After the Romans had defeated the Batavians in 70 AD, they positioned a whole legion in the region to prevent any future uprising: the Tenth Legion. The legionary base was built strategically on a ridge formed by glacial deposits where Berg en Dal now is, with a commanding view of the rivers.
Signums
The headquarters were located at the centre of the camp, the principia. Here, justice was administered and there was a temple where the military emblems, or signums, were kept. The signums consisted of the legion’s eagle and banners for the cohorts and centuries which were used in battle to identify the various units. Each army unit had its own signum, and these were of great symbolic value. The legion’s eagle was a symbol of honour.
Five kilometres of aqueduct
Some remarkable structures have been found at the camp, including water pipes, latrines and a sewer system. The Romans had an elaborate network of water pipes in place so that clean water was available throughout the camp. The water came from an aqueduct that was five kilometres long. At several places along the edge of the camp there were public latrines for the soldiers. Officers had small private toilets in their rooms. The latrines were constantly flushed with water and connected to a sewer system. The sewer carried the waste water 300 metres outside the camp, so that smells were not a problem.
Large market
East of the camp was the largest Roman structure ever to be found in the Netherlands: the market building. It covered an area of 135 x 165 metres. The large inner court was used for trading various goods such as vegetables, fruit and pottery. Roman soldiers were probably the market traders’ most regular customers. West of the camp was an amphitheatre. Unfortunately, little is left of these Roman buildings. Discolorations in the road at some points in the area may reveal the location of the original buildings.
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