Situated to the south of the modern village of Dalheim in southern Luxembourg, there are the remains of the ancient Gallo-Roman settlement of Ricciacum. Founded during the late 1st century B.C. or early 1st century A.D. this settlement was once an important point along the Via Agrippa, the major Roman road connecting the Mediterranean world with the Rhine River. Such connections helped the settlement flourish, attracting trade and merchants. However, the site also suffered as a result of its location. Amidst the chaos of the second half of the 3rd century A.D., which included Germanic raids into the Empire, conflicts in the East, and the threat of imperial usurpers in Gaul and Britain, Ricciacum was sacked and destroyed in a raid in ca. 275 A.D. Similar events unfolded later in 353 A.D and again in 407 A.D. This last sack seemingly prompted a collective re-assessment by the residents, who elected to abandon the area completely in search of pastures new and safe. Ricciacum thereafter fell into disuse and disrepair.