AMAY
Belgium.
A Gallo-Roman vicus of
the civitas Tungrorum, situated where the road from
Tongres to Arlon crosses the Meuse by a ford that was
still used in the Middle Ages. In 1842 some thick planks
were found which were interpreted as the remains of a
wooden bridge, but the matter is still uncertain. The
built-up area covered 3 ha, mostly on the left bank of
the Meuse. However, foundations have been noted on
the other side of the river. The road probably dates to
the time of Claudius.
The vicus grew from then on, perhaps around a mutatio along the road. An industrial district was located
on the outskirts of the settlement. Several potters' kilns
were in use from ca. A.D. 50 to 150. There were also
iron smithies. Inside the vicus itself, rectangular houses
were built on both sides of the road, with the narrow
side facing the street. Several cellars have been excavated,
as well as some round wells built of sandstone ashlar
without mortar. Several tombs dating from the 1st to the
4th c. have been found. Study of the coins and the terra
sigillata indicates that the occupation was unbroken from
the middle of the 1st c. A.D. until well into the 4th c.
Although the vicus was laid waste ca. 270 during the
barbarian invasion, it was soon rebuilt.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
M. Vanderhoeven, “La terra sigillata
trouvée dans le vicus romain d'Amay,”
Chronique arch.
du Pays de Liège 51-52 (1960-61) 41-64; A. M. Defize-Lejeune,
Répertoire bibliographique des trouvailles archéologiques de la province de Liège (1964) 2-3; J.
Willems, “Le Vicus belgo-romain d'Amay,”
Bull. du
Cercle arch. Hesbaye-Condroz 8 (1968) 5-18.
S. J. DE LAET
