Archaeologists discover Roman Army Camp in the Netherlands—15 Miles Beyond the Empire’s Northern Border.

About 2,000 years ago, the powerful Roman Empire established a boundary at the northern edge of its territory in continental Europe: the Lower German Limes, which stretched across the Rhine River in present-day Germany and the Netherlands.

But the Romans’ movements weren’t limited by their border. About 15 miles north of the Limes, researchers have identified the remains of a 22-acre Roman military camp in a forested area near the village of Hoog Buurlo. The camp features a ditch, a nearly ten-foot-wide defensive wall and several entrances, according to a statement from Utrecht University.

Stevens is the principal investigator for the research project “Constructing the Limes,” a collaboration between Dutch scholars who aim to learn more about how the Lower German Limes functioned. Per the statement, the recently discovered campsite was likely a “temporary marching camp,” where Roman soldiers stayed for only a few days or weeks during long movements. It may have served as a pit stop on the route to a nearby camp at Ermelo-Leuvenum, which is about a day’s walk away.

Source: www.smithsonianmag.com

Share: