The RGZM in the Roman Mine

Researches of the Roman-Germanic Central Museum (RGZM)

The original Roman tuff mine forms the core of the exhibition. Researched since 1998 by the Roman-Germanic Central Museum, Leibniz Research Institute for Archeology (RGZM), the mine today stands to represent the significance and productivity of the ancient and middle age tuff extraction that took place north of the Alps. Here, knowledge of the resources used, production methods, manpower, personal profits, as well the range of production, sales markets and customers from the Roman era to the late Middle Ages, can be obtained.

In addition, results of the long-term research carried out by RGZM on the Byzantine marble stone saw from Ephesus's Hanghaus 2 can now be seen on display in the Ancient World of Technology exhibition. The stone saw was used for the production of marble slabs used for the furnishing of upscale buildings. It is one of the only few known worldwide recreations of this type of machine. In collaboration with Roman Archeology, Byzantine Archeology, Technological Archeology and Experimental Archeology at the RGZM, it was reconstructed in detail and built up according to original size and is now a functioning model at the Roman Mine Meurin.

Both, the tuff mine and stone saw machine, stand for representative architecture. These set a framework for the rest of the exhibit, which stretches “from the Quarry to the Palace" and includes other machines and workshops of the construction industry. All can be seen as functional 1:1 replicas in the World of Ancient Technology at the Roman Mine Meurin. The idea of creating a technical world based the subject of construction was born from the realization that the beginning of the building industry in Central Europe started here with the Tuff mining around the Laacher See Volcano, thus initiating a profound technical and cultural change.

The first section of The World of Ancient Technology at the Roman Mine Meurin was first opened in 2015.