GORINCHEM – We can only guess what exactly is hidden in the Dalem dune. But it is clear that people lived there in the New Stone Age. When we discovered this residential mound in 2001, it was clear from the start that we had stumbled upon something special.” Wieteke van Hulten of the municipality of Gorinchem was not surprised by the news that the donk in the new residential area in Oost will be given the status of national monument in the course of this year.
She has been in contact with the National Service for Archaeology, Cultural Landscape and Monuments (RACM) for years. "From the moment we reported the discovery of the donk, the service already indicated that they certainly thought it was worth protecting. That is now really going to happen," says Van Hulten, who is responsible for monument care in Gorinchem, among other things.
Dalemse Donk
If the Arkelstad had not had new construction plans for the area between the Merwededijk and the Van Andel Spruytlaan, the Dalemse donk would never have been discovered. Experts thought that they had already mapped all the donks in the Alblasserwaard – about seventy in total. The surprise was therefore great when archaeological soil research suddenly revealed traces from the New Stone Age (Neolithic, 5300 – 2000 BC).
The soil samples that archaeologists took with a view to the building plans contained a striking number of minuscule traces that indicated habitation. They discovered, among other things, fish bones that had clearly been prepared in a fire, grit from pottery and small pieces of flint. The Dalemse donk is not recognisable in the landscape, unlike the donks north of Gorinchem – near Hoornaar and Hoogblokland. These lie like a kind of hillock in the landscape.
Construction plans adjusted
In the New Stone Age, donken were river dunes surrounded by a marshy area. Their location made them ideal places for habitation: “We adapted the plans for the construction of the De Donken residential area based on the discovery. Originally, we had planned housing in the area,” says Van Hulten.
Impression of life on a prehistoric mound by Kelvin Wilson.
Gorinchem is not the only municipality that has incorporated such a special site into its construction plans, says Ben de Vries, spokesperson for the RACM. “In Leidsche Rijn, a Roman road partly follows its original track. The real road is of course hidden underground, but the contours have been made visible.” De Vries can imagine that not everyone understands why the national service wants to protect invisible monuments. “You can still draw attention to something that is not immediately visible. In doing so, you also make people aware of the value of the cultural heritage that the Netherlands has to offer.” The majority of the invisible monuments date back to Roman times.
Great historical value
"In itself this is logical. In the approximately two hundred years that the Romans ruled over a large part of Europe, they clearly left their mark on their living environment. These traces have been found frequently and we should also show them in our monuments file. The most important consideration for the list was the historical importance: What do we really find important to preserve for our descendants? The donk near Gorinchem is certainly of great historical value, even now that we cannot yet see exactly what is hidden there," he emphasizes.
Thumb scrapers, flint
Van Hulten does not rule out that the donk will reveal its secrets in the future. “Research techniques are still developing. Who knows, in fifty years we might be able to see what is buried without actually digging. If we put a spade in the ground now, we might destroy more than we discover. That is a conscious choice.”
Gorinchem has hired artists Adam Dickson and Merel Meinen to make the Dalemse donk visible in the new housing estate. They symbolically depict it in three works: Walkway (future), the Ridgeway (present) and the Trachway (past). The first work is a play object that stands on the square of the school complex at the Merwedonk. The other two are works of art.
January 16, 2009
General Daily Newspaper