Basement Stories

During excavations within the Roman legionary camp Vindobona, an unusual cellar from the 4th century came to light. With a floor area of 450 m² and a depth of 5 m, it is unique on the Roman Danube frontier.

Its function is puzzling: the layout, architecture, and finds suggest a sanctuary of the Mithras cult or a treasury. However, it could also have been a storage cellar, granary, or even a prison.

The exhibition explores various explanatory models using comparative examples and clues. Which of the possibilities is most likely? What speaks for it, what against it? And what role could the building have played in the crisis-ridden times of late antiquity?

Curatorial Team: Sophie Insulander, Michaela Kronberger, Martin Mosser, Kristina Adler-Wölfl Exhibition Graphics: Larissa Cerny