2: Going West – Netherlands and Belgium – The Sögel Project – Origin, development and technology of the Bronze Age blades of the "Sögel-Wohlde-District"

One of the lesser known parts, and the most western periphery of the Sögel-Wohlde district are made up by the northern half of the Netherlands. Burial mounds containing Sögel or Wohlde blades occur here mostly in the central and northeastern regions of the Netherlands, whereas more southern finds, such as along the Meuse river come from depositions. The difference in the manner of depositing these blades constitutes an interesting cultural break of depositing blades in graves versus hoards. The particular way a blade has been deposited or later excavated is always a significant trait in archaeology since during the Bronze Age many bronze objects were deposited in bogs or rivers.

This time, the sampling sessions were less concentrated than the previous time in Lower Saxony as the museum visits went from one the most northern part of the lowlands, in Groningen, to the most southwestern known area, in East Flanders in Belgium. This sampling trip also includes the most southwestern blades known to date that are currently in the collection of the ‘Museum aan de Stroom’ in Antwerp. Due to the wide distribution of blades in this area many museums and archaeological depots were visited including

We highly value the cooperation with all the museums and making their finds available to us. Thanks to them, the most western outskirts of our research area has been covered with some truly unique finds. We would also like to thank Stijn Arnoldussen from the Groninger Institute of Archaeology by helping us locate the museums with Sögel or Wohlde blades in their collections.