Voorburg-Arentsburg: a Roman harbour with a British connection in the hinterland of the Limes

Abstract

In 2007-2008, the Amsterdam Archaeological Centre of the University of Amsterdam excavated in the small Roman town of Voorburg (Forum Hadriani) near The Hague in The Netherlands. The excavations were undertaken in the expectation of examining one or two insulae of this Roman town. We were very surprised when a dredged channel (110 x 32m) with quay installations consisting of two successive periods of driven piles was uncovered. An immense quantity of portable finds – especially pottery – was retrieved from this channel. The provenances in combination with the form and function of the retrieved pottery make clear that the settlement played a role in trade and military supplies. At first there seems to be a British connection by means of retrieved Romano-British artefacts in Voorburg. Next to that there are some striking resemblances between the Roman harbours of Voorburg-Arentsburg and London when comparing the origin of pottery and several formation processes. Secondly, the pottery provenances and the form and function of the retrieved ware show that the harbour of Voorburg played an important role in supplying the regional coastal forts in the C2nd and C3rd.