Digging in the Gorcum clay: archaeologists map bones

GORINCHEM – Hands wrapped in latex gloves dig away the excess mud with great care. More and more bones come to the surface. Parts of skeletons are meticulously cleaned and mapped. Archaeologists shuffle through the mud, kneel down to examine a bone more closely and dig in the earth. Sometimes there is an excited murmur, but mostly there is an almost serene silence.

The program archaeological research at the Grote Kerk is in full swing. Until Friday, the archaeologists of Hollandia from Zaandijk together with a few volunteers from the archaeological society from Gorinchem under the leadership of the municipal archaeologist Eliza van Rooijen are busy mapping the human bones. These bones were discovered in January of this year during work for the new fire extinguishing system that is to be installed at the restored Grote Kerk. Because the municipality had already taken into account that there might be bones around the church, an archaeologist was already present during the work. However, the amount was larger than expected and the work was therefore stopped in January.

Cemetery until 1830

From Monday, Hollandia Archeologists will be busy excavating the route for the fire-fighting pipe and the fire-fighting pit. Quite a job, because the team only has until Friday to trace the bones. "We are only digging on the route where the fire-fighting pipe will be. We are not going to dig infinitely deep and we are only investigating this part around the church. We do know that there are several graves around the church. Bones were also found when the trees were planted," explains archaeologist Eliza van Rooijen. "So we knew that there would be bones, but we had no idea how deep they would be. To my surprise, however, we came across the first bones quite quickly," the archaeologist continues her story. According to Van Rooijen, the area was used as a cemetery between the thirteenth century and 1830. The older the bones, the deeper they are. "The bones that we are excavating are therefore relatively young. The youngest graves can be from the 19^e century”. That does not mean that older bones are not found. The ground where the graves are located has been dug up quite often in the past and the graves have also been partly cleared in the past.

Physical anthropological research

While Van Rooijen is telling her story, another archaeologist suddenly calls a colleague. Reason: two skulls are clearly visible in the Gorcum clay. Extremely carefully but visibly excited, archaeologist Sjeng Dautzenberg digs away the earth around the skulls. Ultimately, it is up to the physical anthropologist to assess all the bones. Using all kinds of techniques, she can determine how old the deceased is, what their gender is, what year the bones date from and even what diseases the deceased may have suffered from. The skulls and all other bones that have been found are all examined. The first report on the graves around the Grote Kerk will be published in three months, but Van Rooijen cannot yet say when the examinations will be completed. "I expect that she (the physical anthropologist, ed.) will be able to examine about two skeletons per day." Strangely enough, little other historical material was found besides the bones. "You would think that we would also find buttons or buckles, but that is not the case. A nail or something, but that is probably the remains of a coffin. Apart from that, little can be found of the coffins. Most of the wood is quite poorly preserved and sometimes people are simply buried without a coffin," explains van Rooijen.

The entire investigation is expected to cost around forty thousand euros. After the investigation, the exhumed bones will be reburied at the General Cemetery in Gorinchem.

The City of Gorinchem
May 27, 2008