Archaeologists from the Jezreel Valley Regional Project say they have unearthed the remains of a 1,900-year-old camp of Legio VI Ferrata (Sixth Ironclad Legion) near the archaeological site of Tel Megiddo.
A drainage pipe found at the Legio VI Ferrata’s camp site. Image credit: Jezreel Valley Regional Project.
During the past three excavation seasons (2013-2015), the archaeologists have made a number of significant finds at the site.
They uncovered defensive trenching earthworks next to the foundations of a great wall about 20 feet (6 m) wide. They also found numerous ceramic roof tiles with the legion’s mark, Roman coins and the fragments of scale armor, and exposed rooms likely belonging to one of the barracks areas.
“During the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE), two imperial legions were stationed in the province of Judea: Legio X Fretensis in Jerusalem and Legio VI Ferrata in the north,” the archaeologists said.
“The latter was deployed between the First Jewish Revolt (67-70 CE) and the Bar-Kokhba rebellion (132-136 CE), and remained stationed in Judea through most of the 3rd century.”
“Based in the Jezreel Valley somewhere near Tel Megiddo, the Legio VI Ferrata was situated to control imperial roads, with direct access to the Galilee and inland valleys of northern Palestine – important centers of the local Jewish population.”
Jezreel Valley Regional Project archaeologists with their numismatic finds. Image credit: Jezreel Valley Regional Project.
The team also uncovered the remains of water pipes and sewer channels, and of a large building – possibly the residence of the commander of the fortress. They also located what was probably the camp’s Via Principalis (Main Street).
According to the archaeologists, the camp of Legio VI Ferrata was 984 feet (300 m) wide and 1,640 feet (500 m) long, and housed about 5,000 heavy-armed foot soldiers (legionarii).
