The people of Carnuntum: Craftsmen for Rome's legions
On the first weekend in May, antiquity comes back to life in Carnuntum. The inhabitants of Carnuntum once again move into the Roman quarter, embodied by cultural mediators from the Roman town, so that visitors can ask the inhabitants all their questions about ancient Carnuntum.
A special focus is placed on the Roman crafts of antiquity, this time using the example of Carnuntum's shield-making industry. Shields were the central defensive instrument of the legionaries, served as an active weapon in close combat and were also an expression of Roman order, discipline and military identity.
On these two days, you will meet people who are directly or indirectly strongly influenced by this shield workshop. You will walk through the houses and streets of the Roman city and can certainly be persuaded to have a chat or two during the guided tours or during the individual visit. Or rather, some don't need to be persuaded at all...
Evidence of a state shield workshop (fabrica scutaria) in Carnuntum can be found from late antiquity. This facility is documented in the Notitia dignitatum, a late Roman state manual that documents the civil and military structures of the empire around 400 AD. In addition to the command of the Danube fleet (praefectus classis Histricae), the Carnutensis scutaria is also listed there.
Please note: Experience shows that guided tours at the weekend sell out quickly. We therefore ask you to book them in advance. Admission can be purchased separately at the ticket office or in the webshop.
Matron Ulpia
Matron Ulpia lives in the villa and enjoys showing visitors around her elegant home. However, she is in the process of moving because the area is simply unacceptable. The shield workshop in the camp stinks terribly, and the workers, whether slaves, freedmen or soldiers, have no manners, are constantly drunk and rowdy. The streets are congested because something is constantly being delivered or taken away. She has bought a new villa in Vienna - where there is no industry and it is nice and quiet - and is thinking about what she will take with her and whether she will transport it by road or by ship. Perhaps visitors can advise her on what to take with her and whether the roads are safe?
Potter Aemilia
The potter trades in oil lamps and tries to find buyers. She is also happy to explain to visitors the steps involved in making lamps or show them how to make the molds. She is not happy about the shield workshop: the workers and soldiers there are so badly paid that they cannot afford the oil lamps, and the richer customers move away from the city because they do not want to live in a polluted industrial zone. The many recent wars have also affected their oil supply, and they are considering emigrating to Italy because there are still enough customers for their lamps there.
Officer and scribe
The officer has been sent by his legion from Cologne to organize the next shield delivery. Unfortunately, he can't find out who is responsible for his order, so he wanders around the city with his scribe and asks visitors where he can find the shield workshop. Once he has found the workshop, he grumbles about the quality of the shields, the delivery conditions, delivery times, etc.
The scribe
The scribe is also from Cologne and accompanies his officer. He is a contract specialist and is supposed to discuss the details of the next delivery. He is annoyed that the papyrus supply is not working and so he has to switch to parchment or wax tablets.
Tickets
Admission tickets and guided tour tickets for The People of Carnuntum (April 5 and 6, 2025) correspond to the regular admission and guided tour tickets and are now available in our webshop. The NÖ-Card is valid on these days at the normal conditions (one admission per season and card).