Discover the ancient Roman military road

Dutch archaeologists have discovered part of the military path that Roman soldiers marched through nearly 2,000 years ago, in order to defend against invading Germans on the northern border of the Roman Empire .

The road was used from 50s to 350s before it was damaged and disappeared completely underground. Archaeologist Wilfried Hessing, who led the excavation at Houten, 48km southeast of Amsterdam, said the road connects two fortresses - Traiectum (Utrecht today) and Fectio (present-day Vechten). Wooden pillars discovered in the area may have been used to prevent erosion on both sides of the road. Experts hope to use tree counting techniques to determine the exact age of these logs.

"It was later used for trade, but first it was part of a military tactic to protect the border. With this path you can react quickly so less troops are needed." .

Hessing said the road was built from clay and sand mounds about 1 meter above the surrounding fields.

Excavations at other parts of the road are also taking place in other European countries. The United Nations intends to declare this a world heritage.

Hessing said the road was built from clay and sand mounds about 1 meter above the surrounding fields. It is crushed with crushed gravel and mussel shells. The hard gravel at the top was still intact. The road is also eroded by drainage lines, so the wooden piles are propelled to reinforce the foundation.

The Romans first arrived in this part of the Netherlands under the dominance of Julius Caesar in 53 BC. According to Roman historian Tacitus, a German tribe rebelled in 69 and seized two coastal forts. Roman soldiers may have retreated east along the road to better protect the fortresses where Germany is today.

A year later, after the first defeat on a muddy battlefield near Nijmegen, the Romans reconciled with the Batavian army, the mastermind of the rebellion.

Although this road was known from medieval map copies, only a few were found intact in the Netherlands. Among the items found were a knife, saw, wooden shovel, large scissors, copper pot, clay cup, iron crowbar, leather shoe sole and a piece of wood with Roman numbers on it.

MT