Archaeologists May Have Found 2,100-Year-Old Roman Canal Built by Gaius Marius in Southern France
A Roman canal dated back more than 2,100 years may have been located in southern France. The structure is believed to be the Marius Canal. It is thought to have been built between 104 and 102 B.C. during the Cimbrian Wars. The Romans had been engaged in battles against the Cimbri and Teutones, two migrating Celtic tribes. The waterway was said to have been ordered by Roman general Gaius Marius to improve supply routes. If confirmed, this would be the first major Roman hydraulic engineering project in Gaul. Study Suggests Ancient Canal Matches Roman Construction Patterns According to a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, the canal's remains were found south of Arles within the RhƓne River delta. The research team which was led by JoƩ Juncker, a geoarchaeologist at the University of Strasbourg, conducted sediment core analysis and radiocarbon dating. These tests indicate that the site was used between the first century B.C. and third century A.D. Th...