Mergor in Mosam            Archeologie onder water

An underwater search for a Roman bridge between Venlo and Blerick.

The city of Venlo, west of the river Meuse, once started as a Roman settlement (vicus), that left many traces in the city center. In the year 2008 the remains of a Roman road were discovered on the opposite side of the river near the city of Blerick. The road ran straight to the heart of the vicus. This made the existence of some kind of connection more than likely. Mergor in Mosam organized a survey for the remains of a possible bridge. The survey was preceded by an underwater multi-beam sonar scan, which resulted in many potential locations. The scan was followed by an underwater survey of a diving team, checking these locations one by one. Besides masses of litter, also large blocks of shaped stone and a large pointed oak pile were found. The large blocks were almost certainly the remains of the prewar railway bridge that was destroyed at the end of the war. The pointed pile was dendrodated at the late 16^th century, nicely coinciding with the siege of Venlo by the Spanish duke of Parma during the 80 years war. Unfortunately not the remains of a Roman bridge but still an interesting echo from the past. If there are remains of a Roman bridge, they are still concealed in the bottom of the river.