'Spectacular' ancient public library discovered in Germany

[Judi Lynn]

Remains of grand building that may have housed up to 20,000 scrolls uncovered in central Cologne, dating back to second century AD

Alison Flood
Tue 31 Jul 2018 09.48 EDT

The remains of the oldest public library in Germany, a building erected almost two millennia ago that may have housed up to 20,000 scrolls, have been discovered in the middle of Cologne.

The walls were first uncovered in 2017, during an excavation on the grounds of a Protestant church in the centre of the city. Archaeologists knew they were of Roman origins, with Cologne being one of Germany’s oldest cities, founded by the Romans in 50 AD under the name Colonia. But the discovery of niches in the walls, measuring approximately 80cm by 50cm, was, initially, mystifying.

“It took us some time to match up the parallels – we could see the niches were too small to bear statues inside. But what they are are kind of cupboards for the scrolls,” said Dr Dirk Schmitz from the Roman-Germanic Museum of Cologne. “They are very particular to libraries – you can see the same ones in the library at Ephesus.”

It is not clear how many scrolls the library would have held, but it would have been “quite huge – maybe 20,000”, said Schmitz. The building would have been slightly smaller than the famed library at Ephesus, which was built in 117 AD. He described the discovery as “really incredible – a spectacular find”.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/31/spectacular-ancient-public-library-discovered-in-germany

[suffragette]

1. K&R

[BigmanPigman]

2. I am grateful it was buried underground since most of Koln/Cologne

was destroyed in WW2.

[Hekate]

7. A lot of history happens in 2,000 years. Cities can be sacked, too.

But you are right. What a find.

[hibbing]

3. Always appreciate your posts n/t

[workinclasszero]

4. Wow that's awesome

It had to be pretty deep to escape all the bombing in WW 2.

[miyazaki]

5. Wow. Seems no scrolls survived.

Was hoping to get a copy of Suetonius' lost book "Lives of Famous Whores".

I'm sure it would have been a best seller.

[burrowowl]

6. Wow!

Maybe some lost scrolls will be discovered!

[pansypoo53219]

10. science is getting better at that.

[certainot]

8. that's where we will find the secret of authoritarian power - that

modern organized religions were designed to increase sex on the wrong brain by repressing and inhibiting sex to increase frustration leading to wrong handed masturbation, leading to the irrational need for certainty, fear, greed, violent men, and the authoritarian dynamic that made the trump presidency

[bucolic_frolic]

9. OMG. Where there's knowledge, there's science

That civilization was more advanced than Sean Hannity