During excavations prior to the construction of a residential tower in the Waalfront district of the Dutch city of Nijmegen, municipal archaeologists discovered the foundations of what they believe to be a large building from the Roman era.

The structure, which may have been a public building of the administration of the ancient city of Ulpia Noviomagus, was found very close to the Waal River, in an area where no such ancient Roman remains were previously known to exist.

The building measures at least 30 by 35 meters and has a rectangular layout partially surrounded by double walls that enclose an interior courtyard of about 20 by 25 meters.

In this interior courtyard, fragments of a limestone column were found, indicating that it may have been colonnaded and therefore had a monumental character.

Nijmegen roman building
Remains of the column found in Nijmegen. Credit: Gemeente Nijmegen

Because of its prime location near the river, archaeologists believe it may have been either a market, an administrative building, or another significant civic complex built between the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D.

Ulpia Noviomagus: A City Beneath the Foundations

The site is located in the area of the future Waalkwartier West, an urban development project that will include hundreds of homes, an underground parking garage, and public facilities next to the Honig complex.

The area was once part of the ancient city of Ulpia Noviomagus, a Roman settlement whose remains continue to surface recurrently, although once again the newly discovered remains will not be preserved in situ. Archaeologists will attempt to clarify the exact function of the building and its internal layout in the final days of excavation.

Nonetheless, the full extent of the complex and the building will remain a mystery, as the walls disappear beneath the Waal’s river defenses to the north, while the eastern boundary lies outside the excavation area. Still, the discovery confirms that the Roman city extended closer to the river than previously thought.

Nijmegen roman building
Fragments of pottery found at the site. Credit: Gemeente Nijmegen

This archaeological surprise allows us to add new pieces to the puzzle of Nijmegen’s history, said Tobias van Elferen, alderman for Cultural Heritage. The work has also unearthed numerous fragments of pottery, tiles, and other everyday objects alongside the remains of the column.

Photographs released by the city council show everything from the foundation trenches to the details of the capitals, along with piles of pottery shards that were once vessels.

Soon, the site will house a modern neighborhood, and perhaps many of those who will live there will have no idea that the place was once a vast Roman city that grew around what was the camp of the Legio X Gemina. Who wouldn’t want to live above Ulpia Noviomagus?

SOURCES

Gemeente Nijmegen

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