Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a ‘year 0’ man while excavating an ancient Roman site in Netherlands.
The 2,000-year-old tomb, which belonged to a soldier named Flaccus, was combined with various artifactsincluding a bronze bathing instrument called ‘strigil,’ pottery and terra sigillata bowls.
On the top of one of these plates was abbreviated ‘FLAC,’ the name of Flaccus, making him the greatest figure in the history of the region.
The remains show that the establishment dates back to the first emperor of Rome, Augustus, from 0 to 20AD.
This suggests that Flaccus was a Roman soldier who lived in Coriovallum – a military base known today as the city of Heerlen – during the Roman expansion of the Netherlands.
Coriovallum was founded at the beginning of the first century CE at the intersection of two main roads: Via Belgica and Via Traiana. These interconnected areas that today are known as parts of Germany and France.
Although Coriovallum was originally a military town, by the 10th century CE, it was a civilian town.
Now, Heerlen is home to the ruins of old public baths They were built around 50-70 CE and are the largest Roman ruins to be seen in the Netherlands.
Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old soldier named Flaccus in the ancient Roman settlement of Heerlen, in the southeast of the Netherlands.
The discovery was made by archaeologists from ADC ArcheoProjecten during ongoing excavations at the Raadhuisplein, or town hall, and provides the earliest evidence of Roman settlement in Heerlen.
“Today, evidence has been found that the Romans lived during the time of Emperor Augustus,” Jordy Clemens, a member of Heerlen’s culture and heritage board, said in a statement.
He called the discovery ‘a unique discovery that not only teaches us a lot about our past, but also shows that the story of Roman Heerlen is unique to the Netherlands.’
Archaeologists found pieces of pottery from Heerlen in the early 100s CE, but they did not prove that the Romans were living there at the time, as they could have been lost or discarded by passers-by.
But the discovery of Flaccus’ tomb – full of human remains and artifacts – provides strong evidence of an early Roman presence.
At first, archaeologists thought that the hole was like a basement. But the ashes of Flaccus quickly corrected that idea.
Archaeologists have emphasized that it is rare to name ancient people who were not elite, adding to the need for such discoveries.
The fact that Flaccus’ nickname was inscribed on a funerary object also provides new information about the social and cultural context of the time.
Scholars believe that the Roman expansion of the Netherlands began around 19 BC. In those early years, the Romans who lived in this area were very fond of war.
Flaccus’ remains were found in the pit along with various artefacts, including a bronze bathing tool called ‘strigil’, pottery and terra sigillata plates.
On the top of one of these plates was abbreviated ‘FLAC,’ the name of Flaccus. Further analysis revealed that these artifacts date back to ‘year zero’.
At that time, the Roman Empire was still in its infancy. Augustus – the first Emperor of Rome – was working to greatly expand the reach of his rule.
Only the southern half of the Netherlands was included in the Roman Empire, with the Rhine marking the border.
But although the area north of the Rhine – with the tribes of Frisii and Chauci – remained outside the rule of the Romans, it was still affected by the presence of the Empire and control.
The Frisii later served as soldiers in the Roman army as a result of the alliance, but the tribe fought against the Romans along with other Germanic tribes.
Artifacts from the tomb of Flaccus will be cleaned, preserved and displayed in the new Roman Museum of Heerlen.
ADC ArcheoProjecten’s excavations at Raadhuisplein ended this week.
