“My heart really beats faster,” says archaeologist Wouter Vos Broadcaster West. “We know that there is a very large Roman camp near Nijmegen and that there are small camps along the Rhine, but here in the west we never expected.”
The Roman army camp must have been about sixteen football fields, according to archaeologists. They find remnants all along the line. The whole camp is located exactly under the former airport. “That is also the reason that it was never discovered, because it is only a meter underground”, says Vos.
The archaeologists believe that the camp was intended to collect soldiers and then conquer England in one go. “About 5000 soldiers stayed in this camp, who then all left in the year 43”, says Vos. “It hasn’t been a fleeting camp either, I think it existed for four years.”
The rest of the area will be further explored in the coming months. The found remains are taken to laboratories for further research and conservation.
–
