Urban geoarchaeology in Belgium: Experiences and innovations

Geoarchaeological research in urban contexts is a relatively recent development in Belgian geoarchaeology, with pioneering studies dating back to the 1990s. In the beginning of the 21st century, a specific research protocol was developed in Brussels, and in the last years, there have been several attempts to apply a similar approach to urban contexts in Flanders and occasionally in Wallonia.
Current debates in urban geoarchaeology mainly focus on:
– The study of site stratigraphy (microstratified layers and Dark Earths)
– The impact of urbanization on the soil
– Rivers in towns
– Reconstruction of the ancient relief and its modifications through time
– Soil erosion and soil protection
– Ancient soil pollution
– The integration of geoarchaeology with other archaeo‐environmental studies
(archaeobotany, archaeozoology, etc.)
Key themes for the future development of Belgian urban geoarchaeology include the in situ preservation of sites; a further integration with other methods and method development; systematic studies producing topographical insight and mapping; and synthesis work on critical issues.

Publication year:2020

Keywords:dark earth, urban soils and sediments, stratigraphy, urban geoarchaeology

CSS-citation score:1

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