studies. In the course of these excavations the late Roman fortifications and a group of buildings in the adjacent area “Westergass” were discovered. By 2001, international excavation teams moved almost of earth and uncovered 470 finds, by which the course of the north wall could be precisely determined. From 2003 to 2005 École pratique des hautes études, together with the University of Freiburg and Peter-Andrew Schwarz and Caty Schucany from the University of Basel carried out excavations on the area of the Gallo-Roman temple district in Biesheim-Kunheim. Numerous new insights into ancient cult practices (modus munificendi) were gained. In front of the fort some ancient building remains of the town from the end of the first century AD, which had been destroyed by fire, were uncovered. Development The region around Biesheim has been settled since pre-Roman times. Along with Augusta Raurica (Kaiseraugst), Argentovaria was probably one of the largest oppida (caput civitatis) of the Rauraci. To keep the population under control the Romans built a simple wood-earth fortification at this strategically important site. The Roman civilian settlement did not develop around this early fort, but around the temple area from 20 AD. The wood and earth fort was founded in the 1st century AD, the late antique fort was probably built between 369 and 370 during the reign of Emperor Valentinian I (364–375) in the course of the last expansion and strengthening measures on the Rhine Limes. It belonged to a fortress belt (claustra/clausurae), which consisted of the forts Breisach / Münsterberg (Mons Brisiacum), Sasbach-Jechtingen, and Horbourg and probably also included an Alemannic fortification on the Zähringen castle hill. The wood-earth forts of the 1st century may have served as a staging area and deployment base for campaigns in the areas on the right bank of the Rhine. The duties of the garrison in Argentovaria were probably to monitor road traffic, control shipping traffic on the river, and watch over the Rhine crossing. Other activities included the observation of the barbarians on the right bank of the Rhine, daily patrols, and the transmission of messages and signals along the Limes. In the years between 259 and 260, Alemannic tribes finally overran the Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes. Then they occupied the Agri Decumates, which had been under Roman rule for more than 200 years. After the Crisis of the 3rd Century, the Romans were able to stabilize the border along the Rhine,