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The first archaeological
excavations were conducted in Ename from 1941 to 1946. They were
directed by A.L.J. Vande Walle and they exposed parts of the Saint
Salvator Church and the palace. After the excavations, the trenches
were backfilled and the site was returned to agricultural use.
In 1982, as
a result of the planned expansion of a nearby railroad line, the
Belgian National Service for Excavations carried out emergency excavations
at the Ename site and uncovered an important medieval fortification
and palace complex. It included one of the oldest keeps in Europe.
These important finds led to a major interdisciplinary investigation
by the Institute for the Archaeological Patrimony of the Flemish
Community of Belgium (IAP) in collaboration with the Municipality
of Oudenaarde and the Province of East-Flanders.
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| Foundations
of the 10th century palace at Ename. |
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Similar
medieval palatial building in Paderborn, Germany. |
| Extensive excavations
in the industrial area of the medieval and post-medieval abbey of
Ename (uncovering a brewery, slaughterhouse, bakery, and other workshops)
were conducted throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Archaeological investigation
of the Saint Laurentius Church (founded in the 10th century) in the
village center began at the end of 1999. They are part of a major
restoration project. |
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| Study
and restoration of pottery excavated at the Ename site. |
| Alongside the study and dating of the excavated
structures on the site, the members of the Ename 974-team also study
the broader cultural and social context in which the ancient inhabitants
of Ename lived. Special attention is devoted to the study of the excavated
human, faunal, pollen, and plant remains, through which modern researchers
can reconstruct Ename's changing historic environments. |
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| Anthropological analysis of human remains.
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