Here, the Romans built the fort Gelduba in the late 1st century AD near an Ubian village.

Albert Steeger discovered two cemeteries in 1937 ("Gellep-West" and the southern "Gellep-East") with Roman and Frankish graves.

Gellep-West is the smaller and older of the two early medieval burial sites and is directly adjacent to the large Roman military cemetery.

[4] The nearby Gellep-East cemetery, though distinctly separate, dates back to around 535 AD, with a "prince's grave field" containing the grave of the Frankish prince Arpvar, who was buried with rich gold jewelry and a golden Spangenhelm.

The settlement in Gellep likely continued in the fort, used by the Franks, as indicated by the discovery of a Frankish pottery kiln and a coin find.