, such as the one in Ephesus, says Dirk
Schmitz, the head of the Cologne archaeological monument authority. It dates
back to between 150 and 200 A.D. and, as was usually the case in Roman cities,
is located in the ancient forum.
“There are niches along the
inside of the walls which have remained intact,” Schmitz says. “They were
almost certainly used to store the scrolls.” A small annex to the building was
probably an alcove where a statue of the Roman goddess Minerva once stood, he
says.
The church plans to build
an underground car park on the site, but will ensure public access to the
remains.
Cologne is the only German
metropolis with a history stretching back 2,000 years. Known as Colonia, it was
the capital of the Roman province of Germania Inferior and a regional military
headquarters.
The city’s Römisch-Germanische
Museum houses more than 10 million objects unearthed in the city. Another
important recent find, discovered during construction work on the underground
rail network, are oak planks almost 2000 years old that formed part of the
Roman-era port wall.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/cologne-archaeologists-unearth-oldest-library-in-germany
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