The Amphitheatre of Catrum Rauracense is the youngest known surviving

Roman amphitheatre Roman amphitheatres are theatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, ''venationes'' (animal slayings) and executions. About List of ...

across the entire

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

. It is located in the ancient

Roman fort In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

of ''

Castrum Rauracense Kaiseraugst ( Swiss German: ''Chäiseraugscht'') is a municipality within the district of Rheinfelden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is named after the Ancient Roman city of Augusta Raurica whose ruins are situated nearby. The p ...

'', near

Kaiseraugst Kaiseraugst (Swiss German: ''Chäiseraugscht'') is a municipality within the district of Rheinfelden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is named after the Ancient Roman city of Augusta Raurica whose ruins are situated nearby. The pref ...

, Switzerland and only ruins survive today. It is the eighth Roman amphitheatre discovered in Switzerland to date. The fort was built around 300 AD, and the amphitheatre also dates to the fourth century, shortly before the

collapse of the Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vas ...

and local Germanic tribes moved into the area; the amphitheatre was extant by around 337 to 341 AD based on coins found at the site. It was built on the site of a Roman quarry and is roughly long and wide. A

boathouse A boathouse (or a boat house) is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. describing the facilities These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats ...

was planned to be built on the site, and the ruins of a Roman quarry were expected to be found. Excavations by the Aargau Canton Archaeology Department, led by Jakob Baerlocher, began on the site in December 2021 and the amphitheatre was discovered instead, with parts of the gates and side entrances complete with preserved sandstone threshold and parts of the interior walls coated with plaster being uncovered. The remains of the amphitheatre will be left ''

in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...

'' and the boathouse will be built above the ruins, with a glass viewing platform to observe the ruins.

References

Roman amphitheatres {{switzerland-stub