De Meern

De Meern was founded during the Roman times, because it was not only trade-wise but also a good strategic spot to build an encampment (castellum). The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine Empire. ... Castellum is a small Roman detached fort or fortlet which served as a watch tower or signal station. ...

The Rhine was the Northern Border of the Roman Empire, and there were several Castella across the borderline. In De Meern, not only a complete Castellum has been found, but also several ships, roads, pottery and currency have been found. Most of these items (especially the big items) have been put back into the ground for perfect preservation, since the riverclay prevents them from rotting (it hardly lets oxygen through). At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Romansch: Rein, Italian: Reno) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ...

After the Roman Empire fell apart, trade in De Meern collapsed, leading to spontaneous migration to other (bigger) cities. During the Middle Ages, De Meern was just another farming village of no significance. Nowadays, De Meern is part of the agglomeration of Utrecht. Currently (2005), Utrecht is building 30.000 homes which will support about 80 000 civilians. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The city of Utrecht and the surrounding cities, villages, and townships form an agglomeration in the middle of The Netherlands. ... Utrecht is a municipality and the capital city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. ...