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Archaeologists have excavated a unique tomb a Novel soldier “from year 0” in The Netherlandsilluminating ancient civilizationpresence in the region.
A 2,000-year-old grave was discovered in the municipality of Heerlen last month and belonged to a soldier nicknamed “Flaccus” who lived around 0 AD, the researchers said.
They deduced the name from the word “Flac” carved into a bowl found in grave.
“Today, evidence of Roman habitation at the time of Emperor Augustus was found. A unique discovery that not only teaches us more about our past, but also shows how unique the story of Roman Heerlen is to the Netherlands,” said Jordy Clemens, member of the Heerlen Council for Culture and Heritage.
Analysis of the newly found tomb led researchers to date Heerlen’s earliest settlement to the Augustan era from 0 to 20 AD.
The tomb was found during excavations at the Raadhuisplein, a town square in Heerlen that was located near the historic Via Belgica and Via Traiana roads and was a key location in the middle of the Roman settlement of Coriovallum, archaeologists said.
Coriovallum was notable for its elaborate Roman baths, the oldest stone building in the Netherlands built around AD 40. The structure also included a restaurant and a library, suggesting that it was a meeting place and served multiple functions in Roman times.
The latest discoveries could provide new insight into the city’s residential history, archaeologists said. “We have never before found a Roman grave from that period with the name.”
Researchers also found a bronze skin scraper and four plates along with a bowl in the grave. They traced the pottery back to ancient Italy, confirming that Flaccus was indeed a Roman soldier.
Previous excavations in the region, unearthing pottery shards, could not prove the presence of a settlement because there was the possibility that artifacts could have been discarded during travel.
The Flaccus tomb offers compelling evidence of a Roman presence in the region, the researchers said. “It is a unique find because it is not only the oldest Roman grave in Herlen, but also because there was no known name there before,” they explained.