Roman Watchtowers found on Lower Rhine

[Praefectusclassis]

Several newspapers reported yesterday that at least two, maybe three wooden watchtowers have been discovered along a part of the Roman road following the old riverbed of the Rhine near Utrecht, the Netherlands. The towers are tentatively dated to about 50 AD. <p>Greets<BR><br>
<BR><br>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Hi Jasper!<br>
<br>
Do you have any details about how much is preserved of the towers? Wood construction - or foundations "only"?<br>
<br>
Greetings,<br>
<br>
Martin <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=magisternavis>Magister Navis</A> at: 11/10/02 7:40:43 pm<br></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

The paper says rests of the four corner poles, 30*30cm, about 80 cm high and the rests of the floor of a slightly smaller, earlier tower (that one is 50AD). Around the tower was a ditch reinforced with sharpened stakes. <p>Greets<BR><br>
<BR><br>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Interesting, especially the "sharpened stakes" thing. All in all, these features seem quite identical with the 1st/2nd century AD wooden limes towers in <em>Germania Superior</em>.<br>
<br>
By the way, what happened to your greetings? Do you have a sore throat at the moment? Or are you just talking <em>Nederlands</em>?<br>
<br>
Greetings,<br>
<br>
Martin <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

Cough, cough. Better now?<br>
<br>
Oh, wait, don't you silly Germans call Dutch an ailment in the throat? Hmmm? <p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[Robert Vermaat]

Don't let him get to you Jasper!<br>
Anyway, you beat me to it in posting this news, it was already out last thurdsay. Here's a link for those who can read Dutch but with pictures which my interest you all: www.utrechtsnieuwsblad.nl/regioportal/UN/0,2622,2625-LeidscheRijn-Regionieuws!!__1311300_,00.html.<br>
<br>
And another one: www.haagschecourant.nl/regioportal/HC/1,2622,1553-HaagscheCourant-Voorpagina!!__1311372_,00.html?ArchiefID=1311372<br>
<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Robert<br>
<br>
'Cives Francorum, Miles Romanorum'<br>
www.fectio.org.uk/ <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=vortigernstudies>Vortigern Studies</A> at: 11/11/02 10:32:52 am<br></i>

[Anonymous]

Are these towers on the road from Vetera to Flevum?<br>
And as regards Netherlands, I've been searching unsuccessfully for a map of the area during the roman period. Very important since the landscape has changed one hundred percent with the building of the polders.<br>
Actually, the best would be a map of the ancient landscape superposed with the modern one.<br>
We you get to Amsterdam coming from the south, at some point you go across "Oulde Rheine" or something like that. Is that the ancient bed of the river? <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

The pictures and drawing are fascinating. Thanks, Robert. And if I squint just a bit, I can almost make out the Dutch. But not quite. So do the articles explain why so much wood has survived? The soil looks like good clay - just like my yard!<br>
<br>
David <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

It's the riverclay, that has managed to conserve quite a lot of wooden bits.<br>
Antonius, yeah, 'Oude Rijn' is old Rhine, the old (but not necessarily 50AD) riverbed of the Rhine. I've got some maps of the Netherlands in this period, but not sure if they'll survive scanning. <p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[venicone]

HI guys<br>
<br>
We have a translated post of one of the articles on our Ezboard - hope you dont mind me posting it here<br>
<br>
pub55.ezboard.com/ftalkin...=166.topic<br>
<br>
<p><img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mark.martin/AUXILIA/coin60.gif"/></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=venicone>venicone</A> at: 11/11/02 8:15:55 pm<br></i>

[Anonymous]

Wonderful news...every time we think the earth has no more surprises it throws up another miracle. wonder what they'll find in that cargo ship next year!!<br>
<br>
E <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Call me names, will you, Jasper?<br>
<br>
Robert and venicone, thanks a lot for the references! Don't think about how long it would have taken until this info had reached us using the "usual" way, through scientific publication, that is...<br>
<br>
Greetings,<br>
<br>
Martin <p></p><i></i>