Urban Archeology Days Urban Archeology Days

  • 16/06/2023 —  18/06/2023

    Explore archaeological sites...

  • 16/06/2023 —  18/06/2023

    Visit archaeological laboratories !

  • 16/06/2023 —  18/06/2023

    Discover the unseen...

  • 16/06/2023 —  18/06/2023

    Follow in the archaeologists' footsteps...

  • Kolenmarkt 39 rue du Marché au Charbon, Brussels

    rue du Marché au Charbon 39, 1000 Bruxelles

    Book your guided tour in French HERE From the cellar to the attic: two houses in the Rue du Marché au Charbon rebuilt after the bombing of 1695 The name 'Rue du Marché au Charbon' evokes…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE From the cellar to the attic: two houses in the Rue du Marché au Charbon rebuilt after the bombing of 1695 The name 'Rue du Marché au Charbon' evokes the commercial district that once surrounded the Grand Place in Brussels. This section of the trade route, which has crossed the city from east to west since the 11th century, has retained its undulating character and its ancient layout. The…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE From the cellar to the attic: two houses in the Rue du Marché au Charbon rebuilt after the bombing of 1695 The name 'Rue du Marché au Charbon' evokes the commercial district that once surrounded the Grand Place in Brussels. This section of the trade route, which has crossed the city from east to west since the 11th century, has retained its undulating character and its ancient layout. The restoration project of two adjoining houses at numbers 37 and 39 has enabled archaeologists to understand the reconstruction of these buildings after the bombardment of Brussels in 1695 by the troops of the French king Louis XIV. The unprecedented scale of the reconstruction of the…

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  • The Museum of the City of Brussels (Maison du Roi – Broodhuis)

    Grand Place 29, 1000 Bruxelles

    Situated on the most beautiful square in the world, the City Museum invites you to discover the history of Brussels: a maquette illustrating the city in the 13th century, tapestries, ceramics, masterpieces of painting and…

    Situated on the most beautiful square in the world, the City Museum invites you to discover the history of Brussels: a maquette illustrating the city in the 13th century, tapestries, ceramics, masterpieces of painting and sculpture... On the top floor, the Grand-Place tells its story through unique works of art such as the original weathervane of Saint Michael. And it is also in the City Museum that you can admire the real statue of Manneken-Pis!…

    Situated on the most beautiful square in the world, the City Museum invites you to discover the history of Brussels: a maquette illustrating the city in the 13th century, tapestries, ceramics, masterpieces of painting and sculpture... On the top floor, the Grand-Place tells its story through unique works of art such as the original weathervane of Saint Michael. And it is also in the City Museum that you can admire the real statue of Manneken-Pis! The most important work in the collection is undoubtedly the building that houses the museum, a neo-gothic building dating from the last quarter of the 19th century, located opposite the Town Hall. Called the King's House in French (Maison du Roi) - in reference to…

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  • Archaeological walk in search of the Senne

    STIB/MIVB Lemmonier

    Book your tour in French HERE Book your tour in Dutch HERE This walk offers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Senne river within the so-called Pentagon, following the trail of recent archaeological…

    Book your tour in French HERE Book your tour in Dutch HERE This walk offers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Senne river within the so-called Pentagon, following the trail of recent archaeological excavations by urban.brussels, but also older discoveries. Although the Senne disappeared from the urban landscape after it was vaulted during the second half of the 19th century, it nevertheless left a lasting mark on the city centre. Indissociable from the…

    Book your tour in French HERE Book your tour in Dutch HERE This walk offers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Senne river within the so-called Pentagon, following the trail of recent archaeological excavations by urban.brussels, but also older discoveries. Although the Senne disappeared from the urban landscape after it was vaulted during the second half of the 19th century, it nevertheless left a lasting mark on the city centre. Indissociable from the origins of Brussels, where the existence of a harbour (portus) is attested as early as the 11th century, the river plays a major role both in urban planning and in craft and industrial activities. It was an important waterway until the Willebroek Canal was opened…

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  • The Abbey of Dieleghem in Jette

    Abbaye of Dieleghem – Abdij van Dielegem, rue Jean Tiebackxstraat 14, 1090 Jette

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The cellar of the abbot’s house of the Abbey of Dieleghem or the 'game of seven errors'. How building archaeology reveals the history of a difficult building site. The…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The cellar of the abbot’s house of the Abbey of Dieleghem or the 'game of seven errors'. How building archaeology reveals the history of a difficult building site. The cellars of the former abbot’s house of the abbey of Dieleghem, Jette, reveal the background to the construction and organisation of a prestigious building from the end of the 18th century. The construction of the building took place over a…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The cellar of the abbot’s house of the Abbey of Dieleghem or the 'game of seven errors'. How building archaeology reveals the history of a difficult building site. The cellars of the former abbot’s house of the abbey of Dieleghem, Jette, reveal the background to the construction and organisation of a prestigious building from the end of the 18th century. The construction of the building took place over a period of more than 20 years, between 1783 and 1794-1795. The archaeological analysis of the masonry preserved in the cellar shows anomalies and changes in the programme, in other words, "errors" that make it possible to understand a difficult construction site and a schedule under…

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  • The Prior’s house of the Rouge-Cloître, Auderghem

    Rue du Rouge-Cloître 7, 1160 Auderghem

    The prior’s house is part of the former priory of the Rouge-Cloître, an exceptional heritage site in the Brussels Capital Region. The prior’s house, which has not been in use since 1998, was recently thoroughly…

    The prior’s house is part of the former priory of the Rouge-Cloître, an exceptional heritage site in the Brussels Capital Region. The prior’s house, which has not been in use since 1998, was recently thoroughly restored by the Brussels Capital Region. As the new manager of the prior’s house, Rubea Vallis aims to make this last vestige of the former monastery accessible and liveable for the public through a diversified socio-cultural programme, highlighting the site's…

    The prior’s house is part of the former priory of the Rouge-Cloître, an exceptional heritage site in the Brussels Capital Region. The prior’s house, which has not been in use since 1998, was recently thoroughly restored by the Brussels Capital Region. As the new manager of the prior’s house, Rubea Vallis aims to make this last vestige of the former monastery accessible and liveable for the public through a diversified socio-cultural programme, highlighting the site's cultural and natural assets. On this occasion, in collaboration with the Centre d'Art du Rouge-Cloître, the Art & History Museum and Urban.brussels, a first exhibit presents the results of the archaeological research carried out between 1997 and 2015 on the site. Confronted with the study…

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  • The Halle Gate

    Halle Gate, Boulevard du Midi 150, 1000 Bruxelles

    The imposing Halle Gate has dominated the capital since the 14th century. Today, this last vestige of the second city wall is used as a museum, but it has had many functions over the centuries…

    The imposing Halle Gate has dominated the capital since the 14th century. Today, this last vestige of the second city wall is used as a museum, but it has had many functions over the centuries (prison, archive, etc.). In 1847, the Halle Gate officially became the Royal Museum of Armour, Antiquities and Ethnology, but the outdated layout of the building made it difficult for visitors to access. The city gate finally took its final shape…

    The imposing Halle Gate has dominated the capital since the 14th century. Today, this last vestige of the second city wall is used as a museum, but it has had many functions over the centuries (prison, archive, etc.). In 1847, the Halle Gate officially became the Royal Museum of Armour, Antiquities and Ethnology, but the outdated layout of the building made it difficult for visitors to access. The city gate finally took its final shape in 1860, following the work of the architect H. Beyaert... Today, by means of various historical and archaeological objects, a museum circuit tells the story of the time when Brussels was a fortified city. At the top of the monument, the crenellated rampart offers a…

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  • The laboratories of the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences

    rue Vautier 29, 1000 Bruxelles

    Book your guided tour in Dutch HERE You will be introduced to a number of natural sciences applied in archaeology: anthropology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and palynology. Scientists from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences will show…

    Book your guided tour in Dutch HERE You will be introduced to a number of natural sciences applied in archaeology: anthropology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and palynology. Scientists from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences will show you around their lab and tell you about their methods and the results obtained in the various disciplines. All these data allow us to know more about daily life in the past. Collaboration Urban – Royal Belgian Institute of Natural…

    Book your guided tour in Dutch HERE You will be introduced to a number of natural sciences applied in archaeology: anthropology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and palynology. Scientists from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences will show you around their lab and tell you about their methods and the results obtained in the various disciplines. All these data allow us to know more about daily life in the past. Collaboration Urban – Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (more…)

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  • The Halles Saint-Géry archaeological showcases

    Place Saint-Géry 1, 1000 Brussels

    The archaeological objects of the Urban.brussels collection are presented to the public at the Halles Saint-Géry in several showcases on the ground floor. The alternation of themes in the largest showcase makes it possible to…

    The archaeological objects of the Urban.brussels collection are presented to the public at the Halles Saint-Géry in several showcases on the ground floor. The alternation of themes in the largest showcase makes it possible to show a multitude of objects from daily life, from prehistory to the present day. This showcase is currently dedicated to a selection of discoveries made in 2019 during the archaeological research in the Impasse Saint-Nicolas, at a stone’s throw from…

    The archaeological objects of the Urban.brussels collection are presented to the public at the Halles Saint-Géry in several showcases on the ground floor. The alternation of themes in the largest showcase makes it possible to show a multitude of objects from daily life, from prehistory to the present day. This showcase is currently dedicated to a selection of discoveries made in 2019 during the archaeological research in the Impasse Saint-Nicolas, at a stone’s throw from the Grand-Place. At the end of the plot there was a white stone well dating from the second half of the 15th century. It was emptied to a depth of two and a half metres below the ground floor level. Its filling contained a wealth…

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  • Hidden in the forest: the Neolithic site of Boîtsfort-Etangs – Bosvoorde-Vijvers

    Boitsfort/Bosvoorde Railway station, chaussée de La Hulpe / Terhulpensesteenweg, 1170 Watermael-Boitsfort

    Book your guided tour in French HERE Book your guided tour in Dutch HERE This walk, which starts at the railway station in Boitsfort, takes us to the remains of the Middle Neolithic site of Boîtsfort-Etangs/Bosvoorde Vijvers.…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE Book your guided tour in Dutch HERE This walk, which starts at the railway station in Boitsfort, takes us to the remains of the Middle Neolithic site of Boîtsfort-Etangs/Bosvoorde Vijvers. Along with Chaumont-Gistoux-Les-Bruyères and Ottenburg/Grez-Doiceau, this site is one of the exceptional places where visible remains of ditches and ramparts have been preserved. Since the beginning of the 21st century, it has been part of the protected archaeological heritage of…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE Book your guided tour in Dutch HERE This walk, which starts at the railway station in Boitsfort, takes us to the remains of the Middle Neolithic site of Boîtsfort-Etangs/Bosvoorde Vijvers. Along with Chaumont-Gistoux-Les-Bruyères and Ottenburg/Grez-Doiceau, this site is one of the exceptional places where visible remains of ditches and ramparts have been preserved. Since the beginning of the 21st century, it has been part of the protected archaeological heritage of the Brussels-Capital Region. During this excursion of approximately 3.5 km, which crosses the ditches and ramparts, particular attention will be paid to the problem of site management. Collaboration Urban – Vrije Universiteit Brussel (more…)

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  • The archaeological laboratory of urban.brussels

    Mont des Arts 10-13, 1000 Brussels

    [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsXzyRxFmEA[/embed] Book your guided tour in French HERE Book you guided tour in Dutch HERE Book your guided tour in English HERE All the objects discovered on the archaeological sites within the Brussels Region are treated in the…

    [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsXzyRxFmEA[/embed] Book your guided tour in French HERE Book you guided tour in Dutch HERE Book your guided tour in English HERE All the objects discovered on the archaeological sites within the Brussels Region are treated in the archaeological laboratory of Urban.brussels. This guided tour will allow the public to discover the complex treatment process to which the archaeological material is subjected from the moment it is unearthed. Objects from different periods and made from a wide variety…

    [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsXzyRxFmEA[/embed] Book your guided tour in French HERE Book you guided tour in Dutch HERE Book your guided tour in English HERE All the objects discovered on the archaeological sites within the Brussels Region are treated in the archaeological laboratory of Urban.brussels. This guided tour will allow the public to discover the complex treatment process to which the archaeological material is subjected from the moment it is unearthed. Objects from different periods and made from a wide variety of materials such as glass, metal, ceramics, bone and wood can be observed, in particular those from the archaeological excavations at the former Parking 58, now Brucity. The conservation and restoration techniques used will be presented by the conservators. Special attention will also be paid…

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  • La Cambre Abbey

    Abbaye de la Cambre, Brussels

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The history of the La Cambre Abbey through a building archaeological lens Although it appears to be homogeneous, the building of the La Cambre Abbey is nevertheless the result…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The history of the La Cambre Abbey through a building archaeological lens Although it appears to be homogeneous, the building of the La Cambre Abbey is nevertheless the result of changes and transformations carried out over the centuries by its occupants. Although its general history is widely commented on in the literature, the building itself is a primary source for understanding the site. Archaeological observation allows us to glean…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The history of the La Cambre Abbey through a building archaeological lens Although it appears to be homogeneous, the building of the La Cambre Abbey is nevertheless the result of changes and transformations carried out over the centuries by its occupants. Although its general history is widely commented on in the literature, the building itself is a primary source for understanding the site. Archaeological observation allows us to glean here and there a series of clues linked to the chronology, the materials and their use, and the subsequent transformations... It is through these small details that certain keys to understanding this monumental heritage are revealed. As we move around the heart of this complex,…

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  • The Abbey of Forest-Vorst

    Abbaye de Forest – Abdij van Vorst, place Saint-Denis-Sint-Denijsplein, 1190 Forest-Vorst

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The 18th century reconstruction project of the Abbey of Forest-Vorst documented by archaeology and dendrochronology Following the example of other monasteries and under the pretext of a fire that…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The 18th century reconstruction project of the Abbey of Forest-Vorst documented by archaeology and dendrochronology Following the example of other monasteries and under the pretext of a fire that destroyed part of its buildings in March 1764, the Abbey of Forest-Vorst underwent a major renovation campaign in the second half of the 18th century. This was carried out by Laurent-Benoît Dewez, court architect of the Austrian Netherlands. His large-scale…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE The 18th century reconstruction project of the Abbey of Forest-Vorst documented by archaeology and dendrochronology Following the example of other monasteries and under the pretext of a fire that destroyed part of its buildings in March 1764, the Abbey of Forest-Vorst underwent a major renovation campaign in the second half of the 18th century. This was carried out by Laurent-Benoît Dewez, court architect of the Austrian Netherlands. His large-scale project included the development of a vast horseshoe-shaped main courtyard framed by imposing volumes and closed off to the north by an abbey palace. The work was carried out between 1764 and 1767, but was never completed. How can we understand this major construction project…

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  • The Coudenberg Palace

    Palais du Coudenberg, place des Palais 7, 1000 Bruxelles

    Book your guided tour in French HERE Guided tour of the remains of the former Coudenberg Palace Come and discover this archaeological jewel located in the heart of Brussels! Take advantage of the Urban Archaeology Days…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE Guided tour of the remains of the former Coudenberg Palace Come and discover this archaeological jewel located in the heart of Brussels! Take advantage of the Urban Archaeology Days to see the discoveries that have improved our knowledge of this historically essential part of Brussels' heritage. The guided tour is led by an archaeologist from the Royal Archaeological Society of Brussels who excavated the site between 1990 and 2000.…

    Book your guided tour in French HERE Guided tour of the remains of the former Coudenberg Palace Come and discover this archaeological jewel located in the heart of Brussels! Take advantage of the Urban Archaeology Days to see the discoveries that have improved our knowledge of this historically essential part of Brussels' heritage. The guided tour is led by an archaeologist from the Royal Archaeological Society of Brussels who excavated the site between 1990 and 2000. Collaboration Urban, Coudenberg Palace, Société royale d’Archéologie de Bruxelles (more…)

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Urban Archeology Days Urban Archeology Days

Éditeur responsable : Bety Waknine, directrice générale, urban.brussels (Service public régional Bruxelles Urbanisme et Patrimoine), Mont des Arts 10-13 – 1000 Bruxelles Verantwoordelijke uitgever: Bety Waknine, directeur-generaal, urban.brussels (Gewestelijke Overheidsdienst Brussel Stedenbouw en Erfgoed), Kunstberg 10-13 – 1000 Brussel