Editing Utrecht (section)

===Origins (before 650 CE)===
[[File:Traiectum - Wttecht - Utrecht (Atlas van Loon).jpg|thumb|left|[[Willem Blaeu]]'s 1652 map of Utrecht (here ''Traiectum Wttrecht'') with its canals and fortifications with nurseries in green on the outside. North is to the left.]]

Although there is some evidence of earlier inhabitation in the region of Utrecht, dating back to the [[Stone Age]] (app. 2200 [[BCE]]) and settling in the [[Bronze Age]] (app. 1800–800&nbsp;BCE),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.utrecht.nl/smartsite.dws?id=163711 |title=Gemeente Utrecht, Geschiedenis Utrecht voor 1528 |access-date=8 September 2008 |archive-date=16 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016132507/http://www.utrecht.nl/smartsite.dws?id=163711 |url-status=live }}</ref> the founding date of the city is usually related to the construction of a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[fortification]] (''[[castellum]]''), probably built in around 50 [[Current Era|CE]]. A series of such fortresses were built after the [[Roman emperor]] [[Claudius]] decided the empire should not expand further north. To consolidate the border, the [[Limes Germanicus]] defense line was constructed<ref name="20eUtrecht">{{cite book |last1=de Bruin |first1=R.E. |last2=Hoekstra |first2=T.J. |last3=Pietersma |first3=A. |author-link3=Albert Pietersma |title=Twintig eeuwen Utrecht, korte geschiedenis van de stad |publisher=SPOU & Het Utrechts Archief |location=Utrecht |year=1999 |language=nl |isbn=90-5479-040-7}}</ref> along the main branch of the river [[Rhine]], which at that time traversed a more northern route (now known as the [[Kromme Rijn]], ''Crooked Rhine'') compared to today's Rhine flow. These fortresses were designed to house a [[cohort (military unit)|cohort]] of about 500 Roman soldiers. Near the fort, settlements grew that housed [[artisan]]s, traders and soldiers' wives and children.

In Roman times, the name of the Utrecht fortress was simply ''[[Traiectum (Utrecht)|Traiectum]]'', denoting its location at a possible Rhine crossing. Traiectum became Dutch Trecht; with the U from [[Old Dutch]] "uut" (downriver) added to distinguish U-trecht from [[Maastricht|Maas-tricht]],<ref>{{cite web |author=Het Utrechts Archief |title=Het ontstaan van de stad Utrecht (tot 100) |url=http://www.hetutrechtsarchief.nl/werkstukken/onderwerpen/ontstaan-utrecht |language=nl |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-date=2 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502015136/http://www.hetutrechtsarchief.nl/werkstukken/onderwerpen/ontstaan-utrecht |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=van der Sijs |first=Nicoline |title=Chronologisch woordenboek. De ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen |url=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/sijs002chro01_01/sijs002chro01_01_0010.htm |location=Amsterdam / Antwerp |year=2001 |page=100 |language=nl |isbn=90-204-2045-3 |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-date=29 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229085936/http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/sijs002chro01_01/sijs002chro01_01_0010.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> on the river [[Meuse]]. In 11th-century official documents, it was Latinized as Ultra Traiectum. Around the year 200, the wooden walls of the fortification were replaced by sturdier [[tuff]] stone walls,<ref>{{cite book |last=Kloosterman |first=R.P.J. |title=Lichte Gaard 9. Archeologisch onderzoek naar het castellum en het bisschoppelijk paleis. Basisrapportage archeologie 41 |url=http://www.utrecht.nl/images/DSO/monumenten/publicaties/Basisrapportages_Archeologie/BRArch_41_Lichte_Gaard/BrArch41_Lichte_Gaard.pdf |publisher=StadsOntwikkeling gemeente Utrecht |year=2010 |isbn=978-90-73448-39-1 |access-date=15 February 2011 |archive-date=6 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206203657/http://www.utrecht.nl/images/DSO/monumenten/publicaties/Basisrapportages_Archeologie/BRArch_41_Lichte_Gaard/BrArch41_Lichte_Gaard.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> remnants of which are still to be found below the buildings around Dom Square.

From the middle of the 3rd century, [[Germanic Tribes|Germanic tribes]] regularly invaded the Roman territories. After around 275 the Romans could no longer maintain the northern border, and Utrecht was abandoned.<ref name="20eUtrecht"/> Little is known about the period from 270 to 650. Utrecht is first spoken of again several centuries after the Romans left. Under the influence of the growing realms of the [[Franks]], during [[Dagobert I]]'s reign in the 7th century, a church was built within the walls of the Roman fortress.<ref name="20eUtrecht"/> In ongoing border conflicts with the [[Frisians]], this first church was destroyed.