1. 1949 Newcastle, UK The first Congress was held in Newcastle from 11 to 14 July 1949, organised by the
University of Durham in conjunction with the
Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne and the
Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, the
Society of Antiquaries of London,
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,
Cambrian Archaeological Association and the
Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies. During the previous week, representatives of these bodies and some delegates took part in the Centenary Pilgrimage of
Hadrian's Wall. Eleven papers were published in 1952, all in English. Papers were presented by
Andreas Alföldi, Jean Baradez, Antonio Frova,
Albert Egges van Giffen, Ulrich Kahrstedt, Rudolf Laur-Belart, V E Nash-Williams, Hans Norling-Christensen, Franz Oelmann,
Anne Strachan Robertson and
Mortimer Wheeler.
2. 1955 Carnuntum, Austria The second Congress ran from 25 to 29 July 1955 in
Carnuntum with support from the Federal Ministry of Education shortly after modern
Austria had been established. It was organised by Erich Swoboda. There were speakers from 10 countries and 34 participants in total. There were representatives from Algeria, Austria,
Czechoslovakia,
France, Germany,
Hungary,
Italy, Switzerland,
Yugoslavia, and the UK. 22 papers were published in 1956 in four languages (English, German, French and Italian). They included the classic paper on Hadrianic frontier policy by Eric Birley.
3. 1957 Rheinfelden / Basel, Switzerland The third Congress ran from 26 to 31 August 1957, being organised by Rudolf Laur-Belart. It started in
Rheinfelden but located to
Basel for the main scientific event where the city and university were patrons. 20 papers were published in 1959 in four languages (
German,
English,
French and
Italian).
4. 1959 Durham, UK The fourth Congress was held in Durham from 10 to 15 September 1959, following the Pilgrimage of Hadrian's Wall (6-10 September) which was attended by many of the foreign participants. The proceedings were not published. The 89 participants came from Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United States and the UK, and included D. Baatz, E. Badian, J. Baradez, E. and A. R. Birley, J. E. Bogaers, C. M. Daniels, B. Dobson,
E. Ettlinger, Lady Fox, A. Garzetti, J. P. Gillam, M. Gichon, C. Isings, T. Ivanov, M. G. Jarrett, G. Jobey, H-J. Kellner, J. Kent, H. Klumbach, R. Laur-Belart, N. McCord, I. MacIvor, J. C. Mann (organiser), J. Mertens, J. Moreau, J. Morris, R. Nierhaus, H. von Petrikovits, H-G. Pflaum, C. W. Phillips, A. Piganiol, A. Radnoti, I. A. Richmond, A. L. F. Rivet, A. S. Robertson, L. Ruggini, P. Salway, W. Schleiermacher, H. Schönberger, K. Stade, K. A. Steer, C. E. Stevens, E. Swoboda, G. Ulbert and J. J. Wilkes. The themes were artificial frontiers and their component structures, economic development of the frontier districts, developments of the fourth century, and Rome beyond the frontiers. D. Oates gave a special lecture on Hatra as well as a paper on the frontier in Mesopotamia.
5. 1961 Yugoslavia The fifth Congress was held in several locations in the former Yugoslavia. From 11 to 16 September 1961 there was a pre-Congress excursion to Istria and Dalmatia, visiting
Ljubljana,
Poreč,
Pula,
Split,
Hvar and
Zadar. Delegates stayed in hotels and on board steamers. The main Congress ran from 17 to 23 September with delegates continuing to travel around. Lectures were given in
Celje,
Ptuj,
Zagreb,
Osijek,
Sremska Mitrovica and
Belgrade. This was followed by a post-Congress excursion to Upper Moesia from 24 to 26 September, visiting
Prahovo,
Gamzigrad,
Niš.
Justiniana Prima and
Skopje. The result was that each constituent part of Yugoslavia was visited. There were 69 participants from Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, the UK, and the USA. 19 papers were published in 1963 in three languages (English, German and French).
6. 1964 South Germany The sixth Congress took place in South Germany in September 1964, organised by Hans Schönberger and based at Arnoldshain in the Taunus. There was an excursion from 4–9 September which visited a range of sites on the
Limes from Frankfurt to
Regensburg including a three-day cruise to Regensburg. There were about 100 delegates. 27 papers were published in 1967 in three languages (German, English and French).
7. 1967 Tel Aviv, Israel The seventh Congress took place in
Tel Aviv University from 3–19 April 1967 at the initiative of
Mordecai Gichon. Supporters included the Ministry of Education, the Department of Antiquities and Museums, various local museums, the National Parks authority, the
Hebrew University Jerusalem and the
Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. Visits during the congress included
Caesarea,
Beersheba,
Masada,
Jerusalem and
Nazareth. 37 papers were published in 1971 in three languages (English, French and German).
8. 1969 Cardiff, UK The eighth Congress took place in Cardiff, Wales from 28 August - 2 September 1969, with
Michael Jarrett one of the main organisers. It was sponsored by the University of Wales and the University of Birmingham. The cost of attendance at the Congress was £50 = $120 A preliminary tour ran from 25 to 28 August, visiting sites in southern England including
Richborough,
Lympne fort,
Pevensey fort,
Fishbourne Roman Palace, Portchester (
Portus Adurni),
Badbury Rings,
Hod Hill and Bath (
Aquae Sulis). Tours during the Congress whilst based in Cardiff included
Cardiff Roman Fort,
Neath Roman fort, Blaen-cwm-bach camp, Coelbren fort,
Y Gaer,
Caerwent,
Caerleon,
Newport Museum,
Lydney Park,
Cirencester and
The Lunt. Delegates then moved north to visit
Wroxeter,
Old Oswestry,
Chester (including the
Grosvenor Museum),
Caernarfon,
Tomen y Mur,
York and the
Yorkshire Museum. After the Congress, many members took part in the Pilgrimage of
Hadrian's Wall, beginning on the evening of 7 September. En route to Newcastle they visited
Durham Cathedral. Michael Jarrett published the second edition of V. E. Nash-Williams,
The Roman Frontier in Wales (Cardiff 1969), to coincide with the Congress. There were just over 100 participants. 32 papers were published in 1974 in three languages (English, German and French).
9. 1972 Mamaia, Romania The ninth Congress was hosted in the summer resort of
Mamaia in
Constanța from 6–13 September 1972. There were so many papers offered that there were two parallel sessions for the first time, on 10–11 September, one on Archaeology and one on History. Visits were made to the Greek cities on the Black Sea coast and Adamklissi. The post-Congress tour (14-17 September) travelled by way of the Olt valley into Dacia visiting forts and museums. There were 186 participants. 57 papers were published in 1974 in three languages (French, German and English).
10. 1974 Lower Germany The tenth Congress took place in Germania Inferior, the organising committee including people from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. It was hosted in
Xanten and
Nijmegen from 13 to 19 September 1974. The pre-Congress excursion (10-13 September), travelling by ship along the Rhine, included
Mainz,
Boppard,
Koblenz, parts of the
Limes,
Bad Hönningen,
Remagen and
Neuss. During the Congress, visits included
Cologne,
Haltern am See,
Xanten and
Tongeren. The post-Congress excursion (20-23 September) included
Nijmegen,
Utrecht,
Amersfoort,
Zwammerdam,
Scheveningen, Valkenburg (
Praetorium Agrippinae),
Leiden and
Amsterdam. A handbook to the frontier in Lower Germany was produced to coincide with the Congress: J. E. Bogaers and C. B. Rüger (eds),
Der Niedergermanische Limes (Bonn 1974). At the Congress,
Eric Birley, who was unable to attend, was acclaimed honorary president for life by the Congress and the Congress proceedings were dedicated to his 70th birthday. There were about 180 participants. 67 papers in three languages (English, German and French) were published in 1977, organised by province with a short section on General Topics at the end.
11. 1976 Székesfehérvár, Hungary The 11th Congress took place in
Székesfehérvár,
Dunaújváros and
Budapest from 30 August to 6 September 1976. A pre-Congress excursion ran from 27 to 29 August starting in
Carnuntum in Austria and then moved into Hungary, visiting
Sopron,
Szombathely,
Keszthely, Fenékpuszta,
Tihany and
Veszprém. During the congress, delegates visited sites around
Komárom-Esztergom, Tokod,
Nyergesújfalu, Gorsium (
Tác),
Szentendre,
Visegrád,
Dunaújváros, and sites and museums around Budapest. The post-Congress excursion ran from 7–9 September, visiting sites including
Szekszárd,
Mohács and
Pécs. There were 156 participants. 57 papers in three languages (English, German and French) were published in 1977, organised by the geographical topic of their subject.
12. 1979 Stirling, UK The 12th Congress took place in
Stirling in Scotland from 1–9 September 1979. The pre-Congress tour was on 1 September and took delegates from
Carlisle in England to
Stirling via Burnswark (
Siege of Burnswark) and Birrens (
Blatobulgium). There was a public lecture on 2 September by
Kenneth St Joseph on 'Aerial Reconnaissance and the map of Roman Scotland' accompanied by an exhibition of photographs from Cambridge University. Visits during the congress included
Dunsinane Hill, the Cleaven Dyke,
Inchtuthil, Fendoch, Ardoch, Kaims Castle, the
Gask Ridge,
Cramond Roman Fort, the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in Edinburgh, Torwood Broch, the
Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Stirling Museum,
Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum,
Tealing Earth House,
Carpow Roman Fort, Dundee City Museum and parts of the
Antonine Wall including
Rough Castle Fort,
Croy Hill,
Bar Hill and Bearsden Bath-house. The post-Congress tour ran from
Stirling to
Newcastle upon Tyne in England via
Pennymuir Roman camps, Woden Law hillfort and High Rochester (
Bremenium). Most papers at Congresses were organised geographically and were excavation reports. Seeking to counter-balance this trend, the organisers of the 1979 Congress invited specific colleagues to provide over-views of recent work in individual provinces. A handbook was prepared for the tours: David J. Breeze,
Roman Scotland. A guide to the visible remains (Newcastle upon Tyne 1979), supplemented by David J. Breeze (ed),
Roman Scotland. Some Recent Excavations (Edinburgh 1979). Over 150 archaeologists attended with 77 papers published in three volumes and three languages (English, German and French) in 1980, arranged by Roman province with a general section at the end.
13. 1983 Aalen, Germany The 13th Congress took place in
Aalen in
Baden-Württemberg, Germany from 18 to 25 September 1983. The pre-Congress tour ran from 14 to 17 September and started in
Basel in Switzerland, also visiting the Roman site at Dangstetten, various museums, the late Roman Limes on the Upper Rhine to
Schwaderloch,
Vindonissa,
Rottweil, and other places including
Köngen and
Schwäbisch Gmünd. Tours during the congress included
Heidenheim an der Brenz,
Ellwangen Castle, various sites on the
Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes,
Walldürn,
Kastell Theilenhofen,
Gunzenhausen and
Weissenburg. The post-Congress excursion visited Roman sites in the Bavarian Danube valley on 26–27 September, including
Faimingen,
Eining,
Kelheim,
Regensburg,
Straubing and
Passau. 284 archaeologists from 20 European and overseas countries took part in the conference. There were 120 papers ranging from Britain to the Balkans, the Middle East, North Africa and Spain.
Eric Birley gave an overview of Limes Research since
Ernst Fabricius. 115 papers in 3 languages (German, English and French) were published in 1986, arranged by Roman province with a general section at the end.
14. 1986 Carnuntum, Austria The 14th Congress took place in
Carnuntum in Austria from the 14–21 September 1986. The pre-Congress excursion visited upper and lower Austria from 10 to 13 September, starting in
Wels with visits including
Linz,
Enns (town), Wallsee, Bacharnsdorf, Rossatz,
Traismauer, Tulln, Zeiselmauer and Klosterneuburg. Excursions during the Congress included
Carnuntum and its excavations and museum,
Vienna (including the
Kunsthistorisches Museum and
Austrian Academy of Sciences, Höflein Bruck, Stillfried and Niederleis. The post-Congress excursion (22-24 September) went to western Slovakia and south Moravia, visiting sites around
Bratislava,
Rusovce (Gerulata),
Iža (Celamantia),
Nitra, Tren, Musov and
Devín Castle. The handbook for the Congress was: M. Kandler and H. Vetters,
Der Roemische Limes in Oesterreich (Vienna 1986). There were over 200 archaeologists and ancient historians from 21 European and overseas countries at the conference. 104 papers were presented from around the Roman Empire, as well as papers on the cultural influences of the Roman military on local populations. 87 papers in three languages (English, German and French) were published in 1990.
15. 1989 Canterbury, UK The 15th Congress took place in
Canterbury in England from 2019 September 1989. It was attended by 190 scholars from Europe, the Americas and Middle East. 102 lectures were presented. Excursions included Canterbury,
Richborough,
Dover Castle,
Lympne, London and the
Museum of London,
Portchester Castle and
Pevensey Castle. The handbook for the Congress was: V. A. Maxfield (ed),
The Saxon Shore. A Handbook (Exeter 1989). In addition to the three geographically arranged sessions there were three thematic sessions: Roman and native in the frontier areas (following on from this topic in 1986 Carnuntum), the realities of life on the frontier, and the problems peculiar to desert frontiers. There were 190 participants. 100 papers were published in three languages (English, French and German) in the congress proceedings: all but 15 from the Congress, a couple of papers by scholars unable to attend plus reports on some of the poster displays.
16. 1995 Rolduc, Netherlands The 16th Congress took place in
Rolduc in the Netherlands from 25 to 31 August 1995. There was a long gap due to the decision to go to the (former) Yugoslavia in 1993 but political circumstances changed the situation. The pre-Congress excursion went to NW Germany in 22–25 August, visiting early military activities in Germania including Anreppen, Haltern and
Kalkriese. The post-Congress excursion (1-2 September) was late Roman sites in Gallia Belgica, visiting Belgium and France (Bavay). During the congress, delegates visited the Rhine Limes in the Netherlands, including
Nijmegen, Vechten (
Fectio),
Alphen aan den Rijn,
Zwammerdam and Roman Valkenburg. The handbook for the Congress was: T. Bechert and W. J. H. Willems,
Die Roemische Reichsgrenze zwischen Mosel und Nordsee-Kueste (Stuttgart 1995) in the Theiss series of books on Roman frontiers. The Congress committee included colleagues from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK. Over 200 people attended the Congress from 18 countries in Europe, America, Africa and the Near East. The focus was on themes rather than geographic sessions. 89 papers in three languages (English, French and German) were published in 1997. === 17. 1997
Zalău, Romania === The 17th Congress took place in
Zalău in Romania between 1–10 September 1997. It was attended by 204 delegates from Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and Africa. Over five days 106 lectures were delivered in five sections: I. general reports on the provinces; II. excavations and research on the limes; III. the Roman army and Military History; IV. the daily life of the Roman soldier; V. Romans and barbarians on the frontiers of the empire, with a special focus on the north-western borders of
Dacia Porolissensis (
Roman Dacia). The pre-Congress tour was on 30–31 August from
Aquincum (Budapest) in Hungary to
Porolissum, some 8 km from
Zalău. Excursions during the congress included numerous sites on
Dacia Porolissensis including
Porolissum,
Largiana (castra), excavations at
Romita (
Certinae), the
fort at Buciumi and various watch-towers. The post-Congress excursion was on 11 September visiting
Cluj-Napoca and
Alba Iulia. There were about 170 participants. 86 papers in three languages (English, German and French) were published in 1999.
18. 2000 Amman, Jordan The 18th Congress was held in
Amman in Jordan from 2 to 11 September 2000. This was the first time in over 50 years and 17 previous occasions that the Congress had visited an Arab country and only the second time outside Europe. The Chair of the Congress committee was
David Breeze, working with Phil Freeman from the
University of Liverpool with support from the
Council for British Research in the Levant. The Patron of the Congress was
Prince Hassan bin Talal who took a keen interest in the congress together with his daughter
Princess Sumaya bint Hassan and invited the entire Congress to a formal dinner on 6 September. Support also came from the Jordanian Department of Antiquities and the Minister of Tourism. Visits during the Congress included Roman Amman,
Azraq, Jordan, sections of the
Via Traiana Nova, Qasr Bahir and El-Lejjun. Various receptions during the congress were hosted by the British Embassy, the
Council for British Research in the Levant, the
Department of Antiquities (Jordan) and the
American Center of Oriental Research. The post-Congress excursion ran from 10 to 12 September visiting the Roman fort at Da'janiya,
Udhruh and
Petra. The handbook for the Congress was: David Kennedy,
The Roman Army in Jordan (London 2000). The Congress was attended by 250 participants from 25 countries, the largest gathering to date. The publication of the proceedings was coordinated by the
University of Liverpool with 100 papers (of the 150+ given at the congress) published in three languages (English, German and French).
19. 2003 Pécs, Hungary The 19th Congress took place in
Pécs in Hungary from 1–8 September 2003. It was organised by the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology at the
University of Pécs and the Patron was Dr
Ferenc Mádl, President of the Republic of Hungary. Almost 240 scholars from 27 countries attended the Congress with almost 150 lectures and 20 poster presentations. The focus of the presentations was by theme (Epigraphy, History; How did Frontiers actually work?; Roman Frontiers - Barbarians; Civilians on Frontiers; Material Culture of the Supply, Preparation and Consumption of Food and Drink; Soldiers and Religion; Military Architecture and Material Culture) with the remainder grouped chronologically rather than by province (Archaeological Research). The pre-Congress tour started in
Vienna, Austria, following the completion of the 14th Roman Military Equipment Conference (ROMEC) in that city. Participants visited sites in Austria, Slovakia and Hungary including
Devín Castle,
Gerulata, exhibitions of Roman carved stones and museums in
Mosonmagyaróvár,
Komárno and
Szentendre, the Roman fort at Quadrata,
Iža, Brigetio (
Szőny), Tokod and
Esztergom. During the congress, delegates visited a number of sites including
Szekszárd,
Dunaszekcső, the Wosinsky Mór Museum, Lussonium (Dunakömlőd), Intercisa (
Dunaújváros), Nagyteteny Roman fort (Campona),
Budapest and
Aquincum and the
Hungarian National Museum. Numerous Roman stones displays were visited, including at
Paks and Bölcske. One day saw the delegates go to Croatia to visit some of the sites and sculpture from
Osijek and
Ilok. Delegates also visited the World Heritage Site in Pécs itself, the early Christian monuments. The post-Congress excursion visited monuments of the
Sarmatians on the
Great Hungarian Plain and the Móra Ferenc Museum in
Szeged, The handbook was edited by Zsolt Visy:
The Roman Army in Pannonia (Pecs 2003). 99 papers in three languages (English, German and French) were published in 2005.
20. 2006 León, Spain The 20th Congress was held in
León, Spain from 4–11 September 2006. The president of honour of the Congress was His Majesty the King of Spain and the congress was organised by the Archaeological Area of the Department of Classical Studies at the University of León. 284 delegates attended the congress from 34 different countries. Almost 200 papers were read and 30 posters displayed. Themed sessions at the congress were the Internal Frontiers; the End of the Frontiers and the Barbarians in the Empire; the Spanish Experience: a role model of conquest and occupation; the Fortified Town in the Late Roman period; Soldiers on the Move; the Early Development of Frontiers. There were also regional sessions and one on the Roman army and miscellany. Excursions during the congress included to the city of
Zamora, Spain,
Astorga, Spain,
Gijón including the Campa Torres, the Roman villa of Veranes,
Las Médulas and Castro Ventosa, alongside visits to the Roman remains in the city of Leon. The pre-Congress excursion was on 2–3 September, starting in
Madrid and visiting the
Roman arch of Medinaceli,
Numantia, Peña Redonda, the
Numantine Museum of Soria, the military complex at Renieblas,
Palencia and
Saldaña, Palencia. The post-Congress excursion ran from 12 to 14 September, visiting the hillfort at Viladonga,
Lugo,
Santiago de Compostela, the fort at A Cidadela,
A Coruña including the
Tower of Hercules Roman lighthouse and the fort at Baños de Bande. Angel Morillo and Joaquin Aurrecoechea edited the handbook,
The Roman Army in Hispania, An archaeological guide (Leon 2006). 138 papers from the Congress in four languages (English, Spanish, German and French) and in three volumes were published in 2009.
21. 2009 Newcastle, UK The 21st Congress was held in
Newcastle upon Tyne from 16 to 26 August 2009. Many of the delegates first attended the 13th Pilgrimage of
Hadrian's Wall from 8 to 14 August. A pre-Congress excursion to
York took place on 16 August - this was attended by
Brenda Swinbank (Heywood) who had also attended the 1949 Congress. Visits during the Congress included
Binchester,
Piercebridge,
Whitley Castle,
Malton, North Yorkshire, the late Roman coastal 'signal station' at
Scarborough Castle, the Roman camps at Cawthorn,
Hardknott Roman Fort,
Habitancum (Risingham),
Bremenium (High Rochester),
Segedunum (Wallsend) and
Arbeia (South Shields). Delegates also visited the
Great North Museum. There were two parallel post-Congress excursions from 24 to 26 August: to Hadrian's Wall and to Roman Scotland. The
Hadrian's Wall excursion visited
Coria (Corbridge),
Cilurnum (Chesters) and
Chesters Bridge,
Carrawburgh,
Housesteads Roman Fort,
Vindolanda,
Birdoswald,
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery,
Bowness-on-Solway and various stretches of
Hadrian's Wall and the
Stanegate. Sites visited on the Roman Scotland excursion included
Trimontium (Newstead), sites on the
Antonine Wall and
Inchtuthil. The handbook for the Congress was
Paul Bidwell and Nick Hodgson,
The Roman Army in Northern England (Kendal 2009). N. Hodgson also compiled the handbook for the Pilgrimage of Hadrian's Wall, ''Hadrian's Wall 1999-2009
(Kendal 2009), and the handbook for the post-Congress tour, Roman Scotland'' (Newcastle 2009). There was a delay in publication and 105 papers were published in three languages (English, German and French) in 2017. In addition, one session on
Presenting the Roman Frontiers was published separately.
22. 2012 Ruse, Bulgaria The 22nd Congress took place in
Ruse, Bulgaria from 6–11 September 2012. During the Congress, delegates visited a number of sites on the frontier in Bulgaria, including Transmariska,
Durostorum (
Silistra),
Sexaginta Prista (
Ruse, Bulgaria), Dimum Roman fort and
Novae. The pre-congress excursion ran from 3–5 September 2012. Sites visited included the late antique and medieval site of
Cherven (fortress),
Nicopolis ad Istrum,
Veliko Tarnovo and the fortress of Tsarevets and Archaeological Museum, Sostrus,
Oescus, Pleven and the Historical Museum,
Pleven Panorama and
Storgosia. There were two post-congress excursions. The first, on 12–14 September, visited
Abritus and
Razgrad,
Madara Rider,
Shumen fortress and Historical Museum,
Kaliakra,
Balchik,
Varna and its Archaeological Museum and Roman Baths. The second was a one-day excursion on 15 September to the
Tropaeum Traiani in
Adamclisi, Romania. L. Vagalinski, N. Sharabkov and S. Torbatov (eds) prepared a special book on the Lower Danube:
The Lower Danube Roman Limes (1st-6th C. AD) (Sofia 2012). 119 papers in three languages (English, German and French) were published in 2015.
23. 2015 Ingolstadt, Germany The 23rd Congress took place in
Ingolstadt in Germany from 14 to 20 September 2015 and was organised by the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection and the German Limes Commission. Excursions during the Congress included the fort at Eining,
Weltenburg Abbey and
Regensburg. There were eight buses for the 370 delegates (from 30 countries) so for two of the days the delegates selected from a choice of tours along the Raetian Limes. Sites on these various tours included
Hesselberg,
Ruffenhofen Roman Park,
Weißenburg in Bayern, Oberhochstatt,
Theilenhofen,
Pfünz Roman Fort, Böhming, Pförring, various watch-towers, Manching and the
Oppidum of Manching. The pre-Congress excursion took place on 12–13 September and included Künzing, the Römermuseum Boiotro in Passau, the Gäubodenmuseum and
St. Peter's Church, Straubing and the
Walhalla memorial in Donaustauf. The post-Congress excursion took place from 21 to 23 September and visited the Raetian
Limes and
Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes in
Baden-Württemberg. Sites included Rainau-Buch,
Dalkingen,
Aalen,
Schwäbisch Gmünd, Mainhardt fort, Pfahldöben, Osterburken, Aschaffenburg and
Pompejanum. Suzana Matesic and Sebastian Sommer edited the handbook for the Congress,
At the Edge of the Roman Empire. Tours along the Limes in Southern Germany. As was now customary, the majority of the papers were delivered in themed sessions, with a smaller number by province and a good number of posters. Almost 150 papers were published in two volumes and in three languages (English, German and French) in 2018.
24. 2018 Viminacium, Serbia The 24th Congress took place in
Viminacium, Serbia on 2–9 September 2018 organised by the Arheološki Institut / Institute of Archaeology in Serbia. The opening session (2 September) was held in the Faculty of Philology in
Belgrade with delegates transferring to Viminacium on 3 September. At Viminacium, lectures took place in a newly constructed replica Roman fort and in a replica Roman villa known as the
Domus Scientiarum Viminacium. Delegates were housed either in Viminacium (fort and Domus) or at Silver Lake and Požarevac, travelling to Viminacium daily. There were no pre and post-Congress excursions as the delegates were able to visit the frontier in Serbia (
Pannonia and
Moesia) on three day-trips during the course of the congress, together with visits to Roman
Singidunum and the
National Museum of Serbia in
Belgrade on the first day. Excursions included the
Iron Gates,
Lepenski Vir mesolithic settlement,
Diana Fortress, (Đerdap) Kladovo, Zaječar Museum,
Gamzigrad (
Felix Romuliana), Pančevo Museum,
Novi Sad Museum of Vojvodina,
Sirmium,
Justiniana Prima, Leskovac Museum,
Mediana, Naissus and the Museum of
Niš. The handbook for the Congress was the Serbian volume in the multi-language series of books on Roman frontiers edited by David J. Breeze and Sonja Jilek: M. Korac, S. Golubovic, N. Mrdic, G. Jeremic and S Pop-Lazic,
Frontiers of the Roman Empire, Roman Limes in Serbia (Belgrade 2014). Sessions again had a thematic focus.
25. 2022 Nijmegen, The Netherlands The 25th Congress took place in
Nijmegen, in the Netherlands on 21–28 August 2022 organised by the Municipality of Nijmegen. All the lectures were in The Lindenberg and there were some 420 delegates from 35 countries making it the largest congress yet. The opening session on the 21 August featured several papers giving an overview of the Lower German Limes, newly inscribed as a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 2021. So many papers were offered that six session ran concurrently with themes including small finds, desert frontiers, river frontiers, dress, imperialism, frontier collapse, resources (organic and metals), funerary archaeology, the republic, management and digital Limes, and general and provincial sessions. There were two excursions (with eight coaches) during the congress. The first went across the border to
Germany with delegates visiting sites at Xanten and the Xanten Archaeological Park via the newly discovered Roman camps at Uedem with options to also visit the Roman fort at Meinerswijk. The second went to the Castellum Hoge Woerd in
De Meern where a Roman barge excavated at
Zwammerdam was on display in the museum. Delegates also had the option of visiting the Roman fort at
Nigrum Pullum (
Zwammerdam) or Fort Vechten. All delegates finished up at Museum Park Archeon where there was a reception with local mayors signing an agreement to work towards the creation of a Roman ship museum at the Park to house the Zwammerdam Roman barges. There wasn't a handbook produced for the Congress but delegates were treated to the latest five books in the Frontiers of the Roman Empire series created by
David Breeze and published by Archaeopress, together with a newly created History of the Congress of Roman Frontier Studies created to mark the 25th Congress in Nijmegen.
26. 2024 Batumi, Georgia The 26th Congress took place in
Batumi on the
Black Sea in
Georgia on 8–14 September 2024. It was hosted in the Shota Rustaveli State University in Batumi and organised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of Ajara together with the University of Warsaw and Ajara Museums. There were around 370 delegates from 42 countries. The opening session on the 8 September was at the Courtyard by Marriott Batumi Hotel followed by a performance of Ajara music and dance in the Batumi Summer theatre and a Georgian feast. The congress saw six sessions run concurrently over three days of lectures with themes including aspects of the frontiers and borderlands of the Roman Empire including beyond the frontier and interactions, religion and ritual, late antique, climate change, river frontiers, arms and armour, handicrafts, roads, death and burial, hoards, coins, re-evaluating older excavations, propaganda and regional sessions including one comparing the imperial frontiers of Rome, Persia and China. Delegates had choices of excursions over two days which included the Khariton Akhvlediani Museum, the Museum of Religion,
Vani archaeological site and museum and the Ethnographical Museum "Borjgalo". All delegates met on the first day at the Petra fortress and the second at the
Fort of Gonio Apsarus where they were treated to a Roman festival.
27. 2027 Rabat, Morocco The 27th congress is planned for 5 - 11 September 2027, hosted by the Institut National des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine (INSAP) in
Rabat,
Morocco. It will be the first congress to take place in north Africa. == Limes Congress Proceedings ==