“Voorschoten from an Archaeological Perspective”; Uncovering Voorschoten’s Past
On Tuesday, May 4, Pierre van Grinsven (vice president) of the AWN—the Dutch Archaeological Association, Rijnstreek chapter—presented the first copy of *Voorschoten Archeologisch bezien* to Alderman Marcel Cramwinckel at Museum Voorschoten.
Little by little, we are learning more and more about the origins of Voorschoten, a village situated on an ancient beach ridge. Over the past 20 years, the Rijnstreek branch of the AWN has conducted various excavations in the municipality of Voorschoten. The findings from these excavations have been compiled in the public booklet *Voorschoten: An Archaeological Perspective*. The booklet describes and explains the settlement history of Voorschoten based on the results of the AWN’s research. It is clearly organized and features beautiful photos and illustrations.
The booklet is based on four comprehensive reports, known as the Renus series. These reports contain a wealth of research data and are highly detailed. Three of these reports focus on research into medieval settlement in Voorschoten. These reports present the results of archaeological investigations at the sites of Het Wapen van Voorschoten, Treubstraat 12–14, and the location where the HEMA store now stands. The fourth report describes the research conducted on the site at Donklaan 78, where many older remains from the so-called Vlaardingen Culture were also found.
The soil beneath the center of Voorschoten still holds many secrets about the origins of this beautiful village. Little by little, these are being uncovered through archaeological research. During the presentation ceremony, Councilman Marcel Cramwinckel emphasized the importance of archaeological research: “If you want to know where you’re going, you have to know where you came from.”
Order a booklet
If you would like to order the booklet, please contact AWN Rijnstreek at awnrijnstreek@yahoo.com. The booklet costs €5 (excluding shipping costs). It will also be available for purchase at Museum Voorschoten once the museum reopens to the public. You can also order the technical reports on which the booklet is based via awnrijnstreek@yahoo.com. You can also download the technical reports for free at .