Archaeologists excavating along the Via Claudia Augusta in northern Italy uncovered a Roman-era carriage workshop — a metalworking shop that likely repaired carriages and horseshoes for travelers. The foundation, dubbed the "Mansio Endidae," yielded charcoal, metal slag, iron fragments, numerous nails and five coins dated to the 1st–3rd centuries C.E. Roof tiles stamped "Auresis," pottery and amphora fragments suggest active trade connections. The find reinforces the settlement's role as a busy posting station on a major Roman route.
Ancient Roman Carriage Workshop Unearthed Along the Via Claudia Augusta
Archaeologists excavating along the Via Claudia Augusta in northern Italy uncovered a Roman-era carriage workshop — a metalworking shop that likely repaired carriages and horseshoes for travelers. The foundation, dubbed the "Mansio Endidae," yielded charcoal, metal slag, iron fragments, numerous nails and five coins dated to the 1st–3rd centuries C.E. Roof tiles stamped "Auresis," pottery and amphora fragments suggest active trade connections. The find reinforces the settlement's role as a busy posting station on a major Roman route.
17:51, 03.11.2025Culture
Archaeologists in northern Italy have uncovered the remains of a Roman-era carriage workshop — a roadside metalworking shop that likely repaired carriages and horseshoes for travelers along the busy Via Claudia Augusta.
Discovery and context
Excavations carried out by the provincial Office of Archaeological Heritage and the Provincial Superintendence of Cultural Heritage revealed the foundation of a building, divided into two distinct sections, during preparatory work for a residential development. The structure sits on the elevated side of the ancient road and faces the travel corridor that connected northern Italy with regions now part of Austria and Germany, suggesting it served passing officials and wayfarers.
What was found
Archaeologists recovered a concentrated assemblage of metalworking debris consistent with a smithy or repair shop: a pit containing charcoal and metal slag, scattered iron fragments, and numerous nails. These finds indicate activities such as shoeing horses and repairing wheeled vehicles. In addition, the team uncovered roof tiles stamped with the maker's name "Auresis", ceramic and glass sherds, amphora fragments, and five coins.
Interpretation: a posting station service
Researchers provisionally named the structure the "Mansio Endidae", linking it to the nearby settlement historically referred to as Endidae. Combined with its prominent roadside position and the artifact assemblage, the evidence supports the interpretation that the building functioned as part of a posting station — a rest and service stop that provided repairs, supplies and support to travelers and official couriers on a major Roman route.
Significance
The discovery deepens understanding of the logistical infrastructure that supported travel and administration on the Roman road network. The stamped roof tiles may help trace trade or production networks, while the metalworking evidence gives a rare, concrete picture of the kinds of services available to travelers on the Via Claudia Augusta between the 1st and 3rd centuries C.E.
Officials say the combination of location, structural layout and material culture paints a coherent picture of a roadside repair business serving a high-traffic Roman route.
Dating: The assemblage is dated to between the 1st and 3rd centuries C.E., consistent with previous finds in the area.