Roman city discovery near St. Pantaleon-Erla, Austria

Researchers have identified the remains of a previously unknown Roman city near St. Pantaleon-Erla in Lower Austria, situated along the Danube. The discovery was made through geophysical investigations rather than large-scale excavation, using measurements from GeoSphere Austria to map structures beneath agricultural land.

The site covers approximately 25 to 30 hectares and features a planned urban layout with a regular network of streets and graveyards. A significant finding is a large amphitheater with a capacity for roughly 8,000 spectators, a scale comparable to the amphitheater at Carnuntum.

An interdisciplinary team, including experts from the University of Innsbruck and the Forum Danube Limes, suggests the settlement may be the ancient city of Claudivium, mentioned by the geographer Claudius Ptolemy. Current research indicates the settlement was inhabited from approximately 80 AD to 180 AD.