In the Netherlands, Volunteer Archaeologists Find Roman Temple Complex
The site was likely used by soldiers near the Roman Empire’s northern border
Elizabeth Djinis
Daily Correspondent
Archaeologists continue to dig around the Roman temple complex in the Netherlands. ©RAAP
July 1, 2022
Archaeologists have discovered a roughly 2,000-year-old Roman temple complex in the Netherlands, Dutch officials announced this month. The site is located not far from the Roman Limes in Germany, which once marked a northern boundary of the Roman Empire.
The complex was found at a site used for clay extraction, reports Deutsche Welle’s Rebecca Staudenmaier. Volunteer archaeologists had first discovered artifacts there in 2021 and contacted authorities, who began a full excavation.
Since then, researchers have found remnants of at least two temples that date to between the first and fourth centuries C.E. The first is a Gallo-Roman structure with colorful painted frescoes and a tiled roof. Located several feet away is a second, smaller temple, also boasting frescoes.
The archaeologists also uncovered spears, lances, military armor and horse harnesses nearby, leading them to conclude that the site was used primarily by soldiers, per Deutsche Welle. (In addition, the roof tiles found at the site were typically made by the military at the time.)
More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-roman-temples-on-military-complex-discovered-in-the-netherlands-180980353/