Aquafin NV contracted ADEDE to conduct an archaeological combined with UXO clearance. The area was approximately 2.5 kilometers long and situated in Zonnebeke (Western Flanders).
A trajectory of approximately 2.5 kilometers was investigated and provided a cross-section insight through a small part of the Ypres Salient with a focus on the Third Battle of Ypres, which ended in November 1917 with the reconquest of Passchendaele.
Thanks to the multidisciplinary approach, we were able to complete the project by the use of aerial photographic and trench maps in combination with geophysical research, followed by a test trench excavation and surface-covering/ full scale excavation. The safety of the archaeological investigation and the subsequent work was guaranteed by a team of experienced UXO experts. They managed to recover 11.000 kilograms of UXOon the rather limited surface area.
In addition to an well preserved Albrechtstellung, this research also yielded artillery platforms, communication lines and storage bunkers in which a clear evolution could be noticed and provided information as how the war progressed. Human and animal remains, a mass grave alongside the numerous bomb craters, were a testimony to the intensity of the First World War.
