Terp dwellers had a varied menu

Terp dwellers had a much more varied menu than has been assumed for decades, and they were perfectly able to grow their own crops, says Mans Schepers, archaeologist at the University of Groningen. Schepers conducts research on arable farming near terps.

Schepers claims the terp dwellers had more options than what has always been assumed. ‘People did not so much battle against the water, they lived with it. Just like our modern-day farmers, the terp dwellers were very well able to respond to the possibilities and impossibilities that the landscape offered. Excavations in the terp area have yielded numerous layers of arable land and a wide variety of crops. My field experiments outside the dykes prove that arable farming is definitely possible even without reclamation. In addition, my trial fields have generated an interesting balance between human interference and the typical marsh flora and fauna.’

The 'Wierdenmenu' based on Schepers's research on arable farming on terps will be available at Café Hammingh in Garnwerd until late October.

More information

• Mans Schepers
• Museum Wierdenland

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