Remains of Roman ship found during road construction in South-Holland

In February, roadworkers made a special discovery close to the Dutch city Valkenburg: the century-old remains of a Roman ship.

The recovered wooden oak planks may date back to the first century A.D. They probably belonged to a Roman cargo ship with a length of about 30 metres, reports the NOS.

“A special archaeological discovery made in the lower planes of the Tjalmaweg: during excavation work in February, a few oak planks from a ship’s belly have been found. “

A peculiar find

The leading archaeologist René Isarin speaks of a rare — and peculiar — find for the region South-Holland. “We have heard a lot about [Roman] pottery and metals, but Roman ships are not found that often.”

Another peculiarity is the method of construction. The style seems to be Mediterranean but oak is a much more common building material for North-Western Europe.

Isarin also says that the planks link to the so-called mortise technique (pen-gat-techniek) that is entirely untypical for Roman shipbuilding: “Most ships from Roman times have nails and rivets.”

Looks like we’ve got ourselves a mystery, Watson. 🕵️

How do you think this Roman ship made its way to the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Cara Räker 🇩🇪
Cara Räker 🇩🇪
Cara moved to the Netherlands at fifteen and she is here to stay! After all, there is so much to love about it, except maybe the bread (as every German will tell you). Next to finishing up her bachelor's degree in European politics (dry), Cara loves to do yoga, swim, and cook delicious veggie food.

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