Presentation of DVD on Battlefield Archaeology Oudenaarde 1708

The DVD Project Casus Belli was officially presented to the public on Monday 18th of May 2009. It shows the archaeological research on the historical battlefield dating from 1708 as well as the first results thereof. For the making of this product the Ename Center for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation received the support of the Flemish Government and of the VCM Contact Forum of Heritage Associations. For the first time in Flanders attention is drawn to the heritage value of pre-modern battlefields.

Battlefield archaeology is a relatively new research discipline, originating in the United States of America in the 1980s. Researchers confronted historical sources with finds on the site and concluded that the ideas about the precise location and the development of the battles had to be re-adjusted substantially. The most important landmark study is the investigation by Douglas Scott of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Ever since, this approach has been copied and thus has developed into a fully fledged research discipline. In spite of the growing interest for battlefield archaeology in Europe the expertise in this field remains limited, with the exception of the United Kingdom where the Battlefields Trust coordinates the investigation of battlefields and the making of the inventory thereof.

                

The Battle of Oudenaarde on 11 July 1708 is undoubtedly one of the most important European battles of the 18th century. It is of great importance for the scientists because nearly all European powers of that time were involved and because the battle took place at a crucial moment in European military history. To test the potential research value of the battlefield in Oudenaarde the British Battlefields Trust carried out a small random check. Their approach and their first results were made into a DVD. A booklet with the DVD explains what the heritage value is of battlefields that date from before the First World War and focuses on the specific threats that may quickly cause the loss of this form of heritage.

With this initiative the Ename Center for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation hopes to bring pre-modern battlefields to the attention not only of policy makers, but also of the broad public. At the presentation it became clear that research, management and sustainable access would not be possible without the support of the local population and of the local authorities.

The DVD is available for free as long as stocks last. For this project the Ename Center collaborated with the Battlefields Trust, the city council of Oudenaarde, the University of Birmingham (UK), the Province of East Flanders, the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Ename, Ghent University and the Flemish Heritage Institute.

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