oa Atuatuca Tungrorum: A brief introduction

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The Roman town of Tongeren, Atuatuca Tungrorum, was founded c. 10 bc as the civitas capital of the Tungri. The early Roman phase of development of the settlement (c. 10 bc–ad 69/70) began with the construction of Wohnstallhäuser, two-aisled features combining a domestic space and a stable under the same roof. These constructions perpetuate the tradition of building and living from the pre-Roman Iron Age and reveal that the first generations of urban dwellers were members of the indigenous society. Even before the middle of the 1st century, however, the native Wohnstallhäuser were replaced by a more Romanised house type that was still raised with wood and clay. A major city fire linked to the Batavian Revolt of 69–70 put an end to this early development. The Middle Roman period (last quarter of the 1st century, 2nd and 3rd centuries) was characterised by the large scale introduction of stone building materials for both private housing and public monuments. Examples are the large temple on the northern edge of the town, and the town wall dating to the second half of the 2nd century. There is nonetheless evidence of a continued and extensive use of wood and clay. Roman Tongeren was initially thought to be a consumer city. Archaeological excavations in recent decades have revealed not only evidence of consumption, but of production based on waste associated with various crafts throughout almost all the urban area. The town burned down twice during this period. The first fire took place in the second half of the 2nd century, followed by another in the second half of the 3rd century. The town in the Late Roman period (4th and first half of the 5th century) was not only a civitas capital, but also a key military stronghold. A new town wall was raised to defend the highest part of the settlement and there is evidence of the existence of several military units of Tungri. Around the middle of the 4th century, Tongeren also served as a bishopric. The town remained inhabited until the second third of the 5th century. Wooden writing tablets, the subject of this publication, are not the only indicators that the town’s residents could read and write to a lesser or greater extent. First of all, there are inscriptions on important buildings and burial monuments, and brief descriptions of scenes depicted by wall paintings. There are likewise inscriptions on coins that circulated frequently among provincial Roman society. Texts painted or scratched on potsherds or metal ware also reveal their owner, content, weight or price. Finally, there are the remains of writing materials that occasionally come to light during excavations. Hence, those inhabitants who did not possess a minimum of literacy probably found it difficult to fully function in society.