The Congress of Roman Frontier Studies or Limes Congress is one of the most important conferences on archaeology in Europe. The conference takes place on a triennial basis, although there have been some exceptions. The first congress was held in Durham in 1949; the most recent one took place in Batumi, Georgia, in 2024.
History of the Congress of Roman Frontier Studies On the initiative of Eric Birley, about 20 archaeologists and historians assembled at King's College, Newcastle, then part of Durham University in 1949. Speakers included famous archaeologists like Sir Mortimer Wheeler, Andreas Alföldi and Franz Oelmann. Plans to establish regular meetings of British and international academics were developed as early as the late 1920s, when Birley met Ernst Fabricius and his assistant Kurt Stade from the German Reichs-Limeskommission. World War II, however, prevented a realisation of a planned meeting in 1940.
The intention was to hold the second Congress in Algeria in 1954 to enable Colonel Jean Baradez to show parts of the Fossatum Africae but the death of Louis Leschi, then Director of Antiquities in Algeria, made it impossible to organise the Congress. However, some Roman frontiers scholars were able to visit Baradez's excavations at Gemellae in April of that year.Eric Birley 'Twenty Years of Limesforschung' in Eric Birley, Brian Dobson and Michael Jarrett (eds) Roman Frontier Studies 1969 (Cardiff 1974), 1-4.
Since 1949, the congress has been hosted by 14 different countries including the non-European countries of Israel (1967) and Jordan (2000) as well as the eastern Black Sea coast in Georgia in 2024. In terms of size, the Limescongress has developed from about 20 participants and 11 papers in 1949 to over 400 participants presenting over 200 papers in the year 2022, when the 25th conference was held in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Great Britain hosted the Congress of Roman Frontier Studies six times and Germany has hosted it four times. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 congress in Nijmegen, Netherlands, was moved to 2022. The most recent meeting took place in Batumi, Georgia from September 8 to 14, 2024, returning to the initial three-year cycle. The next Congress is due to be held in 2027 in Rabat, Morocco.
The Organisation of the Congress
The idea of the Congress was the brain child of Eric Birley and Kurt Stade, but the first meeting was prevented by the start of the Second World War. Birley, therefore, organised the first Congress in 1949 by himself. Thereafter, the tradition grew that those archaeologists who had organised a Congress formed an informal committee that received proposals for the location of future meetings. This arrangement has continued to this day. At the end of each Congress a plenary session hears the proposal (sometimes proposals) for the next location and votes on the nomination. A local group, with support from the international committee, then organises the next Congress. This informality extends to the election of the international chair(s) of the Congress. For many years the Congress was co-Chaired by Professors David Breeze and Siegmar von Schnurbein, with von Schnurbein stepping down when he retired (2006) and Breeze continuing in the role. David Breeze stepped down in Ingolstadt in 2015 and Dr Rebecca Jones and Dr Andreas Thiel were then elected by the whole Congress at the closing plenary session. These informal arrangements have served the Congress well over the last 70 years.
Past Congresses 1. 1949 Newcastle, UK
The first Congress was held in Newcastle from 11 to 14 July 1949, organised by the University of Durham in conjunction with the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, the Society of Antiquaries of London, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Cambrian Archaeological Association and the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies. During the previous week, representatives of these bodies and some delegates took part in the Centenary Pilgrimage of Hadrian's Wall.
Eleven papers were published in 1952, all in English.Eric Birley, Introduction. In: E. Birley, The Congress of Roman Frontier Studies 1949 (Durham 1952) v-vii. Papers were presented by Andreas Alföldi, Jean Baradez, Antonio Frova, Albert Egges van Giffen, Ulrich Kahrstedt, Rudolf Laur-Belart, V E Nash-Williams, Hans Norling-Christensen, Franz Oelmann, Anne Strachan Robertson and Mortimer Wheeler.
2. 1955 Carnuntum, Austria
The second Congress ran from 25 to 29 July 1955 in Carnuntum with support from the Federal Ministry of Education shortly after modern Austria had been established. It was organised by Erich Swoboda. There were speakers from 10 countries and 34 participants in total.Hans Schönberger, 'Eröffnungsansprache zum 13. Limeskongreß in Aalen 1983' in C. Unz (ed.) Studien zu den Militärgrenzen Roms III (Stuttgart 1986), 15-16.
There were representatives from Algeria, Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, and the UK. 22 papers were published in 1956 in four languages (English, German, French and Italian).Erich Swoboda, Carnuntina, Römische Forschungen in Niederösterreich (Graz-Köln 1956) They included the classic paper on Hadrianic frontier policy by Eric Birley.
3. 1957 Rheinfelden / Basel, Switzerland
The third Congress ran from 26 to 31 August 1957, being organised by Rudolf Laur-Belart. It started in Rheinfelden but located to Basel for the main scientific event where the city and university were patrons.
20 papers were published in 1959 in four languages (German, English, French and Italian).Rudolf Laur-Belart (eds), Limes-Studien, Vorträge des 3. Internationalen Limes-Kongresses in Rheinfel den/ Basel 1957, Verlag des Institutes für Ur- und Frühgeschichte der Schweiz Rheinsprung 20 (Basel 1959)
4. 1959 Durham, UK
The fourth Congress was held in Durham from 10 to 15 September 1959, following the Pilgrimage of Hadrian's Wall (6-10 September) which was attended by many of the foreign participants. The proceedings were not published.
The 89 participants came from Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United States and the UK, and included D. Baatz, E. Badian, J. Baradez, E. and A. R. Birley, J. E. Bogaers, C. M. Daniels, B. Dobson, E. Ettlinger, Lady Fox, A. Garzetti, J. P. Gillam, M. Gichon, C. Isings, T. Ivanov, M. G. Jarrett, G. Jobey, H-J. Kellner, J. Kent, H. Klumbach, R. Laur-Belart, N. McCord, I. MacIvor, J. C. Mann (organiser), J. Mertens, J. Moreau, J. Morris, R. Nierhaus, H. von Petrikovits, H-G. Pflaum, C. W. Phillips, A. Piganiol, A. Radnoti, I. A. Richmond, A. L. F. Rivet, A. S. Robertson, L. Ruggini, P. Salway, W. Schleiermacher, H. Schönberger, K. Stade, K. A. Steer, C. E. Stevens, E. Swoboda, G. Ulbert and J. J. Wilkes.
The themes were artificial frontiers and their component structures, economic development of the frontier districts, developments of the fourth century, and Rome beyond the frontiers. D. Oates gave a special lecture on Hatra as well as a paper on the frontier in Mesopotamia.
5. 1961 Yugoslavia
The fifth Congress was held in several locations in the former Yugoslavia. From 11 to 16 September 1961 there was a pre-Congress excursion to Istria and Dalmatia, visiting Ljubljana, Poreč, Pula, Split, Hvar and Zadar. Delegates stayed in hotels and on board steamers. The main Congress ran from 17 to 23 September with delegates continuing to travel around. Lectures were given in Celje, Ptuj, Zagreb, Osijek, Sremska Mitrovica and Belgrade. This was followed by a post-Congress excursion to Upper Moesia from 24 to 26 September, visiting Prahovo, Gamzigrad, Niš. Justiniana Prima and Skopje. The result was that each constituent part of Yugoslavia was visited.
There were 69 participants from Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, the UK, and the USA. 19 papers were published in 1963 in three languages (English, German and French).Grga Novak (eds) Quintus Congresses Internationalis Limitis Romani Studiosorum, Acta et Dissertationes Archaelogicae III (Zagreb 1963)
6. 1964 South Germany
The sixth Congress took place in South Germany in September 1964, organised by Hans Schönberger and based at Arnoldshain in the Taunus. There was an excursion from 4–9 September which visited a range of sites on the Limes from Frankfurt to Regensburg including a three-day cruise to Regensburg. There were about 100 delegates.
27 papers were published in 1967 in three languages (German, English and French).Hans Schönberger (ed.) Studien zu den Militärgrenzen Roms, Vorträge des 6 Internationalen Limeskongresses in Suddeutschland, Beihefte der Bonner Jahrbucher Band 19 (1967)
7. 1967 Tel Aviv, Israel
The seventh Congress took place in Tel Aviv University from 3–19 April 1967 at the initiative of Mordecai Gichon. Supporters included the Ministry of Education, the Department of Antiquities and Museums, various local museums, the National Parks authority, the Hebrew University Jerusalem and the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. Visits during the congress included Caesarea, Beersheba, Masada, Jerusalem and Nazareth.
37 papers were published in 1971 in three languages (English, French and German).Shimon Applebaum (ed.) Roman Frontier Studies 1967 (Tel Aviv 1971)
8. 1969 Cardiff, UK
The eighth Congress took place in Cardiff, Wales from 28 August - 2 September 1969, with Michael Jarrett one of the main organisers. It was sponsored by the University of Wales and the University of Birmingham. The cost of attendance at the Congress was £50 = $120
A preliminary tour ran from 25 to 28 August, visiting sites in southern England including Richborough, Lympne fort, Pevensey fort, Fishbourne Roman Palace, Portchester (Portus Adurni), Badbury Rings, Hod Hill and Bath (Aquae Sulis). Tours during the Congress whilst based in Cardiff included Cardiff Roman Fort, Neath Roman fort, Blaen-cwm-bach camp, Coelbren fort, Y Gaer, Caerwent, Caerleon, Newport Museum, Lydney Park, Cirencester and The Lunt. Delegates then moved north to visit Wroxeter, Old Oswestry, Chester (including the Grosvenor Museum), Caernarfon, Tomen y Mur, York and the Yorkshire Museum. After the Congress, many members took part in the Pilgrimage of Hadrian's Wall, beginning on the evening of 7 September. En route to Newcastle they visited Durham Cathedral.
Michael Jarrett published the second edition of V. E. Nash-Williams, The Roman Frontier in Wales (Cardiff 1969), to coincide with the Congress.
There were just over 100 participants. 32 papers were published in 1974 in three languages (English, German and French).Eric Birley, Brian Dobson and Michael Jarrett (eds) Roman Frontier Studies 1969 (Cardiff 1974)
9. 1972 Mamaia, Romania
The ninth Congress was hosted in the summer resort of Mamaia in Constanța from 6–13 September 1972. There were so many papers offered that there were two parallel sessions for the first time, on 10–11 September, one on Archaeology and one on History. Visits were made to the Greek cities on the Black Sea coast and Adamklissi. The post-Congress tour (14-17 September) travelled by way of the Olt valley into Dacia visiting forts and museums.
There were 186 participants. 57 papers were published in 1974 in three languages (French, German and English).D M Pippidi (ed.) Actes du IXe Congrès International d'études sur les Frontières Romaines (Bucuresti 1974)
10. 1974 Lower Germany