Roman or Gaulic: Orientation as a Footprint of Cultural Identity?

The towns of Aventicum (Avenches, Switzerland) and Augusta Raurica (Augst, Switzerland) were the main

Roman towns of the Civitas Helvetiorum in the province of Gallia Belgica (and later shifted to Germania

Superior). Both were probably founded ex-nihilo, the first at the time of Claudius (mid first century AD), the

second by Caius Munatius Plancus around 44 BC andwas refounded soon after the 15 BC . The layout of

both towns conforms to all Roman standards with a city grid in orthogonal shape and with several public

buildings to hail the splendor of Roman society. Also the orientation of such grid seems to conform to most

Roman standards. The archaeoastronomical study of both cities is contextualised following two paths.

Firstly, we consider the orientation of the layout of some other regional Roman foundations as Vesontio

(Besançon, France), Iulia Equestris (Nyon, Switzerland), Forum Claudii (Martigny, Switzerland), and

Vindonissa (Windisch, Switzerland).

Secondly, we realize that the temples of this cities seem to break the general layout in both towns: these

appear to bear orientations skewed several degrees with respect to the general grid. In both cases a Roman

theater seems to feature some kind of relation with the temple as in other areas in the Roman Empire.

Notably, the orientation of these temples share similarities to other sacred precincts in the area possibly built

prior to the Roman conquest.

This duality in orientations, with a city grid with an orientation different to that of some of the main public

buildings may be a witness to a period when a compromise, negotiation, or resistance either implicit or

explicit, took place between conquered and conquerors. Interestingly, similar cases have recently been

reported in the Roman towns of Augusta Treverorum (present day Trier, Germany) or Augustodum

(modern day Autun, France).

Orientation. Archaeoastronomy. Roman Towns. Switzerland. Augusta Raurica. Aventicum.