Cite this as: Gheyle, W., De Decker, S., Stichelbaut, B. 2024 Digging Deeper is Always Rewarding. Policy instruments, challenges and recent research on conflict archaeology, WWI and WWII in Flanders, Internet Archaeology 66. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.66.12
In 2017, the government of Flanders decided to award yearly grants for synthesising research on archaeological data produced via development-led archaeology in Flanders (Belgium). At present, no less than 34 archaeological projects have been financially supported this way. Three of those projects deal with the archaeology of modern conflicts. The project 'Conflict archaeology of the Second World War in Flanders' will be discussed in more detail.
World War II (WWII) archaeology is a very young discipline in Flanders, although the enormous expertise in conflict archaeology of World War I (WWI) caused a turnaround in recent years. Putting all the archaeological information together, it turned out that traces of WWII were already being investigated at 172 sites, far more than expected. Some are targeted excavations on large sites, but mostly they are small traces that came to light by chance. This picture is contrasted with knowledge gained in recent years from historical research and from remote sensing sources. The Centre for Historical and Archaeological Aerial Photography (CHAL) (launched by the Province of West Flanders, In Flanders Fields Museum, and Ghent University) plays an important role here. Over 43,000 historical aerial photographs taken during both World Wars provide a unique overview of the war landscape in Belgium and offer enormous archaeological potential today. A combination of analysis of the digital elevation model of Flanders for the above-ground preservation of war traces and the archaeological information from excavations give us an unseen landscape insight.
Corresponding author: Wouter Gheyle
wouter.gheyle@west-vlaanderen.be
Archaeological Project Coordinator, Heritage service, Province of West Flanders
Sam De Decker
sam.dedecker@vlaanderen.be
Archaeologist, Heritage Department, Flemish Government
Birger Stichelbaut
birger.stichelbaut@ugent.be
Archaeologist, Centre for Historical and Archaeological Aerial Photography, Ghent University
Figure 1: A schematic representation of the strategically important areas in Belgium during the Second World War, combined with the 172 archaeological sites with traces of WWII. 1) Albert Canal defensive line; 2) Main resistance line Koningshooikt-Waver (KW line); 3) Anti-tank ditch Antwerp; 4) Bridgehead Ghent; 5) Diversion channel of the Lys; 6) Lys; 7) Atlantikwall. [Auf Deutsch]
Figure 2: Remains of a German coastal artillery-base, part of the Atlantikwall, hidden under a street. Koksijde - Groenendijk (Image: Raph De Brandt)
Figure 3: Much of the German radar base in Lanaken 'Hansenhöhe' still remains in the forest (National Park Hoge Kempen). On the digital height model we clearly see the trenches around the camp, contours of buildings and radar posts and even ditches of suspected utility lines (UGent/Information Flanders)
Figure 4: Coverage of a study area along the coast (Raversijde-Koekelare) with 178 historic aerial pictures.
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