Special archaeological investigation into the Battle of Ane

Volunteers in archaeology and professional archaeologists are working in close cooperation on this project. The ROTB veterans, who sustained physical or psychological injuries during their service, contribute their specific military expertise, while SOO has been systematically researching the area for many years. This combination of expertise makes the investigation unique in the Netherlands. Jan van Doesburg (Senior Archaeologist at the RCE) says: ‘For the first time, we can carry out targeted and systematic research to determine the exact location of the battlefield. The Battle of Ane is an ideal case to demonstrate what battlefield archaeology can contribute to our understanding of the Middle Ages.’ 

The Battle of Ane is regarded as one of the most dramatic confrontations in Dutch medieval history. The army of knights of the Bishop of Utrecht, Otto of Lippe, suffered an unexpected defeat at the hands of Rudolf of Coevorden and Drenthe farmers. According to historical sources, ‘the heavily armoured knights and their horses sank into the marshland and fled’, with hundreds of combatants losing their lives.

Earlier investigations on the estate have already uncovered several possible battlefield finds, including a rider’s spur, stirrups, an arrowhead and a horseshoe. The researchers now hope to find further traces that will help determine the exact location of the battlefield. Bert Finke of the Stichting Overstichtse Oorlogen explains: ‘For the region, this is a story that has lived on for 800 years. It is rather special that we can now collaborate with archaeologists and veterans to contribute to new historical insights into the exact location. In doing so, we are taking an important step forward in one of our research themes on social relations in Drenthe and the city of Groningen in the first half of the thirteenth century.’ 

The research is taking place at the De Groote Scheere estate, owned by a.s.r. The area has a rich history: until the early twentieth century, it was largely marshland. Land reclamation from 1920 onwards resulted in a landscape in which old cultural landscapes and more recent reclaimed land alternate. This contrast makes the area particularly suitable for archaeological research.