The Roman Marching Camp near Ermelo is the only Roman Marching Camp found in the Netherlands. Excavations have shown that Marcus Aurelius' army camped here on the heath for a few days in the year 170 AD.
Traces of a Roman army camp have been found near Ermelo. A complete legion of 5000 men has camped here for a few days, before moving away again. Their presence is a big mystery, as the camp is located 35 km north of the then border. The contours of the camp can still be seen.
Discovery of the Roman marching camp
On a map from the 19th century, a curious, crooked rectangle with the words "Heidensch Kamp" is drawn between Ermelo and Leuvenum. In 1922, the famous archaeologist Holwerda discovered that these were the remains of a Roman army camp. Since then, the camp has gradually been hidden from view due to the planting of forest and the construction of the provincial road to Harderwijk. Yet in 1987 an extensive excavation of the southern part of the camp followed.
Roman march camp accommodated legion
The camp measures 250 by 350 meters and was surrounded by an earthen wall almost one meter high and a V-shaped moat 1.5 meters deep. Cross-linked poles stood on top of the rampart. Inside there were hundreds of tents in neat rows. Each tent could accommodate eight people who were dependent on each other and also had to cook together. Their hearths have been found, as has the place where they hammered their wooden pegs into the ground. The camp was only used for a few days, but by a complete legion.
Strategic location at the highest point in the area
The camp appears to have been established between 170 and 180. The reason is still a mystery. It may have been part of a military lightning strike against the Khauken in Northern Germany, but the written sources are silent about this. The place is very strategic, on one of the highest points in the area. The former Zuiderzee, the Flevomeer, was only one day's march further. We may never know the reason. But for the time being this is the only known Roman marching camp in the whole of the Netherlands.
Translated by Google •
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