{"id":16316,"date":"2023-10-26T19:23:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T17:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.viabelgica.nl\/kerkrade-is-romeinser-dan-je-denkt\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T22:14:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T20:14:34","slug":"kerkrade-is-romeinser-dan-je-denkt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.viabelgica.nl\/en\/kerkrade-is-romeinser-dan-je-denkt\/","title":{"rendered":"Kerkrade Is More Roman Than You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":{"categorie":33,"afbeelding":10729,"auteur":"Harry Lindelauf","fotografie":"Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Rijksdienst Cultureel Erfgoed, Gerard Tichelman","contentbuilder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"tekst","tekst":"

Kerkrade is known for its mines, the Rolduc Abbey, football, and the World Music Contest. Less well known is the city\u2019s rich Roman past, with a series of villae rusticae (farmsteads), milestones, Roman roads, and a find that is unique in the Netherlands.<\/h3>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"tekst_foto","tekst":"Let\u2019s start with that unique, little-known discovery: the little bear of Kerkrade. Archaeologists found it in 1997 near the McDonald\u2019s on the industrial estate between Euregioweg, Winckelen, and Heerlenersteenweg. They also found evidence that between 150 and 250 AD there stood a Roman farm with several outbuildings. Four deep wells came to light, along with several pits containing burnt remains and larger pits that may have been used for extracting clay.\r\n\r\nOf particular interest is the so-called offering pit, an almost square pit measuring 2 by 1.5 metres, about 1 metre deep when excavated. Inside the pit, nine almost complete pottery vessels were found \u2014 and a terracotta figurine of a bear. These figurines were mass-produced using moulds in Cologne, but only one has ever been found in the Netherlands.\r\n\r\nPhoto: Excavation at Winckelen, Kerkrade, 1997","foto":10732},{"acf_fc_layout":"foto_tekst","foto":10744,"tekst":"

Why an Offering?<\/h3>\r\nThe figurine of the bear refers to the bear goddess Artio, whom the Romans had adopted from the Celts. The question is: why was an offering made to the bear goddess here in Kerkrade? The obvious answer: to gain her favour \u2014 and that of those she protected. It is possible that the inhabitants of the villa rustica were troubled by bears.\r\n\r\nAll the finds at this site indicate that a Roman villa complex once stood here. Unfortunately, the main building has not (yet) been found.\r\n\r\nPhoto: The \u201charvest\u201d of the offering pit: pottery jugs, bowls, and small pots. In the foreground on the left, the little bear."},{"acf_fc_layout":"tekst_foto","tekst":"

The Best-Studied Villa<\/h3>\r\nThat does apply, however, to the large farmstead found in the Holzkuil. On this 250-by-160-metre site near the hamlet of De Vink, close to the edge of the Worm Valley, lies the best-studied \u2014 because fully excavated \u2014 Roman villa in the Netherlands. The first of its 25 buildings was constructed around the year 70, followed by expansion and renovation until about 270 AD. It was probably an invasion by enemy tribes that brought the villa\u2019s story to an end.\r\n\r\nAt its height, Villa Holzkuil was a classical Roman estate with a stone main building, bathhouse, and numerous outbuildings. The site also contained two wells and two ponds, all enclosed by ditches and fencing. Remarkably, the bathhouse and a small cellar have been well preserved. Finds show that the owners of the farm were prosperous: luxury pottery (terra sigillata), cloak pins from Mainz, and jewellery were discovered.\r\n\r\nAfter the ten-month excavation, all remains were reburied. The location is now marked by an Archeopoint<\/a>.\r\n\r\nPhoto: The Holzkuil in Kerkrade","foto":10747},{"acf_fc_layout":"tekst","tekst":"

From Schouffertsbos to Vrouwezijp<\/h3>\r\nAcross the entire loess belt of South Limburg, around 70 Roman farmsteads have been found to date. Kerkrade also plays its part, as in addition to Villa Holzkuil, the following villas are known:\r\n