1975 : Invention of the Pommeroeul site and excavations by the SNF
 
During earthworks on the Hensies-Pommeroeul canal in Pommerœul in the summer of 1975, archaeological objects were unearthed at a depth of 2.5 metres. Léonce Demarez, an amateur archaeologist, was the first on the scene, followed by Guy de Boe and François Hubert, archaeologists from the Service National des Fouilles (SNF).

The remains revealed a site occupied from the Neolithic period to the Roman era. The most important occupation is revealed in the form of a Gallo-Roman port town located at the junction of the Bavay-Blicquy road and the river La Haine. This location gave it a predominant commercial and craft role in the city of the Nerviens.

The Pommeroeul site is known for its outstanding archaeological material, including a large number of shoes and, above all, Gallo-Roman boats, including a barge and the dugout canoe.

The barge (dating from the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD) is a flat-bottomed boat that sailed on rivers and streams. It is preserved at a length of 12.70 m and was originally between 18 and 20 m long.

Considered the ancestor of today's barge, the boat was used to transport heavy goods in Roman times. A remarkable testament to inland waterway transport, trade and the economy of the countryside at the beginning of our era, this major piece in the collections of the Gallo-Roman Centre has been listed among the Treasures of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation since 12 February 2010.

• Espace gallo-romain of Ath (museum).
  The Pommeroeul's boats.