Human remains were unearthed during excavation works behind the church in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, revealing remnants of an old cemetery. According to the Gazet van Antwerpen, it was not unexpected that such remains would be found, given the historical significance of the site.
Due to the discovery, an archaeologist will now be present on-site to oversee further excavation works, and additional archaeological research is necessary. The Flemish Agency for Immovable Heritage (Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed) was informed and assessed the situation on Monday morning. Some archaeologists appointed by the agency had already been present the previous week.
"Apparently, contrary to what has always been assumed, the old cemetery was not cleared around 1900. Only the tombstones were removed to lay the street and the square at that time. We will probably encounter several layers of the old cemetery in the ground," explained Mayor Ronny Slootmans (Samen Anders). Under the direction of the Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed, the entire area behind the church will be excavated in the coming weeks.
"On a small area, they already found sixteen skeletons. Also, a nearly intact zinc coffin, a rather rare thing, was already excavated," stated Slootmans. The Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed is hiring a specialized company for the excavation. "On the site, the specialists will have about five weeks of work, although with such matters, something unexpected can always come up. They will uncover all the finds, excavate them, and if possible, take them away to examine elsewhere. The research and documentation of the finds will take several months afterwards," he added.
The archaeological finds are affecting the current sewer works. "We now have to temporarily pause them," explained Slootmans. "We hope to resume them before the construction leave, so that the new sewer can still be in the ground. After the construction leave, the laying of the new roadway and parking spaces could follow."
"Because until the beginning of the last century, there was a cemetery here," commented Alderman of Public Works Tom Ongena (Together Different). He added, "In recent weeks, some bones had already been found, but now the workers came across complete coffins, and so work cannot simply continue for the time being."
"The ground will now be meticulously excavated further, and the human remains will be preserved with respect," remarked Ongena, as archaeologists suspect they will find even more remains. "That is mandatory, but we find it only normal to deal with these deceased in a respectful manner," he said. According to Ongena, "It concerns people who were buried at this location around the year 1900."
Acknowledging the impact on the project's timeline, Ongena noted, "That causes a delay in the original timing. How great that delay will be is at this moment still impossible to estimate, but we hope to limit it to a few weeks." Despite the delays, some other works for the village center renewal of Waver are continuing unabated. "For example, the connection of Leemstraat is being made wider," he mentioned. "As a result, during the Easter holiday, you will temporarily not be able to drive via Leemstraat to the Dorp."
Mayor Slootmans emphasized that the inconvenience for the residents and the merchants is being kept to a minimum. "The traders in the construction zone remain accessible. That is very important for us, but especially for them and the Waveraars. In the area in front of the town hall, the contractor will continue working in the coming weeks," he said.
"As long as the archaeological research is ongoing and the sewer is not in the ground, the sidewalks for the businesses will be maintained," stated Slootmans.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
