Albaniana was the name the ancient Romans gave a settlement on the southern banks of

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...

river, some 40 kilometers from its mouth in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

, known as Alfen and modern-day

Alphen aan den Rijn Alphen aan den Rijn (; en, "Alphen upon Rhine" or "Alphen on the Rhine") is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The city is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the r ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. They did build a military fort ( la,

castellum A ''castellum'' in Latin is usually: * a small Roman fortlet or tower,C. Julius Caesar, Gallic War; 2,30 a diminutive of (' military camp'), often used as a watchtower or signal station like on Hadrian's Wall. It should be distinguished from ...

) there, as part of a range strategically built encampments, to protect and guard the river, frontier (''

limes Limes may refer to: * the plural form of lime (disambiguation) Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a ...

'') of the

Roman empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

and main transport route of goods and troops. The historical map ''

Tabula Peutingeriana ' (Latin for "The Peutinger Map"), also referred to as Peutinger's Tabula or Peutinger Table, is an illustrated ' (ancient Roman road map) showing the layout of the '' cursus publicus'', the road network of the Roman Empire. The map is a 13th-ce ...

'' situates the settlement in between

Matilo Matilo or Matilone was once a Roman fort (''castellum'') in modern-day Leiden. Positioned on the southern banks of the Oude Rijn, it served to protect the Roman borders in the province of Germania Inferior ('' Limes Germanicus''). On the Peu ...

(

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration w ...

) and

Praetorium Agrippinae Praetorium Agrippinae was a Roman settlement in the province of Lower Germania, in the area of the Cananefates, located in modern-day Valkenburg, Netherlands. It was an army encampment (Lat.: ''castellum'') on the Old Rhine (at the time the m ...

( Valkenburg) downstream and Nigrum Pullum (Zwammerdam) and

Fectio Fectio, known as ''Vechten'' in Old Dutch, was a Roman ''castellum'' in the province Germania Inferior established in the year 4 or 5 AD. It was located at the place where the river Vecht (''Fectio'') branched off from the Rhine, leading to Lake ...

(

Vechten Fectio, known as ''Vechten'' in Old Dutch, was a Roman ''castellum'' in the province Germania Inferior established in the year 4 or 5 AD. It was located at the place where the river Vecht (''Fectio'') branched off from the Rhine, leading to Lake ...

) upstream. The village was mentioned in Antoninus' register of roads ''

Itinerarium Antonini The Antonine Itinerary ( la, Itinerarium Antonini Augusti, "The Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is a famous ''itinerarium'', a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibly ...

'' from the 3rd century. The fortress must have been surrounded by a wall of ground and wooden poles, with gates and watch towers.

History

The origin of Alphen aan den Rijn can be dated back to approximately 40 AD.Jona Lendering, ''Albaniana (Alphen aan den Rijn)''
at livius.org The town that now consists of over 70,000 inhabitants was than a rural settlement with little more than 100 inhabitants. The name Albaniana means "by the white waters". These white waters likely refer to the Old Rhine, where the army camp was situated.

Military fortress – castellum

Toegangspoort Romeins fort Albaniana Alphen aan den Rijn

A dendrochronological dating of the wood enables us to say that the fort was built after the state visit of

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germani ...

to Germania Inferior in AD 40–41. The wooden building was meant to protect the ‘limes’; the Roman border consisting of the

Rijn ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sourc ...

. Caligula built this fort with the idea of crossing over to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

; this was not accomplished during his reign, although his successor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor ...

succeeded. The building was an isolated outpost, few colonies were located nearby. The complex was exclusively made of wood. It had wooden outer walls and wooden watchtowers. Outside the walls canals were dug. This wall was approximately a hundred and twenty meters long and eighty meters wide. During the

Revolt of the Batavi The Revolt of the Batavi took place in the Roman province of Germania Inferior between AD 69 and 70. It was an uprising against the Roman Empire started by the Batavi, a small but militarily powerful Germanic tribe that inhabited Batavia, on t ...

(between AD 69 and 70) the wall was demolished by the

Cananefates The Cananefates, or Canninefates, Caninefates, or Canenefatae, meaning "leek masters", were a Germanic tribe, who lived in the Rhine delta, in western Batavia (later Betuwe), in the Roman province of '' Germania Inferior'' (now in the Dutch pr ...

; this was later rebuilt after the rebellion had been quelled. Around 160 AD, the wooden wall had been replaced by a brick wall. It was around this time that a new entrance gate was built, carrying an inscription referring to Emperor

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary suc ...

. The reason for this was that Emperor Severus himself had given the order to repair the damages inflicted on the wall. During its glory days, the army camp consisted of approximately four hundred soldiers.

Local settlement – vicus

Similar to other Limes-forts, the Albaniana most probably was built close to a civilian settlement (''

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus ...

''). From archaeological findings can be concluded, south-west of the fort, on higher grounds, locals did offer their goods and services to the Romans. This formed a meeting ground of cultures, where local

Batavians The Batavi were an ancient Germanic tribe that lived around the modern Dutch Rhine delta in the area that the Romans called Batavia, from the second half of the first century BC to the third century AD. The name is also applied to several milit ...

and

mingled with Romans and mutually influenced each other.

After the second century

In the middle of the third century, presumably 270 AD, the castellum was vacated. All along the frontier German tribes crossed the Rhine and invaded the Roman Empire. Soldiers from the different forts could no longer withstand the enemy. German tribes plundered the castella. In medieval times the forts were used as quarries, after which the remains disappeared underground. These remnants were only rediscovered in the twentieth century. By then most of the area had been built upon, causing much to remain lost.

Excavations

Alphen aan den Rijn castellum signaalhoorn

In 1920, the director of the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden professor Jan Hendrik Holwerda, did visit the building site of a church in the center of Alphen and concluded from findings, that it must be seen as a fact that the Romans have been lived here. Castellum Albaniana has been excavated over a period of 60 years, whenever there was a possibility. In the early 1950s work has been done under the direction of

Albert Egges van Giffen Albert Egges van Giffen (14 March 1884 – 31 May 1973) was a Dutch archaeologist. Van Giffen worked at the University of Groningen and University of Amsterdam, where he was a professor of Prehistory and Germanic archaeology. He worked most of h ...

; from 1959-1978 under direction of Jules Bogaers and more systematically from 1978-1998 under direction of professor Jan Kees Haalebos, who could determine location and mapping of the fortress. In 2001, extensive archaeological research started in the centre of Alphen aan den Rijn. Many findings were done here. These excavations yielded large quantities of finds, and since the remains of the castellum were found below groundwater level, they were very well preserved and included organic remains. Remnants of the castellum, the

canabae A (plural ) was the Latin term for a hut or hovel and was later (from the time of Hadrian) used typically to mean a town that emerged as a civilian settlement () in the vicinity of a Roman legionary fortress (). A settlement that grew up outs ...

located close by and

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a bu ...

were discovered. Pieces of two elongated buildings that may have served as storage were found and wooden-floored barracks. Furthermore, a number of military and personal objects belonging to the Roman soldiers were identified, such as writing utensils, a mirror, and over eight hundred coins dating from the reign of Roman Emperors

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

, Caligula, Claudius and

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

(between 14-68 AD). In addition, leftover food had been preserved, making it possible to research the farming techniques and eating habits of the soldiers. Foundations were exhumed, providing us with knowledge on building techniques used by the ancients Romans. In Albaniana stamps of the ''‘Classis Germanica’'', a Roman military fleet, were found. A number of these discovered artifacts can be seen in the

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden The (English: National Museum of Antiquities) is the national archaeological museum of the Netherlands, located in Leiden. It grew out of the collection of Leiden University and still closely co-operates with its Faculty of Archaeology. The ...

in Leiden.

Some findings

File:Alphen aan den Rijn Albaniana fibula.jpg, Fibula (safety pins) File:11688 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum gesp peltavorm provZH.jpg, Bronze buckle File:11649 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum helmboshouder cmbalk provZH.jpg, Bronze plume holder, part of a Roman helmet File:30360 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum pantsergesp provZH.jpg, Armour buckle File:30354 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum naamplaatje provZH.jpg, Nameplate, possibly centurio: L. Patrici Sabini File:5429 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum meloenkraal provZH.jpg, Melonbead File:2369 a Alphem ad Rijn Castellum ketel provZH.jpg, Bronze cooking pot, with repairs File:IJzeren fruitmesje AlphenadRijn 109625 RMO Leiden.jpg, Iron fruit knife File:9230 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum knijpschaar cmbalk provZH.jpg, Scissors File:2378 b Alphen ad Rijn Castellum Handboei open provZH.jpg, Handcuff File:19971 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum Lans provZH.jpg, Iron lance head with part of wooden stick File:20024 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum drietand provZH.jpg, Iron trident or Neptunefork File:9555 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum spade provZH.jpg, Spade File:IJzeren steekbeitel AlphenadRijn 109624 RMO Leiden.jpg, Iron firmer chisel File:2373 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum bootshaak provZH.jpg, Iron boathook File:31081 Alphen ad Rijn Castellum vislood-cmbalk provZH.jpg, Fishing lead File:Bronzen schijf email AlphenadRijn 100893 RMO Leiden.jpg, Decoration for horse, excavated at ''De Schans'' where a civilian settlement has been located File:Alphen aan den Rijn pijpaarden jongenskopje.jpg, Roman ceramics, made of gypsum, found at civilian settlement

Present-day features

The city of Alphen aan den Rijn has not forgotten its Roman history. A theatre and cinema – named Castellum – can be found where the camp used to be located, a stone with Roman inscriptions lies near the water on the Rijnplein, and a historical open-air museum named Archeon can be found in Alphen aan den Rijn. At the museum, the early history of the village has been recreated, including live experiencing Roman times through re-enactment. Outside town, along the N11 provincial road, a large iron statue of a Roman soldier can be seen.

References

External links

*http://www.cultuurwijzer.nl/oud/i000657.html *http://www.limeswiki.nl/index.php/Gebiedskaart_ALBANIANA_Alphen_aan_de_Rijn *http://www.prosellarcheo.nl/informatie/updates/Vondsten-aan-de-Hoge-Zijde-in-Albaniana *http://vici.org/vici/61?lang=nl {{Commons category, Albaniana (Alphen aan den Rijn) Netherlands in the Roman era Archaeology of the Netherlands Roman sites in the Netherlands Roman legionary fortresses in Netherlands Military of ancient Rome Alphen aan den Rijn Germania Inferior Roman fortifications in Germania Inferior Roman frontiers