One of the most important battles of the early 18th century took place in Oudenaarde. In spite of the location of an industrial zone on a section of the battlefield, an important area can still be investigated scientifically. For the Ename Center for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation this proved to be a unique opportunity to enhance local involvement in this threatened heritage, to work on the training of the interested amateur archaeologists and to start an educational project for the local schools.
180,000 soldiers confronted one another in the fields between Eine and Mullem on 11 July 1708. 20,000 died or were wounded on one single day. The French armies suffered a bitter defeat that would definitively stop the power politics of the Sun King.
With the help of the local historical societies we launched an appeal to the local population to help with the archaeological investigation. Anyone who possessed interesting finds that could possibly relate to the Battle of Oudenaarde was invited to contact the Ename Center for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation. One of the results was e.g. that a few cannonballs emerged that had been passed on from generation to generation.
For the scientific investigation of the premodern battlefield the Ename Center for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation also appeals to interested volunteers. Together with these volunteers and the scientific partners we are working on a methodology to reconstruct the development of the battle with the help of musket bullets and other objects that were found.
We collaborate with the Arteveldehogeschool in Ghent and made an educational package for primary schools. This way we want to make youngsters acquainted with an important part of European history and with the way in which scientific fieldwork can tell us more about what happened 300 years ago.
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