Roman Road Found
Archaeologists in the Netherlands have made an exciting discovery. A Roman road has been found near the city of Utrecht. Once part of a system of military roads long known to have been in the area, it has been very difficult to actually find the road itself. This section was actually an accidental find by a railroad company.
Known in Latin as the "limes," the road was in use from roughly A.D. 50 to A.D. 350, before it fell into disrepair and eventually disappeared underground, said archaeologist Wilfried Hessing, who is leading the excavations in Houten, about 30 miles southeast of Amsterdam.
The stretch of road discovered in Houten is believed to have connected two forts — Traiectum, which gives its name to the modern city of Utrecht, and Fectio, modern Vechten. Wooden poles were discovered at the site that were used to protect the roadsides from erosion, and experts hoped to use tree-ring counting techniques to determine the exact date they were cut, Hessing said.
"It was used for trade, but it was first and foremost part of a military strategy to guard the border," he said. With a road "you can respond more quickly, so you need fewer troops, just like today."
The road was discovered by the Dutch train company Prorail during preparations to add extra rail lines in the area. Hessing and Prorail will complete excavations of a short stretch in the coming weeks, then carry out exploratory digs to determine the road's route farther to the east, the city of Houton said in a statement.
Also found was a sign promising that road construction would be complete soon.
By Jack, Saturday, 6 January , 2007 @ 10:41 pm
Nice. I have an personal interest in archaeology, I almost became one and have been on a few expeditions as an amateur, and I am an avid student of Roman history and military strategy.
I love studying about the limes and frontier fortifications.
I found interesting the fact that the article posited the idea that the limes system allowed smaller troop forces. I’d say that was to some degree true of the Byzantines (the New Romans) but I don’t think the ancient Romans ever felt that way. To them a road system allowed easy communications, logistical support (of course), a quick supply train, access to frontier areas, allowed the locals access to Roman allies and vice versa, and was proof of civilization, trade, and engineering skill. But be that as it may it struck me as more of a modern assumption on Hessing’s part, like saying roads allow Europe to be defended by a skeleton force. If worse ever comes to worse then they’ll find out differently. The Romans responded to threats with extremely well organized and well armed Legions, not modern European police forces in camo.
Strangely enough I dated a girl from Utrecht once.
But eventually our roads went separate ways.
“Also found was a sign promising that road construction would be complete soon.”
Don’t bank on it.
By the by: “I’m looking for a full time penguin.”
Good luck. They’re almost all union.
By Gaius, Saturday, 6 January , 2007 @ 10:51 pm
Oh hell. Now they’ll want the minimum herring raised.