Wim De Clercq

The archaeology of the Dutch War of Independence (1568–1648) in Flanders bears great potential in contributing to the European debate on early modern transformations and in raising public awareness of archaeology as a whole. Thus far, early modern features were however mostly incidentally found on multi-period sites and not as a result from specific research questions. An inventory of sites in the Zwin-Scheldt estuary illustrates the impact of the troubles on the archaeological record. These observations give rise to new research questions that, in turn, form the basis for the discipline to establish itself as a fully fledged academic research field and allow for it to be treated of equal value in the selections made by heritage officers.

Studies of past human-landscape interactions rely upon the integration of archaeological, biological and geological information within their geographical context. However, detecting the often ephemeral traces of human activities at a landscape scale remains difficult with conventional archaeological field survey. Geophysical methods offer a solution by bridging the gap between point finds and the surrounding landscape, but these surveys often solely target archaeological features. Here we show how simultaneous mapping of multiple physical soil properties with a high resolution multi-receiver electromagnetic induction (EMI) survey permits a reconstruction of the three-dimensional layout and pedological setting of a medieval reclaimed landscape in Flanders (Belgium). Combined with limited and directed excavations, the results offer a unique insight into the way such marginal landscapes were reclaimed and occupied during the Middle Ages. This approach provides a robust foundation for unravelling complex historical landscapes and will enhance our understanding of past human-landscape interactions.

In order to verify the relative dating based on pot type morphology and decoration of the Swifterbant pottery collected at the Final Mesolithic site of Doel "Deurganckdok" (Belgium) and of the Late Iron Age pottery excavated at Grijpskerke (the Netherlands), direct radiocarbon dates ...

Bourgeois, Ignace, Wim De Clercq, Koen Deforce, and Vanessa Gelorini. 2004. “De Ijzertijd in Zele (ca. 800 - Ca. 50 vC) : Aan De Periferie Van Een Veranderende Wereld.” Vobov-info (57): 11–24. ... Bourgeois, I., De Clercq, W., Deforce, K., & Gelorini, V. (2004). De ijzertijd in Zele (ca. 800 - ca. 50 vC) : aan de periferie van een veranderende wereld. VOBOV-INFO, (57), 11–24. ... Bourgeois I, De Clercq W, Deforce K, Gelorini V. De ijzertijd in Zele (ca. 800 - ca. 50 vC) : aan de periferie van een veranderende wereld. VOBOV-INFO. Belsele: Verbond ...

De Clercq, Wim, Bastiaens, J., Bourgeois, I., Deforce, K., Gelorini, V., Tency, H., & Van Peteghem, A. (2004). Een plaats bij de Schelde in de eerste eeuwen van de jaartelling : het Gallo-Romeinse Zele op basis van de opgravingen op de Kamershoek en de Zuidelijke Omleiding. VOBOV-INFO, (57), 25–35. ... De Clercq W, Bastiaens J, Bourgeois I, Deforce K, Gelorini V, Tency H, et al. Een plaats bij de Schelde in de eerste eeuwen van de jaartelling : het Gallo-Romeinse Zele op basis van de opgravingen op de Kamershoek en de ...

This article focuses on a remarkable well structure that was brought to light by the Flemish Heritage Institute during recent archaeological research at the south-western corner of the Saxon Shore fort at Oudenburg (2001-2005). The site of Oudenburg is situated 8 km from the Flemish coastline, in the polder area between Bruges and Ostend. During Roman times however, positioned strategically on an elevated sandy ridge, the site overlooked the coastal plain consisting of mudflats and marshes intersected by natural gullies. The remains of the ...

Tijdens een archeologisch onderzoek bij Aalter werd een nederzettingsterrein aangetroffen waar zich resten van steenbouw bevonden. Deze resten zijn te herleiden tot een Romeinse villa (of eigenlijk een versteende herenboerderij). Behalve dit gebouw zijn een huisplattegrond, bijgebouw, waterput en een palisade aangetroffen. De villa is in gebruik gedurende de 2e en begin 3e eeuw.

Image-based 3D modeling has already proven its value for the recording of excavations, however until now its application has remained rather small-scale. We have examined the possibilities and limitations of image-based 3D modeling in the recording of an entire excavation, and its impact on the workflow of the excavation process and the post-excavation processing. Our results suggest that image-based 3D modeling can be an excellent and suitable method for the recording, documentation and visualization of the excavated archaeological heritage. It offers great possibilities for increasing the quality of the archived archaeological excavation record. The high-resolution geometric information allows a straightforward quantification of the data. However it also brings along new challenges, including a change in the workflow of the excavation and the post-excavation process. Although there are limitations, these are greatly surpassed by the possibilities of the method. We believe that image-based 3D modeling can cause a(n) (r)evolution in archaeological excavation practice.

Although the Belgian lowlands witnessed a dense rural occupation in Roman and especially in medieval times, the exact nature of the settlement patterns, the farms and the interaction with the landscape is still poorly understood archaeologically, both scientifically and from a heritage curatorship point of view. Archaeogeophysical research has remained relatively limited in this area. However, other prospection techniques such as aerial photography provide ample evidence of historic rural settlement. The main aim of this research is to develop an efficient and integrated approach for the characterization of these rural landscapes, by combining and mutually evaluating data from geophysical methods including magnetometer, electromagnetic induction and ground-penetrating radar, aerial photography, fieldwalking, historic accounts and test-pitting. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Today, most surveys in archaeogeophysical prospection use magnetic properties to detect archaeological features. Such magnetic surveys are usually conducted with magnetometers and, to a lesser extent, with magnetic susceptibility meters and electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors. Although the latter are the only instruments that allow mapping of multiple physical soil properties simultaneously, EMI remains the odd-one-out in archaeogeophysical prospection. Nevertheless, by simultaneously recording the electric and magnetic soil variability, EMI survey can be beneficial in early archaeological evaluation stages, because detailed pedological and archaeological information is gathered at the same time. Furthermore, by using multi-receiver EMI instruments vertical soil variation also can be integrated into the survey. However, although the potential of EMI for mapping electric soil variations is well known from advances in soil science, magnetic susceptibility measurements have been investigated less. Here we show the potential of a multi-receiver EMI survey to detect weak magnetic anomalies by measuring the apparent magnetic susceptibility (κa) of multiple soil volumes at a test site. The shallow κa data were compared with topsoil susceptibility measurements using a magnetic susceptibility loop sensor survey, and with magnetic susceptibility profiling using a probe sensor for evaluating the deeper κa-data. Further comparisons were made between these datasets and aerial photography and field walking data.We found that the multiple EMI κa measurements allowed for a straightforward discrimination of the natural and anthropogenic magnetic variations of shallow and deeper soil volumes, and allowed visualizing weak magnetic anomalies.

Multi-receiver electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors are increasingly being used to map soil spatial variability by measuring the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) of multiple soil volumes. We present a procedure to process such measurements to identify both large-scale soil variability patterns and small-scale features such as archaeological traces. A 2.6-ha arable field in Belgium was selected since aerial surveys indicated the presence of fine archaeological traces being masked partly by what appeared to be a trend in the soil composition. A survey with a DUALEM-21S EMI sensor provided four co-located ECa measurements of varying soil volumes, which were combined in a two-step inversion procedure. Our procedure enhanced the distinction between the archaeological traces and probable ice-wedge casts, with a small lateral and vertical extent, and the large-scale trend of natural soil variability, identified as the varying depth to the interface between two contrasting soil layers.

... Karl Cordemans [801001290864] - Ghent University; Philippe Crombé [801000753627] - Ghent University Philippe.Crombe@UGent.be; Wim De Clercq [801001058064] - Ghent University W.DeClercq@UGent.be. Chapter Title, Archaeology in Flanders: an overview. ...

The ancient Kingdom of Kongo originated in Central Africa in the 14th century. In the 15th century, the Portuguese organized tight contacts with the Bakongo. From then on European goods gained new significance in the local culture and even found their way into funerary rites. Among the most important grave goods in the Kingdom of Kongo were shell and glass beads. They occur in many tombs and symbolize wealth, status, or femininity. At the burial site of Kindoki, linked with the former capital of Kongo’s Nsundi province, a great number of shell and glass beads were found together with symbols of power in tombs attributed primarily to the first half of the 19th century. Determining the origin of these beads and their use in the Kongo Kingdom leads to interesting insights into the social and economic organization of the old Bakongo society, their beliefs, and the symbolic meaning of the beads.

Abstract: De Schelde stroomt al eeuwen door ons landschap: niet altijd via dezelfde bedding, niet altijd met hetzelfde debiet of onderhevig aan dezelfde getijdenwerking. Maar altijd was ze bron van leven. Onder leiding van Mark van Strydonck en Guy de Mulder leiden een ploeg wetenschappers de lezer langs de oevers en door de geschiedenis van de rivier: de jagers-verzamelaars en de eerste bewoning tijdens de prehistorie, de religieuze symboliek van de neolitische mens, het belang van de handelsader voor de Romeinse ...

During archaeological excavations of the Castle of Middelburg (Belgium), a 16th century ceramic vessel
containing a greasy substance was found. A wide range of chemical techniques was applied on what was
presumed to be an ointment to reveal its nature and function. The organic fraction, constituting about 24 wt.%,
was analyzed by chromatography and mass spectrometry and consists of beeswax next to smaller amounts of a
triglyceride lipid source. Infrared analyses indicated the presence of calcium carboxylate soaps. The inorganic
ingredients represent about 30% of the total mass. While calcium, lead and iron were detected by elemental
analysis, X-ray diffraction revealed calcium sulfate (gypsum) and lead sulfate as major minerals. Detailed study
by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of lead as a divalent species. Altogether, these
results point to a medicinal formulation of a lead plaster, used for treating bruises, mixed with beeswax, which
was added for easy application on the skin. It is further assumed that lead carboxylates, originally present in the
sample, reacted with gypsum, resulting in the formation of calcium carboxylates and lead sulfate. Gypsum
could have been added to whiten or to strengthen the plaster. Hence, the analyses confirm the presumed
medicinal nature of the find and add it to the list of very rare finds of preserved historical ointments.

The ancient Kingdom of Kongo originated in Central Africa in the 14th century. In the 15th century, the Portuguese organized tight contacts with the Bakongo. From then on European goods gained new significance in the local culture and even found their way into funerary rites. Among the most important grave goods in the Kingdom of Kongo were shell and glass beads. They occur in many tombs and symbolize wealth, status, or femininity. At the burial site of Kindoki, linked with the former capital of Kongo's Nsundi province, a great number of shell and glass beads were found together with symbols of power in tombs attributed primarily to the first half of the 19th century. Determining the origin of these beads and their use in the Kongo Kingdom leads to interesting insights into the social and economic organization of the old Bakongo society, their beliefs, and the symbolic meaning of the beads.

... Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: Record Details. Record ID, 135159. Record Type, conference. Author, Jean Bourgeois [801000433527] - Ghent University Jean.Bourgeois@ UGent.be; Karl Cordemans [801001290864] - Ghent University; ...

Dit artikel brengt een gedetailleerde studie van het Romeinse aardewerk, aangetroffen tijdens de opgravingscampagnes van 2000 en 2001 naar aanleiding van de aanleg van het industrieterrein Plassendale III2 (fig. 1). Grootschalige rioleringswerken op dit terrein over een totale lengte van 1,5 km (fig. 2) sneden een aantal Romeinse contexten aan met een interessant gamma aan ceramiek3. De verschillende sporen van Romeinse aanwezigheid komen samen met de natuurwetenschappelijke resultaten in een volgend volume uitvoerig aan bod. Met deze studie hopen we echter een eerste inzicht te bekomen in de kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve aspecten van het aardewerkgebruik tijdens de Romeinse periode in de kustvlakte. Daartoe achtten we het nodig om wat dieper in te gaan op de verschillende soorten van aardewerk, hun herkomst en hun mate van aanwezigheid. De procentuele gegevens hebben daarbij vooral een indicatieve waarde als vergelijkingspunt voor latere studies in het gebied, eerder dan dat ze gez...

De Clercq, Wim, Jan Bastiaens, K Deforce, Konjev Desender, Anton Ervynck, Vanessa Gelorini, Kristof Haneca, Roger Langohr, and A Van Petegem. 2005. “Waarderend En Preventief Archeologisch Onderzoek Op De Axxes-locatie Te Merelbeke (prov. Oost-Vlaanderen) : Een Grafheuvel Uit De Bronstijd En Een Nederzetting Uit De Romeinse Periode.” Archeologie in Vlaanderen = Archaeology in Flanders 8 (2001/2002): 123–164. ... De Clercq, Wim, Bastiaens, J., Deforce, K., Desender, K., Ervynck, A., Gelorini, V., Haneca, K., et al. (2005). ...

Since a few years a French-Belgian team of archeologists and geologists work on the characterization of ancient quern stones and millstones (mainly from the Antique period) linked with the identification of their stratigraphical and geographical provenances.
This fruitful collaboration aims at reconstructing the ancient commercial roads and economic organization of territories during that period.
In addition to the better-known volcanic rocks from the Eifel area, our study revealed the frequent occurrence of particular Devonian conglomerates and sandstones from the Ardenne area, as raw materials for the manufacturing of querns and millstones. The latter sandstones as well as the related antique millstone quarries, form an important and until now undervalued geological and cultural heritage in Belgium.

Near the Ardenne border between France and Belgium, the earliest Devonian (Lochkovian) sediments deposited on the Caledonian substrate are conglomerates, which are interpreted as continental alluvial fans. The first marine sediments are littoral sandstones/quartzites or shales/slates. A sandstone formation, formally defined as the “Arkose d’Haybes” is closely linked to the former Lochkovian conglomerates (called also the “Poudingue de Fépin”). The outcrops of this particular formation around the reference localities of Haybes, Fépin and Hargnies (Ardennes, France), show a partly recrystallized, well-sorted grey to greenish sandstone (turbidite facies) with wine-red coloured joints. Another important area displaying old quarries in the same formation is located between Hirson (Aisne, France) and Macquenoise (Hainaut, Belgium): here, a more homogenous grey coarse sandstone facies occurs, with a better consistency and small amounts of dark green tourmaline crystals.

Pottery from a 10th-early-11th c. pottery kiln from Merelbeke (Belgium).
A small pottery kiln was excavated in 2000 at Merelbeke, about 10 km south of Ghent (Belgium). It was found on a site with a multi-period, mostly early medieval occupation. The earliest remains consisted of a late-Merovingian and Carolingian graveyard, located in the southern part of the excavation area. Later, a 10th-11th century settlement developed in the northern and western parts, represented by at least two wooden buildings and four ‘Grubenhäuser’.
The pottery produced on the site is known only through the wasters found in the kiln itself. The oven pit contained 1812 sherds, representing 102 globular pots, 3 spouted pots and 4 frying pans. The technical homogeneity of the fabric is remarkable. All pots are made with a well-tempered, ferruginous clay, with a sorted sand temper of 2-3 mm large. Mostly non-tempered clay particles of 1 to 5 mm are visible in the fabric. The colour ranges from completely grey to completely beige, depending on the position of the pot in the kiln and on the intensity of the firing.
The typology of the pots is very uniform. They have a globular body, a lenticular base and a simple rim with a diameter ranging from 120 to 200 mm. Most of the globular pots are decorated with rouletting on rim and shoulder; only 15 % of them are undecorated. The frying pan is a rather deep, bowl-shaped type with a short, hollow handle with a perforation in the body.
Based on the morphological characteristics of the pottery, the production of the small kiln at Merelbeke can be dated to the second half of the 10th and the first half of the 11th century. Radiocarbon analysis of charcoal from the kiln itself do not contradict this, although the results are ambiguous. When only the youngest dating results are taken in account, the use of the kiln dates from in the first quarter of the 11th century. From a typological point of view, the pottery fits in very well with the pottery from the Scheldt region in that period as well with the broader pottery tradition of the time in the (southern) Low Countries.

Archaeological practice within the European context of heritage management is facing huge challenges in ways of recording and reproduction of ex-situ preserved sites. As a consequence of the Valletta-treaty, numbers of archived images and drawings of excavated structures as prime sources of past human activity, are exponentially growing. Contrarily to portable remains however, their future study and revision is biased by the two-dimensional character of the recorded data, rendering difficult their future reconstruction for new study or public dissemination. A more realistic three-dimensional (3D) way of recording and archiving should be pursued. In this paper the possibilities for 3D registration of archaeological features are examined in a computer vision-based approach using the PhotoScan software package (Agisoft LCC). It proved to be a scientific and cost-effective improvement compared to traditional documentation methods. Advantages can be found in the high accuracy and straightforwardness of the methodology. The extraction of an orthophoto or a Digital Terrain Model from the 3D model makes it feasible to integrate detailed and accurate information into the digital archaeological excavation plan. The visual character of 3D surface modeling offers enhanced output-possibilities allowing a better documentation of in-situ structures for future research and a higher public participation and awareness for the archaeological heritage."

Image-based 3D modeling has already proven its value for the recording of excavations, however until now its application has remained rather small-scale. We have examined the possibilities and limitations of image-based 3D modeling in the recording of an entire excavation, and its impact on the workflow of the excavation process and the post-excavation processing. Our results suggest that image-based 3D modeling can be an excellent and suitable method for the recording, documentation and visualization of the excavated archaeological heritage. It offers great possibilities for increasing the quality of the archived archaeological excavation record. The high-resolution geometric information allows a straightforward quantification of the data. However it also brings along new challenges, including a change in the workflow of the excavation and the post-excavation process. Although there are limitations, these are greatly surpassed by the possibilities of the method. We believe that image-based 3D modeling can cause a(n) (r)evolution in archaeological excavation practice.

This paper assesses the application of a consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solution for the image-based three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a buried Medieval landscape at Monnikerede, a deserted former outport of Bruges, with the archaeological aim to achieve a better characterization of the (micro)topography and ultimately a better understanding of the site. The UAV survey resulted in a highly detailed and accurate 3D model of the terrain, allowing a thorough topographic analysis of the complex archaeological landscape. Application of algorithms to produce an enhanced visualization of the topographic variability led to a sequence of derivatives each highlighting the topography in a different way. Additionally a decorrelation stretch was applied on the collected imagery, thereby generating enhanced orthophotos producing another view on the archaeological landscape. Integrating the (enhanced) orthophoto(s) with the digital surface model (DSM) and derivatives to conduct a thorough analysis of the archaeological landscape resulted in the detection and identification of new archaeological features and the formulation of new insights in the layout of this important Medieval outport.

Tracing migration through ceramics
Antique Roman sources[1] inform us on the migration of Germanic people crossing the
Rhine into the province of Gaul during the Late Roman period.
How can we attest this with ceramic studies in archaeology?
• Can we distinguish immigration from trade, exchange or the transmission of ideas?
• Can we trace the origin of the pots and/or people?
• Can we see signs of signs of acculturation in the material culture?

Rastrear las migraciones a través de la cerámica
Las fuentes literarias romanas [1] informan de la migración de pueblos germanos que
cruzan el Rin hacia la provincia de la Galia en época tarodantigua.
¿Cómo podemos documentar arqueológicamente este hecho mediante la cerámica?
• ¿Podemos distinguir la inmigración del comercio, el intercambio o la transmisión de
ideas?
• ¿Podemos rastrear el origen de los recipientes cerámicos y / o los migrantes?
• ¿Podemos ver signos de aculturación en la cultura material?

Accompagnant une dynamique européenne forte, une équipe franco-belge de géologues et d’archéologues étudie de manière approfondie les meules rotatives anciennes découvertes entre la Seine et le Rhin. Le développement récent de l’archéologie préventive permet de les analyser au sein de leur position stratigraphique sur les sites de consommation, promettant de riches résultats en matière d’organisation économique des sociétés. Sur le plan pétrographique, la discrimination des faciès de roches meulières par les géologues du groupe permet la reconnaissance de leur origine géologique et géographique. Le recensement d’observations historiques et archéologiques plus ou moins anciennes fournit également des indices pour retrouver les carrières d’extraction des meules.
La cartographie de ces points d’origine d’une part et des sites de consommation d’autre part nous offre aujourd’hui une bonne appréhension de leurs circuits de diffusion et permet de rechercher les facteurs qui régissent cette distribution au cours du temps.
Entre le Bassin parisien qui fournit en abondance calcaires, grès et meulières, et le massif de l’Eifel dont les roches volcaniques sont largement exploitées au cours de l’Histoire, l’Ardenne constitue un immense réservoir de matières premières minérales bien connues des populations occupant le nord de la France et la Belgique de la Protohistoire au haut Moyen Âge. Les grès et conglomérats dévoniens sont sans conteste les plus exploités pour la taille de meules dont plusieurs sites d’extraction sont connus :
- Autour du massif de Rocroi, le secteur d’Hirson/Macquenoise (Aisne/Hainaut) situé à cheval sur la frontière franco-belge, montre d’importants stigmates d’exploitations anciennes. Le grès grossier lochkovien (Dévonien inférieur) dit « de Macquenoise » y a été extrait dès la Protohistoire, puis de façon massive durant toute la période romaine. D’autres sites d’extraction sont supposés le long de l’affleurement et ont pu fournir les meules que l’on recense dès le Néolithique moyen dans le nord de la France. Ces gisements restent cependant à prospecter dans les environs de Haybes/Fépin (Ardennes, France) et Hargnies/Willerzie (Ardennes/Prov. de Namur, France/Belgique).
- Dans les bois qui jouxtent la Meuse en amont de Namur (Belgique), plusieurs sites ont livré des ébauches de meules taillées dans une roche conglomératique de couleur « lie-de-vin » appelée « Poudingue de Burnot » (Emsien/Eifelien, Dévonien inférieur/moyen). Ici aussi, une exploitation protohistorique est attestée et la diffusion des meules rotatives est réellement observée de la fin de la période gauloise au début de l’époque romaine. Cependant, l’affleurement Emsien/Eifelien est extrêmement étendu  le long du versant septentrional de l’Ardenne et traverse toute la Belgique d’est en ouest. Il est très probable que d’autres carrières ne soient pas encore identifiées sur ces niveaux.
- À l’est autour du massif de Stavelot enfin, entre Baraque de Fraiture et Recht (Provinces de Luxembourg et de Liège, Belgique), les niveaux lochkoviens affleurent de nouveau et ont été exploités pour la taille de meules. Ici aussi des ébauches de meules « va-et-vient » témoignent d’une exploitation protohistorique, puis la carte de diffusion des meules rotatives semble aller dans le sens d’un abandon des carrières à l’époque romaine. Il faut attendre la période mérovingienne pour retrouver des meules originaires de ce secteur qui livre aussi un grand nombre de ratés de fabrication médiévaux.