Archaeologists working ahead of the construction of the new A8 Alb ascent have uncovered a significant section of one of southwestern Germany’s oldest Roman roads, offering fresh insights into the region’s ancient transport network and frontier history.
Since August 2025, the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments (LAD) at the Stuttgart Regional Council has been carrying out extensive archaeological investigations across the Swabian Alb plateau before work begins on the new motorway. On 29 July 2026, the LAD revealed the latest discoveries made near Drackenstein by the archaeological consortium fodilus and ArchaeoBW.
The excavations have exposed approximately 90 metres of the historic Alblimes Road, a key Roman route linking Rottweil with Heidenheim an der Brenz. Dating back to the reign of Emperor Vespasian in the 1st century AD, the road is regarded as one of the oldest in present-day Baden-Württemberg.
Constructed using locally sourced white Jurassic limestone from the Swabian Alb, the road formed a vital part of the infrastructure supporting the newly established Roman province of Germania Superior. Together with nearby forts and settlements, it facilitated military movement, trade and communication while marking the frontier between the Roman Empire and the independent Germanic territories for more than a century.
Dr René Wollenweber, the LAD’s project manager for linear infrastructure projects, said the discoveries deepen understanding of one of Baden-Württemberg’s earliest transport routes.
“These finds shed light on the origin, significance and use of one of the oldest roads in Baden-Württemberg. The excavations demonstrate that the construction of modern transport routes, accompanied by the preservation of historical monuments, is not only essential for the region’s current development but also enriches our knowledge of the evolution of the cultural landscape and the cultural heritage of Baden-Württemberg.”
The Swabian Alb, a 200-kilometre-long limestone plateau stretching from the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen to the Nördlinger Ries, played a strategic role in Rome’s frontier defence during the 1st century AD. The Alblimes frontier system consisted primarily of forts, including those at Urspring and Donnstetten, connected by the Alblimes Road across the plateau.
For many years, historians inferred the existence of the Alblimes from its strategic importance, but archaeological excavations during the 19th and 20th centuries confirmed its presence. Today, the frontier system is recognised as a cultural monument of national significance.
Excavations at the Drackenstein site are expected to continue until the end of 2026, with archaeologists hoping to uncover further evidence of the Roman frontier landscape before motorway construction progresses.
Header Image Credit : Dr. René Wollenweber, LAD
Sources : State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments (LAD)
