The investigation of a skeleton in a grave of the Castle Ruin in Valkenburg aan de Geul has been completed, after it was opened during the National Archeology Days in June 2021.
It concerns a well-to-do man of about 35 years old, concluded the researchers of RAAP (research and consultancy firm for Archaeology, Cultural History and Heritage).
Also read: Whose skeleton lies in 400-year-old tomb of castle ruins?
wealthy rider
The man, who is tall in stature, has lived the first 16 years of his life in a volcanic area. That he is well off is evident from the good nutrition he must have had. The man was also a horseman. ‘This can be deduced from the construction of his hip’, according to the research commissioned by the Valkenburg Castle Foundation.
Researchers have carried out radiocarbon dating and isotope historical research on the skeleton, among other things. the grave and the area around it were also scanned with measuring equipment for geophysical research.
Tomb castle ruin
The graft was found in 1925 during restoration work. It probably dates from the 17th century. Who is in it is unknown. Presumably there are other graves near the ruins. That is why an extensive scan of the castle grounds will soon be made.
The castle of the current Castle Ruins was built between the 12th and 14th centuries. In 1672 the castle of Valkenburg was blown up with gunpowder by Stadtholder Willem III.