The archaeological data set of 106 water facilities recovered in Amersfoort, allows for the reconstruction of the water supply within the town through the centuries. Aside from this available...Show moreThe archaeological data set of 106 water facilities recovered in Amersfoort, allows for the reconstruction of the water supply within the town through the centuries. Aside from this available archaeological data set, any historical information that could be found, has also been used. This historical data includes information about common wells and surface water use in Amersfoort, but also information about the status of water in medieval society and the role of water in medieval medicine. As further background the most studied developments in Europe are also discussed. Amersfoort counts several types of wells (tree lined, peat lined, barrel lined, and brick lined), as well as numerous indications of the use of surface water (water lifting implements along canals, archaeologically recovered water pipes, and the strict regulations on water pollution). Putting all this together we were able to compare the water supply in Amersfoort with the water supply in Haarlem and Zutphen. The very high per capita rate of wells in Amersfoort, but especially Zutphen, compared to Haarlem is striking. Six potential influencing factors were introduced - factors that might have caused this discrepancy. They are: distance to surface water; quality of surface water; ease of exploitation for alternative water sources (ground or rain water); degree of organisation (here: the existence of public or shared facilities); water needs (household or industrial use); personal finances. Based on the results so far, it seems that the distance to surface water and the quality of surface water are the strongest predictors for the amount of water facilities. Haarlem has the most surface water within easy reach, Zutphen the least. Amersfoort has less water within easy reach than Haarlem, but more than Zutphen. This seems to align with the results, Haarlem has the least facilities per capita, while Zutphen has by far the most. On an even wider scale, there appear to be more similarities between the developments in the Netherlands and the rest of Northern Europe than initially assumed. The strong influence of brewers on the water supply, in the form of protection measures meant to protect their trade or even complete mains systems or water barges organised for, and by, the brewers. It seems also that the use of surface water was a very widespread practice, especially large scale water consumers appear to have defaulted towards surface water as their preferred water source. Surface water is not the safest water source, but concerns about pollution where only present when the pollution became a noticeable nuisance. This assumption is based on the way water quality was assessed in the period before the discovery of bacteria. This method of quality assessment is based on the smell, taste, and colour of the water, if these characteristics are found to be in order, the water is viewed as safe.Show less
This thesis aims to give a clear understanding of the difficulties in brick research and to suggest new options on behalf of local production. To do this, the second part of this thesis will...Show moreThis thesis aims to give a clear understanding of the difficulties in brick research and to suggest new options on behalf of local production. To do this, the second part of this thesis will compare clay samples with early brick structures in their vicinity (using X-Ray Fluorescence). This will –hopefully- give an indication of the locality of brick production in the earliest period (end of the twelfth into the thirteenth century and first half of the fourteenth century). The thesis forms the connection between archaeological and building history debates.Show less
Deze scriptie behandelt een aantal vraagstukken rondom de tonpot, een type aardewerken pot uit de Merovingische periode die hoofdzakelijk wordt aangetroffen in nederzettingen langs de Rijn. Het...Show moreDeze scriptie behandelt een aantal vraagstukken rondom de tonpot, een type aardewerken pot uit de Merovingische periode die hoofdzakelijk wordt aangetroffen in nederzettingen langs de Rijn. Het gebrek aan een synthetiserend onderzoek naar dit type pot vormt een lacune in de kennis over de vroege middeleeuwen. Dit onderzoek probeert deze lacune op te vullen en voorziet in een basis waardoor toekomstige publicaties uitgebreider en systematischer informatie kunnen verschaffen. De resultaten die het onderzoek heeft voortgebracht zijn verkregen door een combinatie van diepgaande literatuurstudie en de uitwerking van vondstmateriaal gevonden te Oegstgeest, een Merovingische nederzetting aan de Oude Rijn. Hierdoor zijn de mogelijkheden en beperkingen van het materiaal duidelijk geworden waardoor een gerichtere strategie kon worden gevormd. Historische gegevens uit de Merovingische tijd tonen periodes van stabiliteit aan, die voorzien in een basis voor interregionale uitwisseling waardoor het mogelijk werd dat tonpotten in West-Nederland kwamen. Het aanzien van deze potten uit het zuidelijke Rijnland was laag en gebruik was vooral beperkt tot het huishouden, met name voor bewaren en bereiden van voedsel. Dat de pot hier uitermate geschikt voor was blijkt uit de geringe ontwikkeling die het in 300 jaar heeft doorgemaakt. Aangenomen werd dat gebrek aan ontwikkeling en willekeurige variatie geen houvast bood voor gedetailleerde datering. Dit onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat er zich wel degelijk een dateerbare vormontwikkeling voordoet. Het gebruik en de aanvulling van de hier gepresenteerde typo-chronologie, tezamen met de overige contextuele informatie, kan meer inzicht geven in het leven in de vroege middeleeuwen.Show less
This research deals with glass objects which were found during the excavation of medieval occupation east of the Paardenmarkt in Delft. In the 15th and 16th century this was the location of the...Show moreThis research deals with glass objects which were found during the excavation of medieval occupation east of the Paardenmarkt in Delft. In the 15th and 16th century this was the location of the Saint Clara convent. Glass was found at the bottom of a cesspit. It was such an amount that the question arose whether or not the glass could belong to the inhabitants of the convent. Glass was, after all, a luxury item and this find was not expected to belong to this particular convent. In this convent the inhabitants had to make a vow, which did not allow them to have any possessions. An inventory was made of the glass and it was described in a catalogue. Among the finds were beakers, urinals, lamps, maigeleins, bottles, ‘Krautstrunken’ and (stained) window-glass. In order to answer the question whether the glass belonged to the Saint Clara convent the glass was compared with glass finds from other sites in the Netherlands of which the social context was known: convents, castles, houses of rich and poor people. The investigation has shown that the glass could have belonged to the convent. Other convents had the same types of glass in their cesspits.Show less
