Archaeologists have discovered a cemetery dating back to the Iron Age (800 to 50 BC) on the site of a large housing project in Oud-Turnhout, in Antwerp Region. The researchers found tumuli, or mounds on top of burials.
The discovery, made in late December during preliminary archaeological excavations on a site for a major housing project at Steenweg op Zevendonk, was reported on Tuesday.
Six burial rings had already been discovered there and three more were discovered last week after more extensive excavations. Due to intensive farming on the site, the cemetery had disappeared underground over the centuries.
Remains of dwellings dating back to between 2,000 BC and 50 BC have also been discovered next to the cemetery. Archaeologists cannot yet say whether these dwellings coexisted with the cemetery.
These excavations are “an excellent opportunity to map the history of the dwellings and burials in Oud-Turnhout,” archaeologist Jeroen Verrijckt said.
He and his colleagues will conduct a more in-depth study of the site to determine the extent of the cemetery and possible links with other excavations.
The company in charge of these archaeological excavations is continuing to investigate the site and will compile the results in a report.
