Located in the Flanders region, just a stone’s throw from the capital city of Brussels, the charming town of Leuven is renowned for its prestigious Catholic University (KU Leuven), vibrant student atmosphere, and world-famous brewery. Beneath the surface of this modern city, on the site of a future student dormitory on Brusselsstraat, archaeologists have uncovered an artifact from the Roman era—a remarkably well-preserved wooden aqueduct.
The team of researchers conducting the excavations prior to construction was astonished by the discovery, as reported by Arkeonews. The excavation leader, Ben Van Genechten, noted, “At first, we didn’t quite understand what it was, but when we saw other tree trunks nearby, we realized it was a very old water pipe.”
The 30-meter-long water supply system, found at a depth of four meters, consisted of interconnected hollowed-out tree trunks, each measuring 1.75 meters in length. Nearby, archaeologists also discovered remnants of an ancient Roman pumping system.
While scholars have previously found wooden water pipes from the ancient Romans in other Belgian cities like Tienen and Tongeren, those artifacts have typically survived in a nearly completely ruined state. In contrast, the pipeline from Leuven was in excellent condition. Local official Dirk Vancina explained, “We are in a valley, essentially in a swamp. Since the wood was cut off from oxygen, it survived.” The marshy conditions effectively created an anaerobic environment, preventing the typical decomposition of organic material.
Experts have dated the aqueduct to the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The team believes this finding indicates that the region was a thriving Roman settlement during those ancient times. The presence of such a complex infrastructure, like an aqueduct, suggests a certain level of prosperity among the inhabitants of ancient Leuven.
The wooden artifact will be transported to a laboratory for further study. Eventually, it is likely to be displayed for public viewing, allowing residents and visitors to connect with Leuven’s distant past.
In addition to the aqueduct, archaeologists also unearthed other Roman antiquities, including ceramic items and tiles. The site yielded medieval cesspits, coins, and pottery, illustrating the region’s development over the centuries.
The ongoing analysis of the artifacts promises to shed more light on Leuven’s ancient history and its place in Roman Belgium.