Excavations take place at the LVR Archaeological Park almost all year round. The research findings enrich our understanding of the Roman city with ever new insights. They form the basis for the reconstructions and all the exhibition areas in the park and in the LVR-RömerMuseum.
As Colonia Ulpia Traiana is the only Roman city north of the Alps that was hardly built on after antiquity, its remains lie only a few centimetres below ground level and are therefore easily accessible for research. This fact makes Xanten a research location of international importance; only here is it possible to study an entire Roman city. Despite the latest technologies, excavations are still necessary. Current projects show that even the most advanced technologies cannot fully reveal the treasures hidden in the ground. The results of the excavations are then published in the Xantener Berichten.
APX Archaeological Team
The LVR Archaeological Park Xanten is committed to three tasks: researching, preserving and opening up the archaeological monument Colonia Ulpia Traiana to a wide audience. The APX's Bodendenkmalpflege office has its own team of archaeologists who carry out excavations in the park almost all year round. And there is still a lot to do, because less than 20 per cent of the Roman city has been excavated so far. However, the team's work is of great importance to the LVR Archaeological Park, because without their very hard work, a scientifically sound reconstruction of the Archaeological Park would not have been possible.
International Archaeological Summer Academy Xanten (IASX)
Supervised by Sabine Leih M.A.; excavation management changes annually
Since 2008, Insula 38 has been hosting the International Archaeological Summer Academy Xanten for eight weeks each year. Every summer, thirty students from several European countries examine the remains of Roman houses from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Living quarters and evidence of craftsmen's workshops have been found in the houses. In the front area facing the street, the remains of hearths were found, among other things. In the rear area facing the interior of the insula, the traces of construction are much sparser; gardens or small stables may have been located there, which are difficult to detect using archaeological methods.
Archaeological fieldwork by the Archaeological Institute of the University of Cologne and the Radboud Institute for Culture & History of the University of Nijmegen
Since 2023, archaeological fieldwork has been carried out at Insula 22, one of the suburbs of the Roman city, by the Archaeological Institute of the University of Cologne and the Radboud Institute for Culture & History of the University of Nijmegen. Once a year, 16 students from the two universities come together and spend four weeks excavating the remains at Insula 22. During the archaeological fieldwork, the students not only learn how to work in the field, but also how to wash the finds and how everything should be documented.