Preparatory investigation

A great deal of preparatory investigation preceded the organizational work at Bergenmeersen. This was necessary to gain an insight into soil quality and structure and the archaeological richness of the project area, since these elements influence the design and costs of the project.This chapter describes the results of the environmental, geotechnical and geophysical soil survey and the archaeological survey. It also examines the model trials of the inlet and outlet sluices. It is through these sluices that the Scheldt water will flow into and out of the flood control area with controlled reduced tide (FCA-CRT)

Lateglacial and Holocene fluvial dynamics in the Lower Scheldt basin (N-Belgium) and their impact on the presence, detection and preservation potential of the archaeological record

Several alluvial areas in the Lower Scheldt basin (LSB) have been subjected to geo-archaeological surveys and excavations in light of tidal restoration and nature development projects. Through the combination of a large number of radiocarbon dates and the sedimentary and geomorphological characteristics of the dated samples, several trends in the evolution of Lateglacial and Holocene fluvial activity in the LSB emerge.At the onset of the Lateglacial period the fluvial style in the LSB consisted of a meandering river system. During most of this period and the early and middle Holocene depositional processes dominated. After a first phase of gyttja deposition, organic and clastic sediments gradually filled the channels and later on this accretion also occurred outside their confines, extending laterally in the alluvial plain. The transition from the Subboreal to the Subatlantic period witnessed an intensification of fluvial activities, and a new meandering river system developed. Vertical accumulation processes continued to dominate the fluvial environment. Due to the creation of an extensive network of dikes floodplain evolution was restricted from the 11th-12th century onwards. Similar evolutions are observed in other lowland river basins in NW Europe, evolutions which have been related to climatic changes, and from the 4th millennium cal BP onwards, also to anthropogenic influences.The low-energy aggradation regime throughout the Holocene within the alluvial areas of the LSB accounts for an extensive, well-preserved, but well-hidden archaeological record. The observed geomorphological and sedimentary evolutions are of primary importance for the understanding of the presence and 'preservation potential' of archaeological structures and finds from the Final Palaeolithic up to the Medieval period

The Belgian polders, Flanders: a test case 2002-2006

From 2002 to 2006 about 400ha of the Belgian Polders reclaimed wetlands, in the vicinity of Oostende and Middelkerke, have been surveyed archaeologically in order to establish a methodology to determine efficiently their archaeological value. The surveyed area, perpendicular to the present coastline and stretching from the beach to the sandy region, is 3 to 4km wide and about 7.5km long. The museum of Walraversijde is the logistical centre for public outreach for the project. The Belgian Polders are very poorly understood archaeologically and, as a result, also largely undervalued. This survey project set out to develop an efficient strategy for the proper archaeological evaluation of this area and to contribute to a better understanding of the potential for research and presentation

Archeologische opgraving van een midden-mesolithische tot middenneolithische vindplaats te ‘Bazel-sluis 5’ (gemeente Kruibeke, provincie Oost-Vlaanderen)

status: publishe