Excavations near the ancient frontier city of Carnuntum in modern-day Austria have brought to light a Roman legionary training facility (campus) dating to the 2nd century CE. The site includes a large wooden-floored hall where soldiers practiced combat maneuvers. Remarkably, researchers found a cache of wooden practice swords (rudes) and wicker shields, which were weighted to be heavier than real combat gear to build the strength of recruits.
This discovery provides a unique look at the daily drills and military pedagogy used to maintain the discipline of the imperial legions. The presence of a small shrine dedicated to Mars within the barracks suggests that spiritual rituals were deeply integrated into the physical training of the Roman soldiers stationed along the Danube frontier.