Saturday, 25.08.2001 - Hechingen-Stein, Germany

Here is a larger villa rustica to see which existed of a mansion, bathhouse, mill, storeroom, temple district and today no more visible buildings.

One can imagine only heavily that the today visible foundation walls were covered over in 1973 from forest.

Near the mansion it was a question of a so-called portico villa with corner projections. A part of this portico and a corner projection were reconstructed at place. This name giving front was in the south. To the north to that was a courtyard, the kitchens and in the north the living rooms. Some of these living rooms were heated.

The bathhouse in the northeast of the mansion was combined with this by a colonnade. It existed of a frigidarium, tepidarium, caldarium, praefurnium and latrines. Last ones are not interpreted surely.

The mill was in the southwest of the mansion. Here three drying kilns and two millstones were found. Since the grain was dried only in the summer, the kilns would not be the whole year required. Therefore a found stone cymbal could have served a brewery.

North of the mill a further building was laid open. The foundation walls do not approve a secure interpretation as a storeroom.

West of the mill was the temple district. Its surrounding walls were extended at a later time. The foundation walls of ten chapels were found. One was reconstructed.

North of this place the up to now only entry of the surrounding wall of the villa was found. Also a part of the paving is to be seen here still.

The villa was built of timber in the last decade of the 1st century AD. About 10 years later it was built again of stone. At the end of the 2nd century a greater conversion occurred. The colonnade to the bathhouse was built at the beginning of the 3rd century. At the latest around 260 the villa was given up.