A team of archeologists who were working on a dig in Nijmegen in The Netherlands unearthed a very well-preserved glass bowl that’s 2000-years-old!
The palm-sized dish survived centuries under the ground and was intact with very little wear and tear.
The team and the town’s government announced the discovery that happened while the archeologists were working to clear up the area which is part of the Winkelsteeg business district for planned housing development purposes.
Glass Bowl Survives Centuries Buried Under the Ground
The glass item has vertical stripes and these dishes were made by cooling molten glass and hardening it over a mold according to Pepijn van de Geer, the lead archaeologist.
Van de Geer adds that the pattern was done while the glass mixture was still in its liquid form. The blue color was achieved with metal oxide.
Nijmegen is one of the oldest Dutch cities and Ancient Romans first established a military camp there near the present-day Nijmegen around the time that this bowl was made.
This settlement grew and soon became the first Roman city in the present-day Netherlands, a designation that gave its town residents Roman citizenship. Nijmegen’s modern name comes from the Latin word Noviomagus which means new market.
This location overlooks the Waal river and it’s believed to have given Roman forces strategic advantage and access to various trading routes.
The team of archeologists notes that this blue glass might have been made by Roman artisans or brought there by traders considering the unique status of Nijmegen as the hub of ancient Roman activities.
This Glass Bowl Was very Valuable for the Residents
For the residents of the Winkelsteeg settlement, this bowl was very valuable. The residents then would’ve had a big need for leather and purchased cattle hides. The team of researchers also unearthed several tombs, jewelry, and dishware at the location.
They hope to keep testing the soil samples from an ancient well found at the site and learn more about the crops that were grown in the region.
The bowl that was discovered is a very special artifact that needs to be placed in a museum collection, emphasizes Van de Geer.
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