Due to the discovery of human remains, archaeologists will be present at the site and will supervise further excavations, and additional archaeological activity will be necessary.
Human remains were discovered during excavation work behind the Church of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, revealing the remains of an old cemetery.
According to reports, it was not unexpected to find such remains, considering the historical significance of the site.
Due to the discovery of human remains, archaeologists will be present at the site and will supervise further excavations, and additional archaeological activity will be necessary. The Flemish Agency for Immovable Heritage has assessed the situation.
"In all likelihood, contrary to what has always been assumed, the old cemetery was not cleared around 1900. Only the tombstones were removed to build the road and square at that time. It is likely that we will encounter several layers of the old cemetery," explained the mayor, Ronny Slootmans. Under the direction of the Agency, the entire territory behind the Church will be excavated in the coming weeks.
"In a small area, 16 skeletons have already been found. Also, an almost intact zinc coffin has been discovered, which is quite rare," Slootmans said. The agency has hired a specialized company for the excavation.
"The specialists will have about five weeks of work, although in such cases something unexpected can always come up. They will uncover all the findings, dig even more, if possible, take them with them to examine elsewhere. The search and documentation of the findings will take several months afterwards," he added.
Archaeological findings are influencing current sewer works.
"We have to stop them temporarily now," Slootmans explained. "We hope to restart them before the holidays, so that the new sewer can be laid underground. After the construction holidays, we can continue with the construction of the road and parking spaces."
"Until the beginning of the last century, there was a cemetery here," commented public works councillor Tom Ongena. He added: "In recent weeks, some bones had been found, but now workers have come across full coffins, and work cannot continue for the time being."
“The area will now be excavated with great care, and the human remains will be preserved with respect,” Ongena said, while archaeologists suspect that they will find even more remains. “This is mandatory, but we consider it entirely natural to treat these deceased with respect,” he stressed. According to Ongena, “we are talking about people who were buried in this place around 1900.”
Acknowledging the impact on the project’s timeline, Ongena stressed: “This causes a delay in the original timeline. How big this delay will be, it is impossible to say at the moment, but we hope to limit it to a few weeks.” Despite the delays, some other works on the renovation of the Waver village center are continuing without interruption.
"For example, the connection to the Leemstraat is being expanded," he mentioned. "As a result, it will temporarily be impossible to travel via the Leemstraat towards Dorp."
Mayor Slootmans emphasized that the concerns for residents and merchants are not small.
"Traders in the construction area remain accessible. This is very important for us, but especially for them and for the residents of Waver. In the area in front of the city hall, the contractor will continue work in the coming weeks," he said.
“As long as the archaeological research is in progress and the sewerage has not yet been installed, the sidewalks for businesses will remain functional,” Slootmans stated. / The Jerusalem Post
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Annex of the former Radio Prishtina (first floor) George Bush pn, 10000 Prishtina
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Holly Patrick | Thursday 04 January 2024 18:40 GMT
A tornado left a path of destruction in Belgium on Wednesday
The weather phenomenon hit Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver and Putte
According to officials in the municipality of Sint-Katelijne-Waver
around 40 homes were impacted across a stretch of 4km
Emergency Weather Benelux said that they received reports of a short-lived tornado near Putte and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver on Wednesday.
It may have been a low-topped supercell, they added.
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and what we all stand to lose if they disappear
Belgian writer Jan Van den Bossche published a book looking at volkscafé culture in the Antwerp province
so Van den Bossche took his son Jef along on his research
a French drinking song by Belgian pop singer Grand Jojo
but he still remembers the journeys – much to the amusement of his father
“I think [the trip] was something like mother’s milk,” laughs Jan
Fast forward to 2022 and Jef has self-published a photography book centered on volkscafés
he traveled to bars all over Belgium to capture their spirit – and he brought his father with him
“What intrigues me about these places is that they incite an increasingly rare social interaction,” Jef explains in the book’s introduction
“Volkscafés are meeting places for a cross section of society where customers simply get to be themselves
know-it-alls and philosophers no longer get to solve world problems at their local bar
Jan and Jef both sought out older establishments that had been in business for at least a couple of decades
blotchy mirrors and traditional wooden paneling
“In some cafés there were old guys sitting at one table
But the thing [the volkscafés] all shared was that once you came in
you didn’t need to wait long before someone started a conversation.”
He wrote his book back in 2001 in a bid to help them
Jef estimates that three or four of the 40 volkscafés he photographed between January 2018 and June 2019 have since shut down
which had been run by the same family for three generations
it would be demolished to make way for apartments
“There were more than 500 people at the goodbye party
there was a stage with people performing...It was really a very emotional goodbye,” he says
“Now it’s [been replaced with] these small
which have no cultural value for the historic town center
The reasons for the volkscafés’ disappearance are complicated
rising beer prices and taxes have led to poor sales
which can lead to financial penalties from breweries when targets aren’t met
have sold their buildings for high sums to property developers looking to replace them with flats
But broader cultural shifts have played a part too
Stricter drinking and driving laws and the rise of TV have given people a reason to stay at home
while smartphones and computers mean they don’t need to get out to get the news or talk to their friends
Smoking has been banned in cafés and bars across the country since 2011
(Once it was possible to head out to a volkscafé at 2am or much later
many of Jef’s photos feel like something out of a time capsule
while three more sit next to an old stove for warmth
Photos taken at Café Bostella in Essen capture its then 87-year-old landlady
picking up a sausage – an homage to the days when locals would sell sausages
spirits and even clothes on her billiards table
The practice came to an end after a visit from the health inspector
“But from her little kitchen in the back.”
there’s been a renewed interest in independent businesses and community initiatives
young people have been drawn to the convivial volkscafé atmosphere
“It’s about the importance of meeting,” Jan says
and I talk with you and I talk with everyone.” While there’s an old-fashioned charm to the establishments he visited
what Jef’s images really record is a way of life and a way of relating to others that we’d be all the poorer for losing
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