Oesters Ostrea edulis in het stroomgebied van de Rijn: waar kwamen ze vandaan?

Finds of shells of the Oyster Ostrea edulis from the Roman Time were found in many places along the River Rhine and its tributaries. These finds are from former Roman cities and military bases. This paper deals with the question “Where did these oysters come from?” From the coast of the North Sea? From the French Atlantic coast? Or from ancient oyster farms in the Mediterranean Sea? Oysters found in the southern part of the Rhine river basin (south of Trier, Germany) may have originated from the French Atlantic coast and/or from the Mediterranean Sea. More northern finds, e.g. from Xanten, Germany, are considered to have originated from the estuarine areas of Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt in the southern North Sea.