Over the next two weeks, archaeologists will be lurking at the ground in the northwest corner of the neighborhood. “This is the last piece that we have not yet seen,” says archaeologist Janneke Hielkema. “Once we have examined the ground here, the puzzle will be complete.”
An excavator removes the soil layer by layer until the yellow sand becomes visible. “That is about 80 centimeters below ground level,” says Hielkema. “We can see our archaeological traces there. We hope that we will find the edge of a settlement. Personally, I hope to come across bronze axes. I graduated on that, but I have never been able to find one myself.”