5,000-year-old agricultural settlement uncovered in Maaseik
Archaeologists have uncovered a Late Neolithic agricultural settlement in Maaseik, Limburg. Previous finds in Flanders from that era have never been as complete.
It is rare to find settlements from the Late Neolithic in Flanders, so the discovery in Maaseik sheds new light on the societies that lived in the region 5,000 years ago. The archaeological evidence will help to better understand the spread of agriculture and the development of early communities in northwestern Europe.
"This is an exceptional site for Flanders," says Petra Driesen of the Aron archaeological office. "We have found traces that point to a settlement that originated in the Late Neolithic. This is a period we knew little about in Flanders, especially compared to the surrounding regions, where such settlements are more common."
The discoveries will nowbe further investigated and documented to get a better picture of life in the Late Neolithic in the region. The archaeological team plans to use radiocarbon dating, along with other techniques, to determine the exact age of the site.
#FlandersNewsService | Tools from the Neolithic period on display in the Prehistomuseum in Flemalle © BELGA PHOTO LAURENT CAVENATI
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