New year meeting in culemborg
Description
On 22 January 2011, the region will hold its New Year meeting in Culemborg. As you are used to from us, a varied programme.
Culemborg is the hometown of Jan van Rietbeek. He was an important pivot in the creation of South Africa.
The medieval elite tipped empty beer mugs into the canal
In terms of historical finds, medieval beer mugs and old gin jugs in particular have been fished out of Culemborg's canals by the dredgers who are cleaning the canals these months. Especially from the canal at Voorburg near the Castle Garden, mugs and jugs came to the surface.
This reports Jan Schooneveld of the archaeological research firm ARC, which is having some of the dredge in Zutphen sieved. It only involves dredging from four 'promising' sections of canal, sections near historically important points such as the Orphanage, the Binnenpoort and the Castle Garden. The dredging will be completed in mid-July and pottery experts will examine all the finds. In autumn, all will be exhibited in the City Office and a report on the finds will be published.
That the pugs and jars were found mainly at the Voorburg, does not surprise Aat Alink of the Castle Garden volunteers. "You used to have the Borrowing and Council Chamber there in the castle. The ladies and gentlemen notables used to meet and drink there, and apparently they used to throw the empty beer out of the window into the canal. We have also fished out plenty, so I am not surprised by these finds."
Remains of a twelfth-century castle in Culemborg
For a long time, the seigniory of the lords of Kaets, with the fortified house Kaetshage at its centre, was hidden from view.
Until excavators recently -coincidentally- uncovered the remains. Contractor Van Santen, busy turning the ground opposite the EVA-Lanxmeer eco-district, uncovered an essential piece of history. That history goes back well before 1318, the year Culemborg was granted city rights. The excavations are taking place at a location not far from the spot where some years ago investigations had already been carried out. Those did not yield much concrete evidence apart from a brick kiln. Now it turned out that the remains of a 12th-century castle were indeed found there, which some had suspected for much longer. ''This is for real,'' says Bert Blommers, Culemborger man and historian. ,,Contrary to the 2002 report, it is therefore not a round structure. Here lies the foundation of Culemborg's oldest castle. From before 1200, maybe even before 1100 in wooden form underneath.
10:30 Reception with coffee and tea
11:00 one group will start city walk
other group will go to mill de Hoop
12:15 Lunch in the museum
13:20 first group will now go to mill
second group will do the city walk
14:30 New Year's speech chairman followed by drinks
~16:00 end
Location
Organiser
Utrecht region
Name and contact details for information
Roel Troost