Archaeologists find Roman aqueduct linked to Ambiorix
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Archaeologists in Berg, Tongeren-Borgloon, Belgium, uncovered a remarkably well-preserved Roman aqueduct dating to 68 AD, which may be connected to the settlement of Ambiorix, a historical figure often called “the first Belgian.”
Robert Nouwen, a former curator at the Gallo-Roman Museum, explained that calling Ambiorix the first Belgian is inaccurate because the nation of Belgium did not exist until after the 1830 revolution. He also noted that Ambiorix’s people, the Eburones, were Germanic, not Belgae.
Nouwen detailed how the idea of Ambiorix as the first Belgian arose in the 19th century when the newly formed country sought to create a national identity and historical legitimacy. This led to a search for national heroes, initially focusing on Buodognat, a leader of the Nervii, but later shifting to Ambiorix due to more frequent mentions of him in Julius Caesar’s writings and his association with the city of Tongeren.
Tongeren itself claims the title of Belgium’s oldest city, a claim Nouwen supports both historically and legally, as it received official city status as a Roman municipium around the 2nd century AD. If the recent excavations confirm Roman troops were stationed nearby, the battle between Ambiorix and the Romans may have occurred close to Tongeren.
