The village of Lies on Terschelling dates back to the Middle Ages: it has been inhabited since around the year 1000. This and more was discovered by students, islanders, and archaeologists together this summer in the third edition of the annual archaeological research program CARE Schylge.
Collaborating with the Residents of Schylge
The goal of CARE Schylge, a field course where archaeology students from the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit collaborate with residents of Terschelling (Schylge), is to unravel the fascinating history of the island together. Thanks to the accessible approach, everyone can participate: young and old, professionals and interested islanders. This year, for the first time, the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) also contributed to the research.
[The text continues below the photo.]
Local Stories and Legends
The residents of Terschelling play an important role in the research, says community liaison and UvA alumnus Maaike Honshorst: They have an incredible amount of local knowledge, including legends and stories, which are essential for understanding the history of the island. We incorporate that oral history into the research, as it is of great value
.
As in previous years, research was conducted through soil borings and pits of 1 by 1 meter, where students and islanders drilled, dug, and sieved together. In and around the village of Lies, located between Formerum and Hoorn, they discovered shards of pottery from the period 1000-1200, indicating that the area was already inhabited at that time. An interesting find
, says Honshorst, because the oldest texts only date back to around the 14th century, and some existing farms are, as far as known, built in the 17th century. But there must have been many older farms
.
In Lies, there are also the remains of a moated castle hill: the archaeological national monument De Worf, which had hardly been researched until recently. This place appears in local stories
, says Honshorst. There is a legend that expectant fathers scooped their babies from De Worf – a kind of variant on the stork
. The researchers drilled in the hill and moat to learn more about the age and structure. It turned out that this place has been inhabited since around 1250. Whether there was ever a brick tower on the hill is still unclear. The story that German occupiers held shooting exercises here has been debunked. Further results from this part of the research will follow.
[The text continues below the photo.]
Shipwrecks
For the first time in the project, research was also conducted in the Wadden Sea this year. Using a specially equipped survey ship, promising zones identified based on seabed maps and with the help of islanders were examined with sonar equipment, searching for old shipwrecks and the possible location of the Vliereede(n). The researchers particularly looked at areas where sediment had been washed away and shipwrecks might have been exposed.
The research has shown that parts of the seabed have been disturbed
, says Honshorst, because we have seen traces of fishing nets that have churned up the seabed. Whether we have discovered new shipwrecks remains to be seen from further analysis of the research data
.
[The text continues below the photo.]
Local Community
There is a lot of interest in the research among the islanders, says Honshorst. The project is really alive, and at the final presentation in the church of Hoorn, we had a full house. It was beautiful to see. We also find it very important to serve the research to the local community: we ask the islanders in advance what they would like to know about the island, which part of history they want to uncover.
More about the project can be read at careschylge.nl.