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Down the rabbit hole

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Once upon a time… there was the rider. A man of flesh and blood who galloped through the streets of Ypres centuries ago. What do we still know about this gentleman? Surprisingly a great deal! In Down the rabbit hole, you’ll delve deep into Ypres’s clay soil, where a medieval past lies dormant. Countless archaeological finds are brought to life through fascinating scientific discoveries. You’ll be swept from one wonder to the next.

Discover

In Down the rabbit hole, you’ll delve into the clay soil of Ypres. You’ll marvel at countless archaeological finds that transport you back to the Middle Ages. Each artefact tells us a great deal about life back then. How do we know this today?

Thanks to a range of scientific disciplines. Over the past few years, various researchers have shed light on the Ypres excavations. Through methods such as DNA analysis and archaeobotany, they are bringing the medieval town back to life. But don’t panic: you don’t need to be a scientist to experience Down the rabbit hole. Hetty Helsmoortel (audio guide) and Jacotte Brokken (videos) explain it all clearly. So do let your imagination run wild whilst you admire all these traces of the past.

Individual visit

Groups

Museum visit without a guide

Team up

Archaeology doesn’t stop once the excavation is over. On the contrary: it is only with the help of a whole range of scientific disciplines that we can accurately reconstruct the Middle Ages. In Down the rabbit hole, various experts will show you that even a seed or a hyoid bone holds a story. That even the length of a brick can give us insight into history. During your visit, you’ll learn about the following research projects:

  • Archeologisch onderzoek site Hooge Siecken, Ieper - Sint-Jan (agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed & Monument Vandekerckhove)
  • Besiect ende besmet - de pathogene synthese van een leprozerie tegenover andere middeleeuwse begraafplaatsen in Vlaanderen (KU Leuven)
  • Ieper - De Meersen (agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed)
  • Ieper Merghelynckstraat, Ieper Appèlstraat, Ieper Polenlaan, Ieper Ieperlee Fase IV (BAAC Vlaanderen bv)
  • Limbo life. An archaeological analysis of a medieval suburb in Ypres (1200-1383) (UGent)
  • The Make-Up of the Cities: A Transdisciplinary and Comparative Study of Urban Societies in the Pre- Modern Low Countries (VUB)

Whereas Alice in the fairy tale is surrounded by a hatter and a white rabbit, we were also able to draw on the expertise of the partners listed below.