Archaeologists uncover sea dike from Roman times in Raversijde

The archaeologists are affiliated with the Free University of Brussels. In recent days they have already made a cross-section through an old dike of six hundred meters long in Westende. “That is one of the few old dike structures in our polders that are still well preserved,” says Soetkin Vervist. In historical documents it is mentioned as ‘Boonlanddijk’.

Roman time

This week they started excavating the dike in Raversijde, and they suspect that it dates from Roman times. Excavations have been made there before, but the techniques were not so sophisticated at the time. Pieces of shards of Roman pottery were found there, which must indicate that there was already a dike two thousand years ago. “We can see from the bottom that a battle with the sea was waged here at that time,” explains Vervist. “We should probably see the old dikes in the context of serious sea breaches,” says the archaeologist.

Archaeological research now must also contribute to the future, says Soetkin Vervist. “If we know how our coast has evolved over time, we can take sustainable coastal protection measures for the future.”