Flaccus was the first named inhabitant of a Roman town – History

Pottery discovered last week in the tomb of a Roman soldier in Heerlen, the Netherlands, revealed that his name was Flaccus. The initials FLAC are inscribed on a clay bowl that was part of his burial furniture. The tomb is 2,000 years old, making Flaccus the city’s oldest resident, predating the military potter Lucius and his wife Amaka by 150 years. It is also the oldest evidence of Roman habitation in Coriovalum (known today as Heerlen).

In addition to the personalized bowl, archaeologists also unearthed a bronze vessel and a set of four different plates made of the same material. seal the earth pottery. The maker’s mark indicates that the pottery was made in Italy around 0 AD. Pottery and dating strongly suggest that Flaccus was a Roman soldier sent to the Germanic Lemus (frontier) military settlement.

The tomb was discovered during archaeological excavations in the Raadhuisplein (Town Hall Square), which is planned for reconstruction. The present-day Raadhuisplein is located in the center of the Coriovallum on Via Belgica, the Roman road connecting Cologne (Germany) and Boulogne-sur-Mer (France), so archaeologists hope to find Roman remains. However, a named tomb from the settlement’s earliest Roman period was an unexpected surprise. No graves from this period have ever been discovered before. Indeed, although fragments of terra sigilita from the first half of the 1st century have been previously found in Heerlen, they were probably discarded or lost on the road and therefore cannot be interpreted as clear evidence of settlement.

When the tomb first appeared, archaeologists were unsure whether it was a tomb or the remains of a crypt. Discoloration of the soil indicated that it was rectangular in shape, and iron nails were found in the formwork, but the evidence of pottery and wooden structures alone is not enough to confirm that this is a tomb, as the same design may have been used for the tomb. Cellar pit. The discovery of cremated remains conclusively identified it as a tomb.

Corio Vallum’s status as a prosperous civilian settlement benefits from its location on Via Belgica, which intersects with Via Traiana and connects Aachen (Aquae Granni) to the south. Xanten (Colonia Ulpia Traiana) in the north. The public baths, built around AD 50-70, are the largest visible Roman remains in the Netherlands today. Where there were public baths, there were also public facilities, and the Romans built aqueducts and sewers to service the baths.

The redesigned Raadhuisplein will include an elevated waterway that references Roman aqueducts. Now that Flaccus’ eternal resting place has been discovered, the new square design will also include information about him. The artifacts from Flaccus’s tomb will now be cleaned and preserved for eventual display in the new Roman Museum of Heerlen