792 or 793? Charlemagne’s canal project: craft, nature and memory
Lukas Werther|Jinty Nelson|Franz Herzig|Johannes Schmidt|Stefanie Berg|Peter Ettel|S. Linzen|Christoph Zielhofer
In autumn 793, Charlemagne visited the fossatum magnum (the ‘big ditch’ or canal) between Rhine and Danube. Excavations, dendrochronology a re‐reading of Carolingian Annals shed new light on chronology setting this canal, which was planned in 792, initiated abandoned later that year. The abandonment is attested by both written archaeological evidence. different versions annals offer unique opportunity for comparison with record. Evidence works Vitruvius circulated court suggests Charlemagne’s advisers were drawing classical tradition when they pitched idea digging canal .
Early Medieval Europe