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General
Garbage container Varkenmarkt
In the week of May 15, 2017, Hollandia archaeologists commissioned by the municipality of Gorinchem, an archaeological drilling survey was carried out for several plan locations within the historic city centre of Gorinchem. The reason for the survey is the (re)location and removal of 9 underground waste containers. The associated soil interventions may pose a threat to the archaeological soil archive.
The purpose of the drilling research is to test the archaeological expectation and to supplement it if necessary. It can also be used to determine the structure of the soil, whether there are archaeological values present or whether the soil has been disturbed.
Locations
Based on the program of requirements drawn up in 2016, 6 of the locations have been designated where archaeological preliminary research must take place. These research locations are located at Nonnenveld (1), Boerenstraat-Affuithof (2), Havendijk (3), Bagijnenwal (4), Varkenmarkt (5) and Groenmarkt (6). At the first 4 locations, a waste container will be added to the existing containers. At the Varkenmarkt, 2 containers will be removed and 4 new ones will be placed. At the Groenmarkt, an extra row of 4 containers will be added to the existing containers. To place the containers, a hole measuring approximately 2,20 x 2,20 x 2,20 meters will be dug per container. The containers will be placed underground in their entirety. The excavation work involved in this may disturb the soil archive. The research area is located on the archaeological expectation map located in a zone within the historic city center.
Overview of drilling locations for underground containers in the city centre
The entire city centre is characterised as an area with a high archaeological expectation. For the zones with a very high archaeological expectation for the late Middle Ages and modern times that are distinguished on the expectation map(s), plan areas with a surface area smaller than 30 m² or with a disturbance depth of maximum 30 cm below ground level are exempt from research. At location 2, 5 and 6, there is also a very high expectation of archaeology, but because the archaeological remains present are located directly below ground level and are of great importance to Gorinchem, archaeological research must be carried out for all soil disturbance. With the placement of 12 new containers of 2,2 x 2,2 x 2,2 metres, at least 58 m² of soil will be disturbed and dug deeper than 30 centimetres below ground level, which means that archaeological preliminary research is mandatory.
Follow-up research
The drilling research has determined that two of the six locations are not eligible for further research: namely the Havendijk and Nonnenveld/Kalkhaven. At two of the locations, Boerenstraat-Affuithof and Bagijnenwal, only one container will be placed, so there will be a small disturbance. Due to the intact soil, further research is proposed here in the form of archaeological supervision. Due to the large surface area that will be excavated on the Groenmarkt and Varkenmarkt and the results of the previous archaeological research on the Green market in 2010 an excavation is proposed for these locations. A program of requirements is drawn up for this purpose
| Drilling location: | Soil structure: | Follow-up research: |
|---|---|---|
| Nuns Field-Kalkhaven (1) | Thickly applied sand package up to 300 cm. | Co-funding is not required. |
| Farmers Street-Affuithof (2) | Intact soil and archaeological indicators | Yes, guidance. Small surface. |
| Harbor dike (3) | Thickly applied sand package up to 390 cm. | Co-funding is not required. |
| Bagijnenwal (4) | Lots of debris, possibly intact. | Yes, guidance. Small surface and much rubble indicating demolition. Possibly remains of the late medieval city wall. |
| Varkenmarkt (5) | Intact soil, thick layer of embankments, archaeological indicators. | Yes, excavation. Large surface and thick package of embankments. Possible burials of Franciscan Monastery. |
| Groenmarkt (6) | Largely intact, partly old excavation pit. | Yes, excavation. Large surface, burials and good results in previous excavation see: Groenmarkt (2010). |
Archaeologists find skeletons behind the Gorcum Museum
This research into the skeletons behind the building of the Gorcums Museum was carried out in anticipation of the placement of garbage containers. …
Publications
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Langeveld, M. (2021) Underground waste containers, archaeological excavations at various locations in the city center of Gorinchem, municipality of Gorinchem (ZH), Hollandia series 964, Zaandijk. flipbook | PDF (2 MB) |
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Gardener, NC (2017) Archaeological drilling research for the purpose of placing underground waste containers in the historic centre of Gorinchem, municipality of Gorinchem, Hollandia series 640, Zaandijk. flipbook | PDF (1 MB) |
Metadata
| Archis number(s): | 4543900100 |
| Topographic map: | 38G |
| Coordinates: | 126.652/426.942 (center coordinates) |
| Toponym: | Gorinchem-Waste containers |
| City: | Gorinchem |
| Local authority: | Gorinchem |
| Province: | Zuid-Holland |
| Type of research: | Archaeological drilling research |
| Executor: | Hollandia Archaeologists, Zaandijk. |
| Project Manager: | PM Floore |
| Client: | Municipality of Gorinchem |
| Competent authority: | Municipality of Gorinchem |
| Start of investigation: | May 15, 2017 |
| Documentation: | Municipal depot for archaeology Gorinchem |
| IN: | - |