Residents of Utrecht can contribute to the research on the Limes, which is set to begin soon. Utrecht University has been awarded 4 million euros to map the Limes even more thoroughly. The project will examine the impact that the northern border of the Roman Empire had on the Netherlands 2,000 years ago, as well as how that impact is still evident today.
TV segment (RTV Utrecht), photos and text by Ulrike Nagel.
Saskia Stevens is a lecturer in history and Roman archaeology at Utrecht University. She is incredibly pleased with the substantial grant. “Those four million euros come from the National Science Agenda, an initiative to bring science closer to the public. This agenda was established a few years ago based on questions from people across the Netherlands. We can now use a whole team of about ten people to investigate even more thoroughly exactly what happened north and south of the Limes.”
This will be done, among other things, by analyzing artifacts from that period, using methods such as isotope analysis. Teeth or bones that have been found are examined in greater detail using these methods. This allows researchers to determine exactly where people settled during that period. Genetic analysis of those same teeth and bones is also part of the project, enabling the creation of a genetic profile of the inhabitants along the Limes.
New Research Methods
Another, entirely new technique is eDNA, or environmental DNA. Until now, this technique has only been used in research on sewage water tested for particles of COVID-19. This, too, is a new technique from the natural sciences, aimed at better understanding the Limes’ impact on culture.
Saskia Stevens: “eDNA stands for environmental DNA. Environmental samples from the Limes may also contain a great deal of encoded genetic data, allowing us to determine which diseases were spread around that border. It’s a relatively new form of research; only the University of Copenhagen has applied it before to investigate diseases such as cholera.”
Citizen science
In addition, researchers are examining old archaeological collections and excavations. Municipal storage facilities are full of items such as pottery shards or tools from 2,000 years ago that can shed light on the interactions between people during that time. Stevens: “And we’re going to get started with ‘citizen science.’ Amateur archaeologists and Utrecht residents who have found artifacts themselves—for example, using a metal detector—can also contribute to the research. Ultimately, we’ll digitize everything and make it available to the public.”
The Limes was the northern border of the Roman Empire and stretched across all of Europe. Within the Netherlands, Utrecht was a highly strategic location for the Romans; where the Dom and the Dom Church now stand was once a Roman fort where 500 soldiers were stationed.
