MORLANWELZ
Belgium.
A vicus of the
civitas Nerviorum on the Bavai-Tongres road in the
locality of Château-des-Sarrasins. The site seems to have
been badly disturbed during the construction of the
Château de Mariemont in 1546. Besides pottery of the
first three centuries A.D., bases and capitals of columns
have been found, as well as conduits, fresco fragments,
iron agricultural tools, etc. A short distance away, 50 m
N of the ancient road, a 4th c. burgus (ca. 40 m square)
was excavated in 1931. It is the first of a series of blocking forts built along the Bavai-Tongres road at the end
of the 3d c. or the beginning of the 4th. To date, others
have been found at Liberchies, Taviers, and Braives. It
was protected by a palisade and moat; in the middle there
was probably a wooden watch tower. The burgus was
occupied throughout the 4th c.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
R. De Maeyer,
De Overblijfselen der
Romeinsche Villa's in België (1940) 86-87; H. Van de
Weerd,
Inleiding tot de Gallo-Romeinsche Archeologie
der Nederlanden (1944) 78-79.
S. J. DE LAET
