An archaeological investigation into a suspected pingo ruin at a large distribution center near Oranjedorp has not yet started. Despite previous commitments and insistence from the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), the municipality is still in consultation with the province about the design of the follow-up study.
The council announced this in its response to questions from the Hart voor Emmen faction.
The construction of the distribution center near Oranjedorp led to much discussion. There was criticism of the size of this ‘Berlin Wall’ a short distance from homes, the poor communication and the promised employment that has so far not materialized. The building has remained empty since the building was completed in October last year.
Moreover, during the construction of the site, archaeological mineral resources were largely destroyed. This included remains of a possible pingo ruin.
The council states that it is not yet 100 percent certain whether it is a pingo ruin or a blowout hole. However, it has previously been determined that a small part of the site may still be intact and suitable for additional archaeological research. As soon as agreement has been reached with the province, the assignment will be placed on the market and field work can be scheduled.
According to the council, this process will, at best, take months, so no results are expected in the short term.
In the same response, the council briefly discussed the situation regarding the vacancy of the building. The municipality leaves the implementation to the market and expresses the expectation that a suitable destination will be found in the long term.
According to the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, a small part of the site has indeed been preserved, while the rest has now been disturbed. This is a remnant of what was once a larger pingo ruin.
The RCE emphasizes that it is precisely this remaining part that can be very valuable. The often peaty fill of a pingo ruin often contains pollen grains and seeds, which can provide important information.
In this case the site is extra special, because it is known that the pingo was already covered in the Early Stone Age by layers of peat that completely covered the landscape at the time. As a result, the site functions as a sealed ‘time capsule’ from the period before the start of the Early Stone Age, according to the RCE.