GORINCHEM – On Monday, November 18, archaeologist Drs PM Floore will report on the excavation carried out under his leadership at the Happy Corner in May of this year. He does this at the invitation of the Historical Society 'Oud-Gorcum' in the De Heul community center at Nieuwe Hoven 141. Members may bring a guest.
Excavation Blijenhoek
Floore is affiliated with the Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology of the University of Amsterdam. He was hired by the municipality to supervise the excavation. During the lecture, in which he uses slides, he will give an overview of the results of the research. He will also briefly discuss the discovery of the castle of the lords of Arkel. On the Happy Corner stood from the late Middle Ages to the 16s of this century houses about which little was known until the excavation. The excavation brought to light a large quantity of pottery and utensils, which had been deposited by the residents in waste pits behind the house over the centuries. The excavation thus provided a good picture of the origins of the city of Gorinchem under the protection of the Arkels. Certainly in the XNUMXe in 17e century the inhabitants of the Happy Corner in very good condition, the finds of expensive glass objects and pottery clearly show that. The houses were comparable to the largest in the Gasthuisstraat. Later, in the 18e in 19e century, the neighborhood became significantly impoverished.
Fallen walls of the castle of the lords of Arkel in the Wijdschild
Castle of the Arkels
In August, part of the excavation was carried out by an amateur archaeologist from Gorinchem castle of the Arkels found on the Dalemsedijk. A short investigation showed that the castle must have been of great size and was possibly one of the largest medieval castles in the Netherlands. The remains of this very important castle are now covered to preserve them for posterity as best as possible. At the moment, some finds from the castle are exhibited in the city hall. In his lecture, Floore will discuss the relationship between the castle, the Arkels and the origins of the city.
November 12, 1996
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