The Israel Antiquities Authority reports that excavations at the foot of Tel Megiddo have uncovered the ruins of the 1,800-year-old military base of the VI Iron Legion of Rome, Ferrata.
The site reveals impressive remains of the camp’s main road, the Via Pretoria, a semicircular podium and paved areas that were part of a large public building. The VI Legion Roman Legionary Base is the only Roman military base of its size in Israel.
The Roman legion camp at Legio was a permanent military base for more than 5,000 Roman soldiers for more than 180 years, from 117–120 AD to about 300 AD, said Dr. Yotam Tepper, director of excavations at the Israel Antiquities Authority.
During archaeological work, coins, parts of weapons, ceramic shards and glass fragments were also discovered, but among the finds, tiles predominated, found in very large quantities. Some tiles are stamped with the marks of the VI Legion. It was used for various purposes: on roofs, for paving floors and cladding walls.