Roman Wooden Water Pipe Found Beneath Belgian City Street

Archaeology Magazine ^ | May 9, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Belga News Agency reports that modern construction work beneath the Brusselsestraat in Leuven unearthed a rare and remarkably well-preserved Roman wooden water pipe, which the city council has described as a "unique and exceptional find." The conduit was located about 13 feet beneath the level of the modern city street. Extending between 65 and 100 feet long, the pipeline was constructed from hollow tree trunks measuring around six feet each. While similar features have been found in other Belgian cities such as Tienen and Tongeren, they have typically been very badly decayed. Archaeologists believe that the pipe was installed sometime between the first and the third century a.d., although forthcoming tree ring analysis will determine its exact date. The find suggests that the site was once a prosperous Roman settlement, as sophisticated engineering and infrastructure of this kind was commonly reserved for higher-status towns.

[SunkenCiv]

Wooden water pipe, Leuven, Belgium

Leuven City Council

[SunkenCiv]

[Ciaphas Cain]

I wonder how they made that?

[telescope115]

That’s remarkable.

[SunkenCiv]

The original pipes here in The Boonies were wood. The last of them were replaced not all that many years ago. These appear to be hollowed-out logs. The ones here were built by barrel makers, so, long staves and held together by rings. In the frontier era here, wood was used for everything — roads, construction, heating, cooking, even the steam trains.

[Blue Highway]

The conspiracy theorist freaks will claim this is PROOF of Tartarian civilizations before man existed

[mowowie]

I don’t know if i ever mentioned but THANK YOU for your continuous amazing pings!

:)

[TigersEye]

I recently read about a wooden water pipe made from hollow logs found in the Denver area which had been installed in the 19th Century.

This has really got that beat! :)

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

I’m not saying it’s aliens, but.......

[Mogger]

Wooden water pipes were still in our town in some areas about 30 years ago, there may still be some.

They were made using a long auger and inside and outside tapering gouges.

The process is still demonstrated at a festival in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

The Romans may have had the technology, it is pretty simple.

[avital2]

i always enjoy your posts, but then i come alive climbing over stones at digs in Israel. this find - its preservation - is Somethiing Else!

[Beowulf9]

I second that motion.

Fascinating stuff you bring us!

[Adder]

Better wood than lead...

[Braak]

I wonder what the lifetime of one of those pipes was? The good news is that they were easy to replace, relatively.

[Larry Lucido]

Newman:

It’s the wood that makes it good.

[Sacajaweau]

We actually replaced an old wooden pipe with a new wooden pipe..this was in the 1980's. The pipe was well over 100 years old.

It was about 48" in diameter...banded as you said. The wood swells when wet and makes a tight seal. It was easier and cheaper to replace with wood. One great job.

[telescope115]

I wonder what kind of wood those pipes were made of, that they lasted for a millennium. The Romans, for as brutal as they were, were master builders and engineers.

[Red Badger]

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, really... wait a sec... are you *saying* that they *didn't exist?!?*