Archaeological site Lanaken/Maastricht - Fort along the Zouw

Traces of a military fortress are located along a Roman road north-west of Maastricht.

The fortress spans such a huge area that parts of it are on Belgian soil and other parts on Dutch soil. The side unearthed during a dig measures approximately 155 m.
Carbon dating of charcoal, animal bones, plant residues and earthenware dates the fort to somewhere between the late 7th and the early 10th century A.D. As far as we know, it’s the first fortress of this period to be found in Flanders. If the fort stretches all the way to the Netherlands, it’s also the first Carolingian fort to be found in the Netherlands. The fort may well have played a role during the rise of Charlemagne’s family, also known as the Pippinids. This family originally came from the region situated between Liege and Maastricht. Presumably, the fort dates back to when Charlemagne’s grandfather, Charles Martel, ruled.

In this turbulent period, various families battled for power and land concessions in this region. In the end, Charles Martel’s family was victorious. Later, his grandson, Charlemagne, ruled over the area. The fortress and the road are part of a greater story archaeologists haven’t quite got to the bottom of, yet. So, it’s an exciting find in a beautiful area for cycling and walking.

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PLEASE NOTE: The location is just on Belgian territory. Via Flanders / Belgium you can reach the location on the cycle path that runs between the Van Akenweg (in the north) and the 2nd Carabinierslaan (in the south).
From the Netherlands you can reach the location via the Cijnsruwe and the Kleine Weg; these streets are located in the Malberg district, on the territory of Maastricht.

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