Traiectum (Utrecht)
| Traiectum (Utrecht) | |
|---|---|
| Part of Limes Germanicus | |
| Utrecht in Netherlands | |
Location of the castellum in Utrecht
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 Traiectum (Utrecht)
Location in the Netherlands
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| Coordinates | 52°05′26″N 5°07′18″E / 52.090692°N 5.121642°ECoordinates: 52°05′26″N 5°07′18″E / 52.090692°N 5.121642°E |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Buried |
| Site history | |
| Built | 47 AD |
| In use | circa 250 AD |
| Materials | Wood, stone |
Traiectum was a Roman fort, or castrum, on the frontier of the Roman Empire in Germania Inferior. The remains of the fort are in the center of Utrecht, Netherlands, which takes its name from the fort.
In the Roman Empire Traiectum was one of the forts in the lower Limes Germanicus defensive lines. The Emperor Claudius defined the Rhine downstream from Bonn as the western part of the frontier. He ordered the legions further north to withdraw to this line, which was fortified in AD 47. The Rhine divides into several branches in the Netherlands. The army chose the branch on which modern Utrecht lies as the frontier.
In AD 69-70 Gaius Julius Civilis led the revolt of the Batavi during which the fort was burned. One soldier or officer buried his savings of fifty gold coins at this time. They were found by archaeologists below the layer of burned wood. Once the Romans had restored their authority in the region they rebuilt the fort, again in wood. The fort was manned by about 500 troops. From tile stamps it appears that from AD 88-89 until 275 the fort was manned by cohors II Hispanorum peditata, an auxilia infantry cohort of the Imperial Roman army.
The castellum of Traiectum seems to have been finally destroyed some time before 270, when the Franks invaded. Archeological evidence shows some Roman presence into 4th century, but the castellum was not rebuilt. During the Early Middle Ages another fortification was built on the site, which was destroyed by the Vikings and rebuilt in 818. The site of the fortifications became the center of the medieval town and location of the episcopal see of Utrecht.
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Wikipedia