A Roman cellar
Coriovallumstraat, Heerlen
Beneath an office building in the Roman quarter of Heerlen lie the remains of a cellar from Roman times. In 1952 archaeologists discovered this Roman cellar. In the cellar wall are 5 niches, in which probably small statues of gods or (oil) lamps for lighting once stood. How large the cellar was in total is not exactly clear. It probably once formed part of a Roman town house. Who lived in that house we do not know. It lay a stone’s throw away from the Heerlen bathhouse, now on display in the Thermenmuseum.
Cellars in Roman times had the function of refrigerators. By storing food in a cellar – for example in amphorae – you could keep it longer. In this cellar as well as in other Roman cellars found in Heerlen, archaeologists discovered remains of amphorae and other pottery.
To preserve the cellar and still be able to see it, it was decided to build a modern building over it. An information panel on the spot tells you more about it. And you can peek through a viewing hole at the remains!
Discover
- The cellar is included in the Via Belgica walk On foot through Coriovallum and in the long-distance hike from Heerlen to Eygelshoven, both found in the Roman South Limburg guide and in the Via Belgica app.
- At Aquina Hollanders Makelaars you can peek into the past through the viewing hole!