Centuries ago, someone in the Netherlands concluded that the best way to fill the gaps in their floor was not with tiles, but with bones.
Municipal archaeologists working in the historic center of the Dutch city of Alkmaar have found a historic site composed of animal bones. This rare feature, announced in a municipal statement of December 13, has only been recorded in the province of North Holland, usually on floors of the 15th century.
“We are very happy to have the opportunity to see this bone for ourselves. It is always a privilege to uncover something from the past and add new information to the history of Alkmaar,” said Nancy de Jong, Alkmaar’s municipal archaeologist, in a statement.
The bones are the bovine parts of the metacarpals and metatarsals (bones of the feet), and they are all cut to size. Despite how worn the floor was, the archaeologists were able to see some kind of pattern in the arrangement of the bones. In particular, the bones were placed vertically, with the folded or sawed-off end facing upwards.
Archaeologists have seen this type of thing before, as they previously found similar skeletal features on the floors of Hoorn, Enkhuizen, and Edam, where the floor of Hoorn shows the same pattern. Experts now wonder if this was a common flooring solution of the 15th century or a design in the Netherlands.
Archaeologists have so far not found the newly discovered ground bones. The adjoining house was built in the early 17th century, but that does not necessarily mean that the floor itself is from the same century. In fact, it was not uncommon for new houses to be built on top of old foundations, according to archaeologists, which means that the floor may have continued into the 15th century, like many other examples of low skeletons.
Perhaps even more interesting than the date is the question of why someone may choose to fill the holes in the floor with bones. Tiles were not cheap at the time, the archaeologists explained, so there was no obvious economic benefit to using the bones. Perhaps, then, they were meant just for filling, not as tiles. The team also assessed whether the feature might make sense in the context of the type of craft produced there.
“There are many hidden stories that are still preserved, waiting for our team of archaeologists to come and find them,” said Anjo van de Ven, Alkmaar’s municipal heritage representative. “I’m always happy when they call me and tell me something they found. What good thing did they find now? – I think.”
Finally, the mystery of the bone on the ground continues, but hopefully not for long as archaeologists continue to investigate the find. Meanwhile, the whole world has clearly discovered a new, long-lasting flooring solution.
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