Archaeological Museum

The Danube Region, included in the program, has been inhabited by many nations and ethnic groups throughout history, leaving their traces in the land over the past 1,500 years. The goal of the "Following the Footsteps of the Legionaries" project is to raise public awareness about prehistoric and early historical periods, the Roman Empire, and the Middle Ages, through the life of the Roman legionary Marcus Longinus, whose grave was discovered in Leithaprodersdorf. The project’s outcomes include the creation of an educational cycling route between the Roman camp in Iža-Leanyvári (Latin: Celemantia) in the Komárno district and the rural settlement from the Roman period in Leithaprodersdorf, as well as the presentation of archaeological research results in the form of an exhibition, a professional brochure titled Two Countries – Eight Destinations, a brochure for cyclists, informational panels, and a website about the project.

The exhibition at the Slovak National Museum – Archaeological Museum focuses on the pre-Roman period (Iron Age) and the Roman era. It presents finds from tumuli of the older Iron Age-Hallstatt period from Blatná na Ostrove, Dunajská Lužná – Nové Košariská, and Dolné Janíky. The finds from the younger Iron Age are related to the Celts, who inhabited the region before the arrival of the Germans and Romans. The main part of the exhibition is dedicated to the Roman period, showcasing finds from the Roman camp Gerulata and from Germanic sites from the Roman era. Notable highlights include finds from the so-called “princely” graves of the Germanic elite from Zohor and Vysoká pri Morave, displayed for the first time in their entirety. The collection is complemented by video documentaries and 3D visualizations related to the research.

Publications related to the project include a bilingual professional brochure for the general public with a deeper interest in history, architecture, and archaeological sites from selected locations. Here, readers will find information about Bratislava Castle, St. Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava, the Reformed Church in Šamorín, Devin Castle, as well as four historical sites in Austria. A second brochure, aimed at cyclists, includes a map and descriptions of individual thematic stops: in Iža, Komárno, Veľký Meder, Blatná na Ostrove, Šamorín, the museums in Bratislava, St. Martin's Cathedral, and Devin Castle, from the perspective of archaeological finds at these locations. The brochure is available in both Slovak and German and includes an illustrated appendix, as well as a list of 90 archaeological sites and important historical monuments along the route.

Another outcome of the project is the creation and marking of a 240 km long educational archaeological-historical cycling route, linking the Roman camp in Iža-Leanyvári (Latin: Celemantia) in the Komárno district and the rural settlement from the Roman period in Leithaprodersdorf (Austria). These two locations are connected by the figure of the Roman legionary Marcus Vinnius Longinus, who, after being discharged from the army in Celemantia, was granted land near Leithaprodersdorf as a reward for his 25 years of military service. He lived there until his death and was buried in the area. His story was pieced together by archaeologists from the inscription on his tombstone, which was found in Leithaprodersdorf. Cyclists will follow the route that veteran Longinus traveled 2,000 years ago, guided by cycle markings.

The educational value of the cycling route is enhanced by informational panels (23 in Austria and 5 in Slovakia), which introduce tourists to military service in the legion, as well as the logistics of military units stationed along the Danube frontier. At the same time, they showcase the vast cultural heritage of the Roman Empire, as revealed by archaeological research at the forward Roman camp Celemantia in Iža, the southern Bratislava camp Gerulata in Rusovce, the Archaeological Museum in Bratislava, the Roman legionary camp in Carnuntum, and civilian settlements built near the frontier.

The exhibition is one of the outcomes of the project by the Slovak National Museum – Archaeological Museum and the municipality of Leithaprodersdorf (Austria, Burgenland), funded by the INTERREG V-A Slovakia – Austria 2014-2020 program.