Archaeologists from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation have uncovered the remains of a rare circular Roman tomb near Wolkertshofen in Upper Bavaria's Eichstätt district, Germany. The find was made during construction work for a stormwater retention basin in the autumn of 2024. The site lies within a protected archaeological zone where traces of ancient settlements were already known.
The structure consists of a carefully built stone circle about twelve meters (39 feet) in diameter, with a square annex attached to its southern side measuring roughly two by two meters (6.5 by 6.5 feet). Researchers believe the annex once supported a stele or statue that marked the center of the monument.
No human bones or grave goods were found inside the structure. Archaeologists interpret the site as a cenotaph -- a symbolic tomb built for someone buried elsewhere. Such monuments were common in the Roman world, allowing families to honor loved ones who died far from home through local rituals and memorial ceremonies.
"The discovery of a funerary monument of such scale here was unexpected," said Prof. Mathias Pfeil, General Conservator at the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation. He noted that the tomb lay directly along an important Roman road and likely served as both a memorial and a visible expression of social status.
The tumulus stands beside a Roman road that once connected Nassenfels with the Altmühl Valley -- one of the main transport routes in the Roman province of Raetia. The province covered much of southern Germany as well as parts of Switzerland and Tyrol.
Not far from the burial site, archaeologists have also identified a villa rustica, a Roman rural estate thought to have belonged to a wealthy landowner. The proximity of the villa and the tomb suggests that the monument may have been built to commemorate a member of the local elite.
Excavations revealed traces of much earlier occupation, including pottery fragments and remains from Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age settlements. The discoveries show that the area was inhabited for thousands of years and continued to hold cultural and ritual importance across different eras.
Burial mounds were a long-standing Roman tradition, combining Mediterranean architectural models with older Central European customs. They first appeared in the northwestern provinces during the first century CE. In some cases, Romans reused prehistoric barrows to create symbolic links with earlier, possibly Celtic, traditions.
Stone tumuli of this size are extremely rare in Raetia, making the Wolkertshofen discovery a significant contribution to the study of Roman Bavaria. The monument's precise craftsmanship and location along a major road reflect both the technical skill and social ambitions of its builders.
Archaeologists will now examine soil samples and building materials to confirm the monument's exact age and determine whether it was used in multiple phases. Experts say the Wolkertshofen tomb is of exceptional importance for understanding how Roman communities in Bavaria expressed identity, memory, and social standing through monumental architecture.