A series of long existing earth works in the woods south of Nijmegen (NL) - six in total, possibly from the 1st c AD - could have been the preparations
for a 5,5 km long aqueduct which destination was the castra of the 10th legion at the 'Kops Plateau' in Nijmegen.
After intensive scientific research no remains are found of any water conduit: pieces of stone, metal rings (to tight wooden pipes), pieces of pottery
and lead remains are absent.
On the other hand, there are many indications to support the aqueduct hypothesis:
- at three out of the four castra along the lower part of the river Rhine (Neuss, Cologne and Vetera/Xanten, all in Germany nearby)
a (kind of) aqueduct has been found
- the output of the existing well and cistern at the castra were insufficient to supply one (temporarily even two) legion(s) with drinking water
- new research proofs that when building an aqueduct for the castra only two traces are possible; a Northern one which will experiences severe difficulties; the other one coincides with the earth works as present in the woods today
- there where obstacles in the chosen SW trace could block the watercourse, the proper earth works are available on the right spots to solve the problems
- the existing earth works are of ancient date (before 1600 AD) and could have been part of one system with a gradient of about 0,2% (technical suitable)
- the last part of the trace - the 'Broerdijk' in the present city of Nijmegen - is heading for the highest area of the castra
- almost all hypotheses on alternative forms of use (defense works, roads, mining, water mill complex, landslide prevention etc)
have been rejected on good grounds.
Remarkably, a similar construction is present in Tongeren (Atuatuca Tongrorum) where a 6 km long earthen dam exists, possibly
the substructure of an aqueduct of which the source is unknown and terminates close to the town wall.
Hoogveld was the first person - in 1965 - who presented the idea of an aqueduct for the 10th legion, between 1995 and 2000 prof. dr. Ben Brus
- a layman in this field, who wrote two private publications (Brus1997 and Brus1999, see literature list) -
elaborated the concept but the most comprehensive research was done by drs. Peter A.C. Schut, staff member of the ROB
(Dutch National Service for Archaeological Heritage - now RACM)
who also conducted the fieldwork and made the earth works to a subject of his master thesis (2002 - 2005).
The information here is mainly based on Schuts work (Schut 2005).
Topographical details (see also the map below):
- the Kerstendal, a dry canal on 60m NAP-level, about 3,5m wide and 1,25m deep, could have been the caption area, the water source
for the aqueduct [hardly accessible but visible from the road called Kleefse Baan (just before the village of Berg en Dal),
coordinates: 191.32 / 425.70]
- nowadays Water Meerwijk is a pool, in antiquity possibly in use as a settling basin [inaccessible but visible from the Meerwijkselaan,
coordinates: 191.25 / 425.17]
- the function of the dry canal called Louisedal, in origin 7m deep and 2,5m wide, is unknown [it can easily be visited via a parking lot
and an alley / wood-path at the N side of the Meerwijkselaan; coordinates 190.39 / 425.56]
- in the Marienbos a (roman?) V-shaped canal was found, 3m deep and 7 m wide including a potsherd from the 1rst c AD
[open to the public, in between the roads localled called Sophiaweg and Bosweg; coordinates 189.55 / 426.44]
- right across an alley in the wood (a continuation of the Koning Davidlaan) in between the Louisedal and the Marienbos
one may find a longitudinal piling-up of earth (see photos) with all characteristics of a substructure of an aqueduct [coordinates 189.73 / 426.15]
- the Broerdijk (public road) has all the features of a dyke right across the Hengstdal valley and may have served as a substructure
of the aqueduct, all the more because it is heading for the highest grounds of the castra of the 10th legion at Kops Plateau
[coordinates of the Broerdijk: 189.35 / 427.45].
Volunteers of the Gilde (guild) organisation in Nijmegen (NL) offer you a walking tour along the course of the aqueduct, see their
website (in Dutch).
W.D. Schram
Army camp of the Xth legion Gemina, Kops Plateau CASTRA LEGIO X GEMINA
| Item
| Info
|
| Length |
5,5 km |
| Cross-section |
conduit not present |
| Volume |
not applicable |
| Fall |
0,2 % |
| Period |
1rst AD |
| Features |
- only earth works
- a pool as setling basin?
|
| Recommended literature :
|
- P.A.C. Schut: De aardwerken van Groesbeek: een aquaduct voor de Romeinse legioensvesting van Nijmegen? (ROB-RAM report nr 119 - 2005), schut2005 (in Dutch)
- P.A.C. Schut: Ein Aquadukt fur das Römische Nijmegen? (SdFG vol 25, 2003), schut2003 (in German)
- P.A.C. Schut a.o.: Een karterend booronderzoek rond het Kerstendal (Rapportage Archeologische Monumentenzorg vol 191, 2011)
|
| Recommended website :
|
|
| How to visit :
| see above. "The Guild" (Het Gilde) in Nijmegen offers you a guided walking tour along the remains of the aqueduct's substructure.
|
