TOURINNES-ST.-LAMBERT
Belgium.
Gallo-Roman vicus of the civitas Tungrorum, on the Baudecet-Tourinnes-Elewijt-Rumst road, a secondary road linking the Bavai-Tongres and Bavai-Ganda-Utrecht roads.
The remains of the vicus are found on both sides of this
road over a distance of more than 3 km. Excavations,
undertaken in 1910, were left incomplete. Although ca.
10 dwellings had been noted, only two were studied. One
was a humble wooden cabin (5 x 3.5 m), with a stamped
earth floor and wattle-and-daub walls. The tile roof had
collapsed in one piece over the room, without greatly
disturbing the rows of tiles and their imbrication. All
these tiles, of various sizes, were refuse items. The other
dwelling (12.15 x 4.1 m) had a porch (4.1 x 2 m) in
front of the facade. The interior of this dwelling was
divided by a brick wall. It was heated by a hypocaust
which extended under the whole building. The outer
walls were made of white sandstone ashlars and were
0.9 m thick. The roof was covered with slates measuring 0.6 m square. A ditch full of plastic clay mixed with
sand was found beside the house. A potter's kiln with
an interior diameter of 2.2 m was excavated nearby and
dumps full of sherds and defective pieces were also
found. The potter made mainly large dolia, mortars, and
pottery for daily use. During the same excavations, a funeral pyre and some incineration tombs with very poor
grave goods were found 200 m from the potter's kiln.
Three large barrows were erected N of the vicus, two
of which survive. They were 5 m high and 15 m in diameter. Neither funerary chambers nor grave goods have been located. The remains found so far date the vicus to the 2d and 3d c.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
R. De Maeyer,
De Overbijilselen der
Romeinsche Villa's in België (1940) 27-28; J. Martin,
Le Pays de Gembloux des origines à l'an mil (1950)
49-55; M. Desittere,
Bibliografisch repertorium der oudheidkundige vondsten in Brabant (1963) 150-51.
S. J. DE LAET
