Archaeologists dig up a 2,000-year-old Roman roadhouse
A team of archaeologists working in Aalter, East Flanders, have discovered the remains of a Gallo-Roman roadhouse from 200 BCE
All roads lead to Rome
One such site has just been discovered in Aalter, East Flanders, close to the border with Zeeland. It was probably on a newly built Roman road from the Scheldt ports to the Roman fort at Aardenburg just over what is now the border. The site, dating from about 200 BCE, was occupied by a family who grew vegetables and raised sheep, and who also took in weary travellers, fed them and let them feed and water their animals.
Archaeologists already know that the ground around Aalter is unusually rich in remains. The site in question, according to Johan Hoorne of archaeologists De Logi & Hoorne, contains intricate pottery that comes from the other end of the Roman Empire, as well as cloak pins, the stylised head of a wild boar and the remains of iron items. The site was uncovered during the archaeological investigation that is obligatory before any major construction project can proceed. The area is intended for a housing project.
Also visible in the 1.1-hectare dig are traces of older roads, which the Romans are known to have been developing into a broader roadway.
“A roadhouse like this is extremely rare,” Hoorne said. “Apart from in Velzeke and Kerkhove, such a thing is quite unknown in contemporary Flanders.
MatthiasKabel/Wikimedia
