Rowin J van Lanen

PalaeoDEMs are important tools for integrating diverse types of data and improving understanding of landscape evolution, flood dynamics and past habitation patterns. Unlike 2D series of landscape maps, palaeoDEMs provide the possibility to reconstruct settlement elevation and flood dynamics. This works especially well in densely populated Holocene landscapes, such as the Rhine delta and its adjacent valley. In this area, large quantities of raw data have been produced by geotechnical, archaeological, soil science and hydrological communities as well as in academic research. In this contribution, we present surface-level reconstructions of the natural levees as a new generation of digital map products for the late Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta. We created time-sliced reconstructions for the late Holocene, peeling of the younger elements, such as dike-breach fans and recent flood-basin clays. The palaeoDEMs have been based on hundred thousands of borehole descriptions, over a thousand 14C dates collected by multiple institutes, and further integrates LiDAR data, soil maps, and archaeological data. We discuss the limitations and show three interlinked applications of these new delta-wide landscape reconstructions: (1) analysis of the natural levee shape and its evolution; (2) understanding settlement distribution and changes in settlement elevation through time, specifically during Roman and early-medieval periods; (3) assessing the magnitude and impact of extreme floods before river embankment.

The Early Middle Ages (ca. 300 - 1000 AD) was a period of severe pan-European economic and demographic change. During this period population declined and human influence on the landscape diminished throughout large parts of Europe (Cheyette 2008). Traditionally archaeologists and historians regard these Early-Medieval developments as the result of cultural processes. However, recent reconstructions show frequent climate fluctuations (Büntgen et al. 2011) and dramatic landscape changes in the Netherlands for this period (Vos & Van Heeringen 1997; Stouthamer et al. 2011). This suggests that economic and demographic changes might not be induced by cultural processes only, but also by climate and landscape dynamics (e.g. riverflooding, sea ingressions). To determine how and to what extent environmental changes contributed to the Early-Medieval economic and demographic changes, the ‘The Dark Ages in an interdisciplinary light’ project was initiated. As part of the project, this contribution shows the landscape dynamics of the Dutch coastal area during the Early Medieval period. In this geomorphological dynamic region, major sea ingressions occurred forming large tidal inlets. Occupation in this region mainly occurred in the supratidal environment, e.g. on dwelling mounds (Vos & Gerrets 2005) and was most likely influenced by these landscape dynamics. Development of the geomorphological elements of these tidal systems (channels, tidal flats and salt marshes) is extensively mapped in a GIS and coupled to a database storing information on age of the tidal system and its individual geomorphological elements. This generates a new integrated overview of the development of tidal systems for every possible time step. Palaeogeographical maps can be derived and the GIS provides the possibility to statistically analyse sea ingression dynamics in the Early Middle Ages and how this differs from other periods of sea level highstand (~last 3000 years). By comparing these maps with archaeological data, possible connections between cultural dynamics and landscape changes can be discovered. At the onset of the Early Middle Ages, first results suggest silting up of former estuaries, both in the western part and the northern part of the Netherlands. Meanwhile, large scale extension of tidal systems at the expense of habitable land occurred in the SW part of the Netherlands (Vos & Van Heeringen 1997). Adversely, at the end of the Early Middle Ages, some large sea ingressions took place in the northern part of the Netherlands (Middelzee, Lauwerszee), while the SW part of the Netherlands mainly silted up (Van der Spek 1995). In a later phase of this research, the extensive dataset allows thorough comparison with archaeological data (e.g. development of dwelling mounds, large scale peat drainage) and comparison between different coastal regions. Besides, it forms a tool for site selection to perform more detailed research (fieldwork and dating) to better pinpoint the relation between geological and archaeological events.

The awareness that cultural heritage plays an influential role in shared identities and in both spatial and environmental development has significantly increased in recent years. International collaboration and treaties, such as the 'FARO-convention' in 2005 emphasize the importance of heritage in relation to aspects of human rights and demography. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that historical perspectives are essential for making well-informed choices regarding environmental challenges (e.g. spatial planning, sustainable development, climate adaptation). This increased awareness not only emphasizes the importance of cultural heritage for present-day challenges, but equally presents a new set of conditions and standards, and requires the development of new methodologies. Besides conservation, more than ever there is a need for cultural heritage to become contextualized and sustainably accessible.

The organisational pinnacle of cultural-heritage conservation is world heritage: sites that are judged to contain a set of cultural and/or natural values which are of outstanding value to humanity. However, to what extent world heritage meets these newly set criteria is unknown. Nevertheless, these sites often reflect an eminent status, scientifically as well as economically (i.e. through tourism). Consequently, world heritage often enjoys interest from multiple stakeholders including governmental, scientific, public, and commercial parties, all of whom engage in contrasting activities and have different interests and needs. As a result the need for accessibility and integrated overviews of these sites is high but equally challenging.

In this paper we will focus on the world-heritage site of Schokland (NL). This former island in the Dutch Zuiderzee both reflects outstanding historical and archaeological importance. We will show that the dynamics surrounding this site require tailormade conservation methodologies, which greatly depend on data integration. We present a new Historical Geographical Information System (HGIS) specifically designed to integrate cultural and geoscientific data and facilitate dynamic heritage management. Results show that such a system greatly adds to the contextualization and (digital) accessibility of the heritage site and is essential for substantiating conservation methodologies. Furthermore, it shows great research potential for diachronological reconstructions of dynamic-lowland development. The system facilitates multidisciplinary scientific analyses, integrated monitoring, and public outreach and shows great application potential for other (world-)heritage sites.

Wetland environments are amongst the most dynamic landscapes of Europe. Because of their distinct geomorphological characteristics, they are strongly susceptible for changes in climate, demography, economy and politics. At the same time, these regions reflect areas of long-term human-landscape interactions and outstanding preservation conditions. Large parts of the northern and western Netherlands can be regarded as typical examples of such wetlands. After becoming covered by vast peat marshes over time, these areas were largely reclaimed during the last millennium, which has resulted in a typical landscape consisting of polders and elaborate water-management systems (e.g. canals, dikes, fenlands). This is especially true for the western wetlands, which also are part of the delta of two of the largest European rivers, the Rhine and Meuse.

In this area, processes of flooding, fluvial activity and sea-level changes have greatly influenced the landscape, resulting in a very dynamic environment for local inhabitants. Already in the Middle Ages (ad 1050–1500), elaborate organisations and hydraulic systems were set up in these parts in order to ensure water safety and promote water drainage. Through time, these organisations, the so-called waterboards, have greatly influenced the spatial layout of these wetlands and, in doing so, collected huge amounts of data on water management. For the first time, recent digital developments in geosciences and humanities allow us to diachronically unravel the complex interplay between natural and cultural dynamics in such wetlands.

In this paper, we present a Historical Geographical Information System (HGIS) designed for modelling heritage in wetland areas. The HGIS specifically focuses on water-management systems in the wetlands of the western Netherlands. We show that (1) our HGIS and GIScience methodology facilitates an integrated and multi-proxy approach towards studying historical water-management systems, and (2) the developed system is highly suited for unravelling the complex interplay and interdependencies between drainage systems, waterboards and engineering works. Additionally, it becomes clear that by combining information on the past with the present, the HGIS is an extremely useful tool for modern-day policymaking facing future challenges.

Over the last few decades the impact of climate change and coinciding weather extremes in the Netherlands increasingly has become evident. In order to better protect the country against these extremes the Dutch government has initiated an intergovernmental 'Delta' program. Through this initiative cities are obliged to develop planning policies that cope with weather extremes such as extreme rainfall or droughts. Besides traditional flooding, heat has become an increasing problem for cities in the Netherlands. Not only damaging buildings, but also risking the health of especially the sick and the elderly. In order to help cities develop (spatial) adaptation policies coping with these extremes, the 'stress test climate adaption' was developed. Built-up out of several GIS-based models, this test depicts possible bottlenecks for flooding or inner-city heat. Despite being multidisciplinary, these models are solely based on contemporary variables and contain almost no historical data on geophysical setting or town development and morphology. Consequently, the current models ignore crucial spatiotemporal variables essential for accurate climate stress-test calculations. In order to increase the chronological resolution of these climate adaptation stress-test models a number of municipalities, reflecting a large part of the old historical towns in the Netherlands, have asked the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) for additional historical (spatial) data. This way the GIS-based models will not only be more accurate but also better equipped for incorporating town-specific heritage situations. In this contribution we will present several examples of expanded stress test climate adaptation models incorporating historical water systems, natural-landscape dynamics, climate change and urban morphology. The resulting models show the essentiality of integrating (1) cultural and natural data, and (2) modern and historical data. Additionally, these models underline the importance of cultural-heritage research for modern policy and planning purposes.

In this study we present a new method of modelling demographic fluctuations during the first millennium AD in the present-day Netherlands, most notably the Rhine-Meuse delta. We argue that such evidence-based, quantitative approaches are essential for future research, and can inform about the impact of past populations on land-use systems and the carrying capacity of landscapes. Past-population numbers are reconstructed based on high-resolution Roman and early medieval settlement data. The primary aim of this paper is to quantify Roman and early medieval palaeodemographics, applying a high-resolution chronological scale, and to compare these data with other north-west European regions. The quantification of such data is essential for future research into the impact of past-population fluctuations on historical landscapes, for example. Results show that the first millennium AD in our study area was characterised by two periods of major population growth: the middle Roman period (AD 70‑270) and the early medieval period C (AD 725‑950). During the intermediate late Roman period (AD 270‑450), the study area witnessed a major population decline, with numbers declining by 78%-85%. After this decline, first-millennium population numbers never again reached middle Roman period levels. The precise timing and size of the post-Roman population decline (slightly) differs throughout northwest Europe, but the reconstructed patterns appear to be accurate, with similar trends showing in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Norway.

The Netherlands form a part of the northwest European river delta, where almost all the major European rivers drain onto. Therefore the country is very prone to flooding. Dikes and polders have been constructed to manage the water and reduce this risk. An elaborate organisational system was set up for their maintenance: the water boards. Next to these administrative bodies, the Dutch cities of Holland often had their own policies on water management. Modern research into historical maps and archives on water management shows how an integrated policy connecting urban and water board administrations in the past has led to a safe (living) environment. In contrast, places where this integrated policy was abandoned in favour of new developments without historical knowledge are often characterized by persisting flooding and subsidence problems. This underlines the importance of knowing old policies and visions, since they still have a clear influence on the present-day landscape. Consequently, better understanding of these systems might provide solutions to future problems we face regarding amongst other climate change, soil erosion and subsidence. In this paper we present the development of a historical GIS on water systems, which is currently conducted at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. The focus of this paper will be on the methodology of integrating maps, archives and historical solutions into one GIS. This new integral historical landscape GIS will not only guarantee the preservation of cultural heritage in present-day dynamic environments, but can also give recommendations for climate-adaptation policies, demonstrating the importance of historical data for modern challenges.

Bevolkingsaantallen en dichtheden hebben zonder twijfel invloed op samenlevingen en landschappen. Want het maakt nogal wat uit of gebieden dun of dichtbevolkt zijn. En of er al dan niet sprake is van een sterke bevolkingsgroei, of juist krimp.  Ook voor archeologen is er dus alle reden zich bezig te houden met wat historische demografie wordt genoemd.  Het blijkt mogelijk om op basis van archeologische gegevens tot behoorlijk nauwkeurige schattingen te komen van vroegere bevolkingsaantallen en bevolkingsdichtheden. Dat biedt mogelijkheden. Een beter inzicht in regionale diversiteit bijvoorbeeld, zal helpen om te verklaren wat er precies waar gebeurde tijdens de transitie van Romeinse tijd naar Middeleeuwen.  En waarom dan sprake is van regionaal verschillende ontwikkelingen. Veelbelovend zijn ook de nieuwe mogelijkheden om de landschappelijke impact van demografische veranderingen te modelleren met behulp van grote, digitale datasets, en de geloofwaardigheid van bestaande opvattingen kritisch en getalsmatig onderbouwd tegen het licht te houden.

Route networks are influenced by cultural and environmental dynamics. Consequently, route networks themselves often are dynamic as well. This is especially true in lowland areas, such as the Netherlands, where environmental processes (e.g. geomorphological changes, floods) probably reshaped these networks numerous times. Many of the existing route networks in the Netherlands were established relatively recently, and little is known of their historical predecessors. Recent developments in spatial modelling may improve locating and analysing these old, vanished routes. In this study we have applied two recently-developed applications for historical-route network modelling to the Veluwe (the Netherlands) in order to reconstruct the route network in the region around AD 1500. This region is not densely cultivated and is known to have a long history of routes and paths running through the landscape. The first method, network friction, uses high-resolution geoscientific and cultural data to calculate potential movement corridors and probable route zones. The second method uses a more traditional least-cost path (LCP) model based on surface, groundwater level and slope. The usefulness of these approaches for reconstructing past route networks and the general added value of these approaches was assessed by comparing the reconstructions to the few existing spatial overviews of historical-route networks in this region and hollow ways extracted from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data. Our findings show that the results of the first method, network-friction modelling, correspond best with the comparison data regarding known routes in the study area. However, the general results point towards the necessity of integrating the two applied methods, since a combination of these models best reflects the multiscale variability within regional route networks.

Settlement locations in delta landscapes change through time because of cultural and natural dynamics. We assessed the impact of natural-landscape dynamics on settlement-location shifts for the Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands during the Roman and early-medieval periods (12 BCE-450 CE and 450-1050 CE respectively). During this time interval major landscape and cultural changes occurred in this area, with river avulsions and changes in flooding frequency coinciding with changing settlement patterns. In the delta plain, the relatively high and dry alluvial ridges of abandoned or active rivers were most favourable for habitation. Settlement location and elevation patterns were reconstructed in these landscape units using a high-resolution elevation map of the alluvial ridges. By integrating high-resolution palaeo-environmental and archaeological datasets for this period, we were able to spatially analyse the trends and to assess the effect of environmental changes on habitation. Results show that settlements progressively shifted towards higher areas between 250 and 750 CE, on average by 20 cm over this period deltawide, which was coeval with an increased frequency of severe Rhine floods. The observed spatial differences demonstrate that this trend is most notable in the least-elevated segments of the study area. In areas where new large river branches developed, settlements show a strong shift towards higher-elevated parts of the landscape or even became completely abandoned. The river probably caused floods to be more frequent and more severe in these areas. Despite the clear link between changing settlement positions and floods during the studied time interval, floods do not seem to have caused long-term abandonment of major parts of the study area.

River landscapes can be regarded as amongst the most densely populated regions in the world. Despite their dynamic nature and their susceptibility to natural hazards, pull factors such as fertile soils and trade connections always have attracted people to these regions. During the Roman (12 BCE e 450 CE) and early-medieval periods (450 CEe1050) the Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands underwent significant simultaneous cultural and environmental changes such as changing settlement patterns, the collapse of the Roman limes, changing flooding regimes and river avulsions. Past route networks are influenced by both cultural and natural dynamics and are therefore a useful tool to better understand the complex interaction between these dynamics. By applying and enhancing recently-developed methods of modelling route networks in dynamic lowlands, this study reconstructs connectivity patterns in the Rhine-Meuse delta. Based on newly-available high-resolution geoscientific and archaeological data, network-friction maps and route networks were calculated for three time slices: 100 CE, 500 and 900. These modelled networks were validated using archaeologically-excavated infrastructural and isolated finds. Additionally the amount of network stability between these networks was calculated. Results show that for each of the route zones a clear correlation exist between the modelled network and the occurrence of infrastructural and isolated finds. Although clear periodic differences between these correlations percentages are visible. Despite the dynamic nature of the research area the routes show clear signs of network stability, with 80% of the 500 CE network being persistent with their 100 CE counterparts. Between 500 CE and 900 CE the persistence percentage slightly rises to 81% indicating a similar level of network stability. This shows that large parts of the Rhine-Meuse delta were persistently used during the Roman period and Early Middle Ages despite local settlement dynamics and changing natural settings.

In het project Landschapsatlas van de Rijksdienst
voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) is een thema
stedenbouw en stadsgeschiedenis opgenomen
(landschapinnederland.nl). Het doel van dit
dossier is om de kennis die er is over historische
stedenbouw en urbanisme te verzamelen, en via
een kaart-interface te delen. Hiervoor is een kaart
gemaakt van Nederland in de late middeleeuwen,
toen het land één van de meest verstedelijkte
gebieden van Europa werd.
De kaart is te vinden op http://landschapinnederland.nl/bronnen-en-kaarten/kaart-van-de-verstedelijking

The Netherlands in the sixteenth century has been digitally mapped. The end result is spectacular and can be viewed here: landschapinnl.nl/verstedelijkingskaart

New techniques made it possible to combine historical city plans with historical route information. This way a new digital map of the Netherlands just before the Dutch Golden Age was conceived. Now everybody can navigate virtually through late-medieval streets and find the gallows or the local inn. (articel in Dutch)

Research on route-network stability is rare. In time, due to cultural and/or natural causes, settlement locations and route orientation shift. The nature of these spatial changes sheds light on the complex interaction between settlements and surrounding natural landscape conditions. This study investigates the stability of route networks in the Netherlands during the past two millennia by determining their persistence through time. Environmental, archaeological and historical data are used to reconstruct and compare route networks. By using network friction, archaeological data on settlement patterns and route networks in combination with historical data (e.g. old maps), we were able to model route-network persistence (not necessarily continuity) from the Roman to early medieval periods (AD 100–800) and from the Early Middle Ages to the Early Modern Times (AD 800–1600). Results show that around 67.6% of the modelled early-medieval routes in the Netherlands are persistent with routes in the Roman period. Covering a much larger surface area of the Netherlands, 24.5% of the early-modern routes show a clear persistence with their early-medieval counterparts. Besides the differences in surface area, this downfall can largely be explained by cultural dynamics, with 71.4% of the early-modern route network following modelled movement corridors already in existence during the Early Middle Ages.

To what extent long-distance transport in north-western Europe changed after the Roman period is generally unknown. Few historical sources are available and existing archaeological records are unclear and sometimes conflicting. Traditionally, research on the long-distance exchange of goods mostly has focussed on the spatial analyses of luxery goods such as jewellery, weapons and religious artefacts. Relatively little attention has been paid to the spatial modelling of common exchange networks and transport routes.
In this study we used a dendroarchaeological approach to model long-distance transport of oak (a common good) to the Roman and early-medieval Netherlands. By combining established and newly-derived  provenances of imported timbers with data on Roman and early-medieval route networks, we were able to reconstruct: (a) Roman and early-medieval exchange networks of imported timbers, (b) changing transport routes and (c) spatially shifting frequent-travel zones. The findings were compared with distribution patterns of other commodities for daily use: pottery and stone household goods.
Results show that in the early and middle-Roman periods (12 BC – AD 270) timbers were imported from the German Rhineland, the Ardennes and the Scheldt region. We have no evidence for wood import to the current Netherlands during the late-Roman period and first phase of the Early Middle Ages (AD 270 – 525). In the following centuries, between AD 525 – 900, oak again was brought to the current Netherlands, this time exclusively originating from the German Rhineland. This pattern significantly changed during the last phase of the Early Middle Ages (AD 900 – 1050) when timbers were derived from the Ardennes only. We used these patterns to calculate changes in long-distance transport routes and frequent-travel zones in the research area. Through our analyses existing data on Roman and early-medieval route networks could be expanded and improved. The calculated wood-transport patterns agree well with the distribution of imported pottery and  (other) household goods in these periods.

The early-medieval Netherlands witnessed major changes in landscape, economy, demography and also possibly climate. Archaeological evidence throughout north-western Europe, including the Netherlands, indicates severe demographic decline and changing settlement patterns in the late-Roman and post- Roman periods. To what extent the inhabitants of the earlymedieval Lowlands adapted to the increasingly changing landndscapes and how this is reflected in large-scale patterns is generally unknown. Historical route networks provide a key to - understanding large-scale settlement patterns as well as demography and land use.

Dendrochronology is concerned with the study of annual growth patterns in wood. Dendrochronological data can improve our knowledge on past climates, landscape development, socio-economic relations and settlement dynamics. Currently within the “Wood Use in the Early Middle Ages” (WUEM) project dendrochronology is used to refine our knowledge about the chronology and trade activities of the Early Medieval trade centre of Dorestad (NL) and improve our understanding of the Early Medieval Low Countries. Dorestad has been the subject of continuous research for over thirty years, which makes it one of best documented and largest excavations in the Netherlands. Many find categories from Dorestad (e.g. glass, pottery, metal) have been studied in detail and extensively published. Although wood is an extremely important source of information about site chronology and economic activity, wood research of Dorestad was limited. A main reason being that at the time of the early excavations dendroch...

This dendrochronological study focussses on wood excavated in the Early Mediieval emporium Dorestad in relationship to other wood finds from this period in the Netherlands and Flanders.  Earlier research had already shown that Dorestad was part of an exchange network that included the German Rhineland (Eckstein et al. 1975). Our results show that the German-Rhineland network was already in existence early in the 7th century. The chronological distribution of dendrochronological series from the German Rhineland, derived from re-used barrels and river vessels, indicates that early-medieval Oegstgeest near the North-Sea coast predated Dorestad as a member of this distribution network. We have found no dendrochronological evidence that this network still existed in the second half of the 9th century.

The Supplementary Materials of this paper (data overview and Dutch German-Rhineland chronology AD 293-789) are available in Excel format at http://dendro.dans.knaw.nl/search/q/2015503.

Dendrochronological data formats in general offer limited space for recording associated metadata. Such information is often recorded separately from the actual time series, and often only on paper. TRiDaBASE has been developed to improve metadata administration. It is a relational Microsoft Access database that allows users to register digital metadata according to TRiDaS, to generate TRiDaS XML for uploading to TRiDaS-based analytical systems and repositories, and to ingest TRiDaS XML created elsewhere for local querying and analyses.

During the Roman and early-medieval period in the Netherlands, an extensive network of routes connected settlements on the local, regional and supraregional scale. The orientation of these route networks in part was determined by settlement locations, and in part by environmental factors (e.g. soil type, relief). Therefore these route networks provide a key in understanding the dynamic interplay between cultural and environmental factors.

This study focuses on modelling Roman and early-medieval routes using a multi-proxy approach. By combining network friction with archaeological data representing settlements, burial sites and shipping-related finds we wish to investigate the possibilities of using these large-scale datasets for modelling Roman and early-medieval route networks in the Netherlands. Data representing past infrastructure and isolated archaeological finds were used to validate the model output.

Results show that in geomorphologically diverse lowland regions, such as the Netherlands, network friction is extremely useful for modelling historical route networks. We found a clear relationship between environmental conditions, settlement locations and the spatial distribution of infrastructure. Using evidence-based modelling, we were able to correctly predict the location of 89% of the currently identified Roman infrastructure, and 85% of the known early-medieval infrastructure in the Netherlands within a 1000m buffer. Additionally, despite only roughly covering a surface area of 13% in the Roman and 11% in the early-medieval period of the Netherlands, 82% and 72% of all known isolated finds were located within the same buffer.

This study focuses on reconstructing landscape prerequisites for Roman and early-medieval routes in the Netherlands.We applied spatial modeling to modern and paleogeographical landscape data in order to determine geographical obstacles for possible translocation in ca. A.D. 100 and 800 via land and water. Network-friction values were calculated to produce a spatial model of possible movement corridors and to enable the integration of archaeological data. Results show that in geographically dynamic lowland regions such as the current Netherlands, landscape units such as water, peat, and levees must have had a high impact on route orientation. The lower parts of the western Netherlands were almost inaccessible by land, implying that its inhabitants largely must have depended on rivers and streams for transportation. In Dutch coastal and river areas, the landscape changed drastically between A.D. 100 and 800, the largest changes occurring along the coast.

"The location of Dorestad on a high natural levee along a not so active branch of the Rhine in the central Rhine delta was perfect for trade. It was far enough from the coast to be safe from storm floods. The high levee also gave protection from the annual river floods. River connections with the Flemish, French and German hinterland were perfect. Other delta branches ensured safe connections to the Zeeland delta and the open Flemish coast all the way to Dover Straight to the south and to the open Frisian coast all the way to present Southern Denmark in the North. The dangerously closed coast of Holland without any safe shelter places for storms could thus be avoided by ships coming in both from the South and from the North.
Although the branch of the Rhine was not very active in the heydays of Dorestad, the whole river system was very dynamic nonetheless. Excavations at Dorestad show that the harbour works of Dorestad were constantly adapted to the changing river. Archaeological evidence doesn’t give any clues on the active riverbed, and its influence on this early emporium. Combining modern geophysical research with archaeological data not only gives insight in the changing rivers, but also in the reasons why Dorestad could rise to its glory, and the possible reason for its demise. The demise of Dorestad gave room for later river towns as Tiel, Dordrecht and the IJssel cities."

Dendrochronological data formats in general offer limited space for recording associated metadata. Such information is often recorded separately from the actual time series, and often only on paper. TRiDaBASE has been developed to improve metadata administration. It is a relational Microsoft Access database that allows users to register digital metadata according to TRiDaS, to generate TRiDaS XML for uploading to TRiDaS-based analytical systems and repositories, and to ingest TRiDaS XML created elsewhere for local querying and analyses.

The late-Roman and early-medieval Netherlands witnessed major changes in landscape, economy, demography and also possibly climate. People had to adapt to increased flooding and changing river systems. Settlements were abandoned or relocated. The precise nature and extent of these adaptations reflected in large-scale patterns is generally unknown. Large-scale route networks will have changed during the late-Roman and earlymedieval period and are key to understand settlements dynamics.

We developed a network-friction model (NFM) which combines data on past environments with archaeological data in order to model historical-route networks. Network friction is the variable that determines potential regional accessibility based on the comparison of local and surrounding landscape factors (Van Lanen et al. submitted).

The early-medieval Netherlands witnessed major changes in
landscape, economy, demography and also possibly climate.
Archaeological evidence throughout north-western Europe, including
the Netherlands, indicates severe demographic decline
and changing settlement patterns in the late-Roman and post-
Roman periods. To what extent the inhabitants of the earlymedieval
Lowlands adapted to the increasingly changing landndscapes
and how this is reflected in large-scale patterns is generally
unknown. Historical route networks provide a key to -
understanding large-scale settlement patterns as well as demography
and land use.

Dendrochronology studies annual growth patterns in wood. Dendrochronological data improve our knowledge on past climates, landscape development, socio-economic relations, and settlement dynamics. The “Wood Use in the Early Middle Ages” (WUEM) project uses dendrochronology to refine our knowledge about chronology and trade activities in the Early Medieval Low Countries with a central focus on Early Medieval Dorestad. The project is an answer to the knowledge gap in the Early Medieval wooden archive as identified by the National Research Agenda Archaeology (NOaA) in 2006. The WUEM project runs from April 2011 to April 2012.

Within the WUEM project we survey which wooden samples have been preserved and are still suitable for dendrochronological research. Dendrochronological data on the Early Medieval Low Countries collected and preserved by foreign laboratories are, if allowed, included in the inventory.

Within the WUEM project selections of this data collection are analysed to re-evaluate the wooden archive of the Early Medieval Low Countries. One of the main focus points of the project is Early Medieval Dorestad. One of the largest and most important Early Medieval sites in Europe, which has been the subject of continuous research for over thirty years and yields one of the largest datasets in Europe. Analysis of the whole assemblage of Early Medieval wood will result in a greatly improved understanding of site-development processes and trade relations in the Early Middle Ages.

The research was funded by the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO). Additional support was provided by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Centre for Dendrochronology (RING Foundation), the NWO/Dorestad: Vicus Famosus project, and Utrecht University.

High-resolution palaeoclimate reconstructions are essential to identify possible influences of climate variability on landscape evolution and landscape-related cultural changes (e.g., shifting settlement patterns and long-distance trade relations). Northwestern Europe is an ideal research area for comparison between climate variability and cultural transitions given its geomorphological diversity and the significant cultural changes that took place in this region during the last two millennia (e.g., the decline of the Roman Empire and the transition to medieval kingdoms). We compiled climate reconstructions for sites in Northwestern Europe from the literature and its underlying data. The compilation of the different temperature reconstructions shows similar trends in most of the records. Colder conditions since AD 300 for a period of approximately 400 years and warmer conditions after AD 700 become apparent. The compilation of the different precipitation reconstructions also show similar trends. Dry periods are indicated by all records around AD 400 and 600, although precipitation records do not show the same spatial continuity as the temperature proxies. This study shows that clear climate changes occurred over Northwestern Europe in the period between AD 300 and 700, which are partly reflected by changes in seasonality.

The late-Roman period (AD 270-450) and Early Middle Ages (AD 450-1050) in the Netherlands witnessed major changes in landscape, economy, demography and also climate. Archaeological evidence throughout northwestern Europe, including the Netherlands, indicates changing settlement patterns and severe demographic decline in the late-Roman and post-Roman periods. To fully understand the processes behind these changes, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary, combining data from archaeology, geomorphology, vegetation and past climate. The Dark Age of the Lowlands in an Interdisciplinary Light project focuses on analysing and reconstructing the complex and dynamic interplay between cultural, landscape, vegetation and climate changes during these periods in the Netherlands. These reconstructions take place within three complementary PhD-projects, in the realms of archaeology (A), physical geography (B) and palaeoecology (C). Integration of results between these projects is assured through the use of interdisciplinary research approaches and complementary research questions to analyse processes during these periods. In this contribution we will present the first results of our analyses on: changing settlements patterns, Ro-man and early-medieval route networks and palaeogeographical, vegetation and climate reconstructions. The project greatly improves our understanding of the Dark Age and strongly enhances the scientific framework for future research to this key period.

River landscapes are, since they are cultivated and inhabited by humans, among the most densely populated areas in the world. These landscapes provide fertile substrates, natural resources (e.g. food, raw materials), and abundant water routes for long-distance transport. However, these wet and dynamic landscapes often pose challenges to the people. In the past this sometimes even led to the relocation of production areas and settlements to more suitable areas. In the fluvial dominated part of the Rhine-Meuse delta, The Netherlands, the late-Roman and early-medieval periods (AD 270-1050) are characterized by both cultural changes (e.g. in demography, settlement location) and environmental changes (river avulsions, changes in flooding frequency). In the delta plain, the relatively high and dry natural levees were most favourable for habitation. The extension and relative elevation of these important landscape units has recently been mapped in high detail, exploring the distribution of settlements on these landscape units and the changing patterns of settlements through time is the next step. To perform this, we need to integrate the geomorphological reconstructions with archaeological datasets. We have applied a multidisciplinary approach by integrating new high-resolution palaeoenvironmental reconstructions with archaeological datasets. Our aims were to: 1) determine the spatial distribution of settlements on geomorphological landscape units, and 2) explore changes in human-environment interactions from the late Ro-man period to the Early Middle Ages. In this contribution, we present the first results of these analyses. Integrating these datasets is an important step towards further understanding of the relative contribution of (and the interaction between) environmental and cultural factors in determining settlement distribution in the Rhine-Meuse delta.

River landscapes are among the most densely populated areas in the world. In the Rhine-Meuse delta, The Netherlands, the late-Roman and early-medieval periods (AD 270-1050) are characterized by both cultural changes (e.g. in demography, settlement location) and environmental changes (river avulsions, changes in flooding frequency). In the delta landscape, the relatively high and dry natural levees were the most favourable landscape units for habitation. We developed a new integrative geomorphological reconstruction map showing the patterns and relative elevation of these important landscape units in high detail. Furthermore we applied a multidisciplinary approach by integrating the new high-resolution palaeoenvironmental reconstructions with archaeological datasets. This facilitated us to determine the spatial distribution of settlements on geomorphological landscape units, and explore changes in human-environment interactions from the late Roman period to the Early Middle Ages. In this contribution, we present the geomorphological reconstructions and the first results of analyses of settlement distribution. Integrating these datasets is an important step towards further understanding of the relative contribution of (and the interaction between) environmental and cultural factors in determining settlement distribution in the Rhine-Meuse delta.

The late-Roman period (AD 270-450) and Early Middle Ages (AD 450-1050) in the Netherlands witnessed major changes in landscape, economy, demography and possibly also climate. Archaeological evidence throughout north-western Europe, including the Netherlands, indicates changing settlement patterns and severe demographic decline in the late-Roman and post-Roman periods. To fully understand the processes behind these changes, it is necessary to combine datasets of archaeology, geomorphology, past climate and vegetation.

Our research programme focuses on analysing and reconstructing the complex and dynamic interplay between cultural, landscape and vegetation changes during Roman and early-medieval periods. These reconstructions take place within three complementary PhD-projects, in the realms of archaeology (subproject A), physical geography (subproject B) and palaeoecology (subproject C). Subproject A focuses on occupation patterns (e.g. historical route networks, long-distance trade relations, settlement patterns) and land use in the river and Pleistocene sandy regions. Subproject B studies natural geomorphological landscape dynamics in the Netherlands, and subproject C focuses on vegetation developments and climatic changes during these periods. The interaction between these subprojects is not only achieved by comparing synthesised datasets, but also by studying common and complementary research questions.

For both the delta plain and the coastal area an innovative GIS was built including all deposits of Late Holocene age. Using this GIS, new detailed palaeogeographical maps of the delta plain area were made and combined with surface elevation reconstructions. When these maps were combined with settlement data, they showed that settlements preferentially persisted on the higher elevated areas in the landscape. Additionally, a palaeogeographical GIS was used to visualise storm surge sea ingressions in the Dutch coastal area during different time steps. Again these detailed landscape reconstruction were combined with settlement patterns (subproject A), this comparison demonstrated that anthropogenic induced flooding occurred at a dramatic scale. By comparing different sections along the coast it is shown that areas with wide peat areas and few beach barriers faced the most dramatic consequences ofthese flooding events.

The palynological records reflects the Late Roman period as a reforestation phase. This reforestation is most pronounced in the southern part of the Netherlands. Not only is this reforestation the result of a decrease in population, less intensive farming practices seem to be an additional factor. Using all available palynological data and abiotic landscape maps vegetation reconstructions are made for three time slices showing the shifting vegetation patterns (van Beek et al., 2015; Bouman et al., 2013) .

On a supra-regional scale historical route networks in the Netherlands both in the Roman period and Early Middle Ages have a clear link to landscape settings. As such these networks can be modelled using detailed geoscientific and archaeological data (Van Lanen et al., 2015a). Validation of these models using archaeological data showed that over 89% of the Roman and 83% of the early-medieval routes could be correctly modelled (Van Lanen et al., 2015b) and almost 25% of these routes are persistent to at least the period around AD 1600 (Van Lanen et al., submitted).

The final results of the project will be synthesized in an interdisciplinary reconstruction of the dynamic interactions between cultural and landscape factors between AD 300 and 1000 in the Lowlands and a broader northwest-European context. The study will greatly improve our understanding of the development of the early-medieval Lowlands and strongly enhance the scientific framework for future research to this key period.

Strontium isotope analysis has been successfully applied to archaeological questions of residential mobility and animal husbandry for over three decades. To obtain a full understanding of variations in archaeological samples, spatial variations in bioavailable strontium should be accurately mapped or inferred. This paper presents the first archaeological bioavailable strontium map of The Netherlands. The map is compiled solely from archaeological enamel samples of rodents and selected mammals as they are considered to provide the best proxy of bioavailable Sr. The diversity of the Dutch geological subsurface is directly reflected in the spatial distribution of 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Six isoscapes are defined: A) Lower terrace of the river Meuse (0.7074–0.7091, n = 2); B) Marine and river Rhine sediments (0.7088–0.7092; n = 85); C) Holland peat area, Kempen and northern sand areas (0.7091–0.7095, n = 14); D) Rur Graben (0.7095–0.7105, n = 11); E) Push moraines (0.7095–0.7110, n = 7) and F) Northern and southern loess areas (0.7104–0.7113, n = 15). Although individual isoscapes may show some overlap, the mean of each isoscape is statistically significant different, except for zones D and E. Five other geological environments yielded no archaeological data, mainly due to poor preservation in acidic soils. To fill this data gap, additional biosphere samples will be collected and analysed. This approach, however, will require validation of the extent to which specific floral are offset compared to the average archaeological bioavailable strontium. The base map presented here now allows such a detailed assessment of potential offsets in the 87Sr/86Sr recorded by different proxies at the regional scale.

This paper highlights evidence-based population estimates for the Netherlands AD 0-1000. The results allow well-founded statements regarding demographic developments (especially concerning population levels) during the transition of the Roman Period to the Early Middle Ages. Quantitative data on demography are vital building blocks for understanding changes that occurred during this crucial episode in history. On the basis of high-temporal resolution settlement data in the eastern part of the Rhine-Meuse delta experiments were carried out with evidence-based modelling (PLUS). This method allows taking into account both variation and change due to various forcing factors within the settlement landscape. Also the consequences of demographic changes can be modelled, and hypotheses (e.g. regarding landscape carrying capacity) systematically tested. The reconstructed demographic trend is validated using multi-proxy data and by evaluating the reliability of the settlement data that were used to estimate population numbers. Population decline in the aftermath of the Roman Empire certainly was substantial. This conclusion is in line with traditional views. Regional differences however, turn out to be substantial, both temporal as in terms of population density. This diversity may have significantly influenced (and possibly explain) following developments.