Archaeological value

There are many relics of former settlement and land use in Dutch soil. Many have been excavated and studied, but there are many sites where material is waiting to be discovered. In both cases it is essential to treat these vulnerable sites with care.

Current situation

The Dutch government's Belvedere Memorandum on cultural heritage and physical planning (Nota Belvedere) contains a list of about one hundred areas of great archaeological value. These are a selection of the areas known or expected to be of archaeological interest. The selection criteria were the occurrence of monuments from different archaeological periods, their rarity and/or distinctiveness, state of preservation, and archaeological context. These areas of known or suspected archaeological value are vulnerable and must be handled carefully to ensure that as yet unknown remnants of our heritage can be studied at a later date.

Technical note

The areas have been selected by the State Service for Archaeological Investigations (ROB), on the basis of the indicative map of features of archaeological value, the provincial maps of sites of archaeological merit, and expert advice.

References

• OC&W (1999). Nota Belvedere. Beleidsnota over de relatie cultuurhistorie en ruimtelijke inrichting. Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen. Den Haag.