Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
To ensure that the reinforcement of the Waal Dike proceeds as smoothly as possible, construction consortium De Betuwse Waard has included archaeology as an integral part of both the design and execution. And that is just as well, because the subsurface in and around the Waal dike turns out to be incredibly valuable from a historical perspective. Archaeological research and consulting firm RAAP has already secured several unique archaeological objects, including remnants of huge infrastructure projects from the Roman period.
RAAP is the largest research and consulting firm for archaeology and cultural history in the Netherlands. "We have been involved in the project from the planning stage," says project manager Eric Norde. "The great thing about the building consortium is that they see archaeology as a serious issue rather than a necessary evil. Although having archaeological research carried out is a requirement from the government and, in this case, also from the Rivierenland Water Board, you can still approach it in different ways. Here, the construction consortium sees it as an integral part of the project and planning. That prevents surprises and unforeseen delays during execution."
By having RAAP "look along" with the design as early as the planning stage, potential bottlenecks are identified in a timely manner. "In our field, we archaeologists also have a role as advisors. For example, we look at whether it is possible to dig just a little shallower locally so that archaeological research can be avoided. That may sound somewhat contradictory," Norde acknowledges. "But the basic principle of Dutch legislation is that, where it is possible, you have to preserve archaeology. It is a cost issue on the one hand, but on the other hand, objects have been underground for many hundreds or thousands of years; it is often the best way to preserve them. Moreover, the development of research methods is very fast and even better techniques will become available in the future. So together with the client and construction consortium, we try to come up with the most efficient and archaeologically sound design possible. That has succeeded extremely well here."
More than two years ago, RAAP already conducted the necessary fieldwork in search of interesting sites. "Using the results from the many hand drillings, we mapped a number of valuable sites," Norde explains. "At those locations where we suspected that archaeology could be damaged, we went deeper. As a result, as of March 2021, we made a number of test trenches between Wolferen and Sprok, and that's where the necessary information immediately came to light. For example, we found a rare Roman road route from Nijmegen to the west of the country. It appears to be one of the main roads from the Roman period. A find that has not been demonstrated before in the eastern river area.
The alignment consists of a curved gravel road surface with a wide drainage ditch on either side. It was used by the Roman army to move quickly. From the same period dates the canal - which received international attention - 11 meters wide that we have uncovered over a length of 60 meters, at the time possibly a connection between the Waal and the Rhine. We know of a similar bypass in the Westland between the Meuse and the Rhine, but not in the eastern river area. We hope to follow the channel further with drilling in the future. Quite extraordinary, after all, that through the current dike reinforcement project we are discovering the remains of infrastructural works from 2,000 years ago!"
That the area around the Waaldijk flourished in the Roman period is evident from the many unusual objects found by RAAP. "Although we were working under the smoke of Nijmegen, which was already an important city in Roman times, we took into account a simple agricultural society. As it turns out, that assumption was not (entirely) correct. Apparently, more affluent people also settled along the road route and canal at that time, judging from the more posh materials found such as a statue of the gods, oil lamps and five ink pens. You don't usually see that in a normal agricultural society." At a depth of only 1 meter, RAAP also found a skeleton from the time of Charlemagne. "Graves from this period are rarely found. Exact dating requires more research. Also nice, but totally different and of much more recent archaeology are the remains of a so-called T-farm from the 17th century that we found in Oosterhout. Especially very interesting for local villagers. It is recognizable and forms a nice link with their own environment. The building consortium realizes this very well; they involve the surrounding area very emphatically in these beautiful finds, so that they do not only experience the inconvenience of the project."
The many archaeological finds prove once again that the area around the Waal dike has an incredibly rich history. "It is all the more special because it takes place in a narrow strip directly along the dike that has also been there for a thousand years. The fact that all that archaeology has been preserved is a pleasant surprise, and the fact that it could be secured without incurring further delays is a credit to the construction consortium, which takes our profession extremely seriously. That works very pleasantly for everyone." The finds are currently being examined in detail by RAAP. They have two years to do so, after which they will be transferred to the provincial depot in Nijmegen.
