Roman Temple to Mars Unearthed Near Kapersburg in Hesse

Archaeologists from the Hessian State Office for Monument Preservation announced the unearthing of a Roman temple dedicated to Mars in the Taunus forest of Hesse. The find occurred during the third excavation season led by archaeologist Dr. Kai Mückenberger and excavation director Manuel Pieper MA. The temple, dated to roughly 1,800 years ago, was located near the well-preserved Roman fort of Kapersburg, part of the Upper German-Raetian Limes. Excavators recovered two inscribed votive stones, a statuette of the goddess Victoria, fragments of a statue of Mars, an antique fibula, and handmade pottery. The presence of the fibula and pottery marks the first archaeological evidence of post-Roman activity at the site, linked to the Alemanni confederation.

The Jerusalem PostIn Germany, archaeologists found a 1,800-year-old temple to Mars, the god of war, and a statue of the goddess of victory

The fort at Kapersburg hosted the auxiliary unit Numerus Nidensium for about 150 years before the settlement was abandoned during the Limesfall. The surrounding civilian settlement (vicus) featured extensive craft activity, including a forge, and displayed Roman road traces and terracing that allow researchers to reconstruct its layout. Layers of later residential buildings indicate that the Romans deliberately leveled the original site before it was re-occupied.

The Jerusalem Post

University of Frankfurt scholars headed by Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz are analyzing the votive stones to interpret their inscriptions. Earlier work by Scholz helped translate a 2025 stone now displayed at the Wehrturm Museum in Rosbach vor der Höhe. The temple’s preservation is described as “unparalleled in Hesse” because the area has never been cultivated, a condition that has protected the stratigraphy. The discovery adds concrete evidence of religious practice within Roman military settlements on the empire’s frontier.

The Jerusalem Post

Dr. Mückenberger explained that an ancient inscription found on site confirmed the dedication of the sanctuary to Mars. He noted that the assemblage of Mars-related statuary and the Victoria figurine will enhance understanding of the spiritual life of Roman soldiers and their families stationed at frontier forts.

In Germany, archaeologists found a 1,800-year-old temple to Mars, the god of war, and a statue of the goddess of victory

• “Here we have layers of preservation that are unparalleled in Hesse, precisely because no agriculture has taken place here,” — Dr. Kai Mückenberger

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