As you read this story, you will learn the following:
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A 2,000-year-old tomb discovered in Heerlen, the Netherlands, contains the remains of a Roman soldier.
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The site was initially thought to be a crypt, but was determined to be a tomb after the discovery of various funerary artifacts.
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The soldier was identified as Flaccus after his nickname was seen on a terra sigillata bowl.
During excavations at the ADC ArcheoProjecten near the town’s Raadhuisplein, or Town Hall Square, a team of archaeologists discovered what initially appeared to be a cellar. But upon further exploration, they discovered that it was littered with bronze shards, pottery, terra sigillata bowls and plates, and, most importantly, cremated remains—not exactly what had been stored in the cellar.
They realize they’ve stumbled upon an ancient tomb, and it doesn’t take long to figure out whose tomb it is.
According to a statement from the town of Heerlen, the clay bowls are a key clue because they have the abbreviation “FLAC” engraved on their sides. The abbreviation is Flaccus’s nickname. In addition to the bowl, archaeologists also found a personal bronze skin scraper and four different plates. These pottery from Italy confirm that Flaccus was a Roman soldier. “This is a unique discovery because not only is it the oldest Roman tomb in Heerlen, but also because no name was previously known there,” the statement read.
The find, dated to AD 0, is “the most unique evidence of Roman habitation at this site.” Researchers have not previously found named Roman tombs from this period in the area.
The tomb and its personal artifacts are the earliest real evidence of early Roman presence in the area. This settlement was most likely the first in the area during the period of Roman expansion and was known as Coriovallum, after the late Flaccus who is now the oldest known name of a person in the city’s history.
Raadhuisplein is located near the historic roads Via Belgica and Via Traina, and was probably an important site in the middle of Coriovallum, which became Heerlen centuries later. It was the link between Germany and France and the crossroads of the Roman military presence. It later developed into a more plebeian town, and the discovery of a public bath at Heerlen in 1940, built between 50 and 70 AD, remains the largest visible Roman site in the Netherlands. Journal of Archeology.
Artifacts from the tomb will eventually be displayed at the Roman Museum in Heerlen.
Jordy Clemens, a member of Heerlen’s culture and heritage committee, is reported to have said: “There is evidence of Roman habitation from the time of Emperor Augustus.” Journal of Archeology. “This unique discovery not only tells us more about our past, but also shows how unique the story of Romain Heerlen is to the Netherlands.”
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