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Research Article

The material world of late 16th- and 17th-century Amsterdam, encapsulated in a waste-made landscape

Pages 223-257 | Received 18 Mar 2022, Accepted 24 Apr 2023, Published online: 13 Nov 2023
 

Summary

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch city of Amsterdam underwent four large-scale extensions. These were massive land-reclamation projects, raising and improving the City’s location in a marshy peatland that was subject to soil compaction. Over 65 years of archaeological research has created a rich dataset, opening a window on the methods, means, and processes which created Amsterdam’s waste-made landscape. In addition, pottery assemblages encapsulated in the land-reclamation dumps provide tightly-dated reference groups for the study of late 16th- and 17th-century ceramics with a global perspective.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This article is based in part on my Ph.D. research at the University of Amsterdam, completed in 2019, during which I received the generous assistance of a number of individuals and institutions. In the first place I would like to thank Jerzy Gawronski and especially Gabri van Tussenbroek for their guidance. Tremendous assistance also came from my other colleagues on the archaeology team of the City of Amsterdam, and I thank—in alphabetical order—Ronald Klein, Peter Kranendonk, Jort Maas, Thijs Terhorst, Ron Tousain, Jørgen Veerkamp, Bart Vissers, and Eddie de Vlugt. Special acknowledgement is due Ab Lagerweij, who was always prepared to share his insights, his enthusiasm, and his help in digging through decades of excavation records. I thank Thijs Terhorst for his GIS work, and the production of the maps illustrating the City’s spatial development from its very beginnings. For their help with the pottery assemblages, I am indebted to Nina Jaspers, Sebastiaan Ostkamp, Sem Peters (†) and Aleike van de Venne. For issues related to water management, I thank Kees Hogenes. For their comments and editorial work, I am indebted to Maarten Hell, Taft Kiser, and Bly Straube, as well as the two anonymous peer reviewers. Needless to say, the responsibility for any remaining errors is mine.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

SUMMARY IN FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN AND SPANISH

FRENCH

Le monde matériel d’Amsterdam à la fin du XVI e et au XVII e siècle, encapsulé dans un paysage composé de déchets

RÉSUMÉ : Aux XVI e et XVII e siècles, la ville hollandaise d’Amsterdam a connu quatre extensions de grande envergure. Il s’agissait de projets importants de bonification des terres, qui ont permis de rehausser et d’améliorer le site de la ville celle-ci étant implantée sur une tourbière marécageuse sujette au compactage du sol. Plus de 65 ans de recherches archéologiques ont permis de livrer un riche ensemble de données, ouvrant une fenêtre sur les méthodes, les moyens et les processus qui ont participé à la création du paysage composé de déchets d’Amsterdam. Dans une perspective globale, les assemblages de poteries encapsulés dans les décharges de bonification des terres livrent des groupes de référence finement datés pour l’étude des céramiques de la fin du XVI e et du XVII e siècles.

GERMAN

Die materielle Welt Amsterdams im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert, offenbart in durch Abfall entstandener Landschaft

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Im 16. Und 17. Jahrhundert hat die niederländische Stadt Amsterdam vier große Erweiterungen ihrer Fläche erlebt. Sie beruhen auf massiver Landgewinnung, wobei die Stadt, die auf Marsch- und Torfland gebaut war, welches massiver Bodenverdichtung ausgesetzt war, in ihrer Lage angehoben und gefestigt wurde. Über 65 Jahre archäologischer Forschung haben eine Fülle von Datenmaterial erbracht, das uns Einsicht gewährt in Methoden, in Mittel und in Vorgehensweisen, welche die der durch Hausmüll erschaffene Landschaft Amsterdams zu Grunde liegen. Zusätzlich geben Ansammlungen von Töpferei- und Keramik, eingebettet in Materie für die Landgewinnung, klar datierte Referenzbezüge für Studien von Keramiken aus dem späten 16. Und 17. Jahrhundert mit einer globalen Perspektive.

ITALIAN

La cultura materiale nella Amsterdam del tardo XVI e del XVII secolo racchiusa in un paesaggio formatosi grazie ai rifiuti

RIASSUNTO: Durante il XVI e il XVII secolo, la città olandese di Amsterdam visse quattro ampliamenti di vasta scala. Si trattò di progetti estensivi di recupero della terra, consistenti nel rialzare e migliorare il luogo dove sorgeva la città, una zona acquitrinosa con terreno torboso soggetta al cedimento e alla compattazione del suolo. Oltre 65 anni di ricerca archeologica hanno creato una ricca serie di dati, aprendo una finestra sul metodo, sul significato, e sui processi che hanno portato alla creazione del paesaggio di Amsterdam grazie ai rifiuti. I contesti ceramici racchiusi negli scarichi creati per ampliare la superficie della città, forniscono inoltre nuclei di reperti dalla datazione cronologicamente circoscritta, utili allo studio della ceramica tra il tardo XVI e il XVII secolo in una prospettiva globale.

SPANISH

El mundo material de la Amsterdam de finales del siglo XVI y XVII, encapsulado en un paisaje hecho con desechos

RESUMEN: La ciudad holandesa de Amsterdam experimentó en los siglos XVI y XVII cuatro grandes ampliaciones. Estos fueron proyectos masivos de reclamación de tierras, elevando y mejorando la ubicación de la ciudad en una turbera pantanosa que estaba sujeta a la compactación del suelo. La investigación arqueológica realizada durante más de 65 años ha amasado un conjunto muy rico de datos que nos permite observar los métodos, los medios y los procesos que crearon este paisaje a base de vertidos de Amsterdam. Además, los grupos de cerámica encontrados en los vertederos de la tierra reclamada representan grupos de referencia muy bien fechados para el estudio de la cerámica de finales del siglo XVI y XVII dentro de una perspectiva global.

Notes

1 Medieval city size, Van Tussenbroek Citation2018, 6.

2 North of the Oudekerksplein (OKP1-site, 1997) the first brick buildings built on 14th-century landfill deposits dated to the 1530s.

3 Jayasena Citation2020, 54-55.

4 Lesger Citation2006; Gelderblom 2013, 20-37.

5 City Archives Amsterdam, Entry 5025, inventory 8 (30th May 1592).

6 De Fremery 1925, 91.

7 Abrahamse Citation2010, 34-118.

8 Abrahamse Citation2010, 119-216.

9 De Gans Citation2015, 361-373; Kranendonk, Kluiving & Troelstra Citation2015, 333-352.

10 De Fremery 1925.

11 City Archives Amsterdam (Stadsarchief Amsterdam), 5028 (Archief van Burgemeesters), inv. nr. 604 (stadswater IA, 17 mei 1682).

12 Van Tussenbroek Citation2018, 9-12.

13 Van Essen Citation2011, 138-270.

14 Van Essen Citation2011.

15 The analysis of these cesspits, as sources of information on material culture and diet of the multi-ethnic population of 17th- and 18th-century Vlooienburg, is part of the ongoing research project Diaspora and Identity, funded by the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), and undertaken in a cooperation between the City of Amsterdam, the University of Amsterdam and the Jewish Historical Museum.

16 Baart, Krook and Lagerweij Citation1986.

17 Gawronski & Jayasena Citation2011a; Gawronski, Jayasena & Terhorst Citation2017a.

18 Gawronski, Jayasena & Terhorst Citation2017b.

19 Gawronski & Jayasena Citation2016.

20 City Archives Amsterdam, Entry 5039, inventory 550, pp. 71r-77v (16th December 1593).

21 City Archives Amsterdam, Entry 5025, inventory 8, pp. 182-183 (13th November 1595), 186-187 (20th November 1595).

22 Jansen 1968, 307 and City Archives Amsterdam, Entry 5025, inventory 8, 27th November 1600.

23 Jansen 1968, 307; Van Eeghen 1953, 17-23.

24 Archaeological site Prins Hendrikkade 34-37 (PH), 1988.

25 Sarfatij Citation2007, 62-71; McDonald Citation2011, 42-67; Mackinder Citation2015; Ayre and Wroe-Brown Citation2002.

26 Abrahamse Citation2010: 111.

27 Dapper 1663:225.

28 The oldest known building in Amsterdam where pine was used in the timber frame is located at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 98 and is dating to 1605 or 1606, see Van Tussenbroek Citation2012, 176-177.

29 For example when expanding Vlooienburg in 1626: Amsterdam City Archives, Archives of Notaries, no. 720, folio 32, 26th January 1626, Not. Pieter Carels, abstract published in Van Dillen Citation1933, 190.

30 Gawronski & Jayasena Citation2016; Jayasena, Terhorst & Maas Citation2020.

31 From 1591 it became the city’s policy to build brick quay walls whenever quays were renewed and in 1595 the first were constructed (Abrahamse Citation2010, 284-285). In 2014, the grid foundation of a quay wall of the Oudezijds Voorburgwal 206-222 was dendrochronologically dated to after 1591. It’s the oldest archaeological evidence for the petrification of the Amsterdam quays, see Gawronski and Veerkamp Citation2017, 30-33 (MenA AAR 93).

32 City Archives Amsterdam (Stadsarchief Amsterdam), 5028 (Archief van Burgemeesters), inv. nr. 604 (stadswater IA, 17 mei 1682).

33 Terhorst & Veerkamp Citation2021.

34 City Archives Amsterdam, 5180 Inventaris van het Archief van de Secretarie; Afdeling Publieke Werken, inv. 11235, Staat van de grachten- en kadewallen in de stad, 1854.

35 Oldewelt Citation1942, 149.

36 Breen Citation1902.

37 Oldewelt Citation1942, 150-151.

38 Noordkerk Citation1748, 749. The refuse was needed ‘tot verhoginge van de nieuwe uytlegginghe’.

39 Noordkerk Citation1748, 1012-1014.

40 City Archives Amsterdam, NA 11935/192, KLAB05923000100 of 27th May 1758, and NA 10235/147, NOTB00037000600 of 9th March 1746.

41 Historical evidence from the city of Breda indicates four-year intervals (Hupperetz Citation2010, 279-283).

42 Van Oosten Citation2017, 41-56.

43 A few examples in The Netherlands: Enkhuizen: Schrickx & Duijn Citation2016; Duijn Citation2011, 21-27; Medemblik: Schrickx Citation2013,53; Hoorn: Schrickx & Duijn Citation2010, 61-67. London: Mackinder Citation2015; Jarret Citation2004; Quebec: Moussette and Moss Citation2010, 63-64.

44 Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec, 03Q_E1,S1,P661: "Ordonnance de l’intendant Jacques Raudot qui oblige tous les habitants de la basse-ville de Québec de porter ou faire voiturer toutes leurs ordures, vidanges et démolitions dans l'emplacement du feu sieur Aubert de la Chesnaye dont on a tiré la terre pour faire des batteries. 16 avril 1710".

45 Orton, Tyers & Vince Citation1993, 178.

46 For this discussion, see Gawronski, Jayasena & Terhorst 2017, 95-97.

47 Oostenburgervoorstraat: Gawronski, Jayasena & Terhorst 2017, 71; Zwanenburgwal 35: Lovegrove Pereira Citation2015; Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40: Ostkamp 2017, 37.

48 Sites: Oostenburg, OBV (Gawronski, Jayasena & Terhorst 2017); Oostenburg, OOST4 (Gawronski and Jayasena 2011), Warmoesstraat 10 (WA24, 2014), Valkenburgerstraat 130-146 (VAL4, 2011-2012: Gawronski & Jayasena Citation2016).

49 Clevis, Kottman 1989.

50 Jaspers Citation2011, 89-100.

51 Contexts DIJ and WLO-146, both MNV = 1 (Jayasena Citation2020, 132-133 and 248).

52 Van Dillen 1941, 7, fol. 7.

53 Stephan Citation1995.

54 Bartels Citation1999, 178-179; Van Gangelen & Lenting 1993, 177-178 (Fig 30), 197 (Fig. 104), 202 (Fig. 121). Originally it was assumed this earthenware originated from Dwoberg, near Bremen, hence the dw code. Nowadays it’s believed to come from the area around Ochtrup (examples from Ochtrup: Broel Citation1998, 128-135).

55 City moat: Gawronski, Van Tussenbroek, Derksen and Jayasena Citation2017, 53-59; Valkenburgerstraat: Gawronski & Jayasena Citation2016, 60 (Fig. 65a), 63, 138 (cat. 7, dw-bor-1, 1650-1700).

56 Jaspers Citation2009, 3.

57 Berti Citation1998, 197-198.

58 Jaspers Citation2009, 12.

59 Jaspers & Ostkamp Citation2019, 214.

60 Van Dam Citation1982, 10.

61 Jaspers Citation2010, 135. Similar pieces were excavated in a 1591 ground reclamation dump in Enkhuizen (Duijn Citation2011, 60-61).

62 Bowl: WLO-155-100, pan: WLO-155B-95.

63 Amsterdam: Gawronski & Jayasena 2011, 36: black pots: Guldberg Citation1999.

64 Van Reenen & Jensen 2009, 318-320.

65 Jaspers & Ostkamp Citation2014, 12-13.

66 Jaspers & Ostkamp Citation2014, 10-29; Stolk Citation2018, 101-120 (link between Portuguese ceramics and Sephardic immigrants).

67 WLO-155-65. For a comparison, see Hurst et al. Citation1986, 50.

68 Busto-Zapico Citation2020, 42-59.

69 For Olive jars in Amsterdam, see Terhorst Citation2012.

70 Viallé Citation2014, 37-51; Ostkamp Citation2014, 59-63.

71 Dishes of border type IIa (Rinaldi Citation1989, 76-77).

72 Ostkamp Citation2015, 457.

73 WLO-155-235.

74 Kiser & Luckenbach Citation2020, 139-140.

75 Duco Citation1987, 28-31; Pearce Citation2009, 175-180.

76 Gawronski, Van Tussenbroek, Derksen & Jayasena Citation2017, 59.

77 Sint Nicolaas Citation2021, 106-121.

78 Heidinga Citation1969, 174-185.

79 Alkmaar: Bitter Citation1995, 93-113. Ostkamp 1998, 70; Gouda: Van der Meulen & Smeele Citation2012.

80 Van Hees Citation2002, 50-65; Ostkamp Citation2023, 427-428.

81 Stephan Citation2012, 58-69.

82 Jaspers and Ostkamp Citation2006, 27.

83 Ostkamp Citation2019, 54.

84 The pieces by Willem Jansz Verstraeten are decorated with grotesques. For armorial dishes attributed to Verstraten, see Korf 1981, 228-229.

85 Ostkamp Citation2013, 89-90.

86 Ostkamp Citation2013, 101.

87 For examples from Delft, see Ostkamp Citation2013, 101, 104.

88 Ostkamp, Citation2013, 84-85.

89 OBV-111#004 (Gawronski and Jayasena 2017, 62, Fig. 60).

90 Gawronski and Jayasena 2017, 62-64.

91 Silver spoon, object OBV-111-2 (Gawronski & Jayasena 2017, 63).

92 Gawronski & Jayasena 2017, 64-65.

93 Terhorst Citation2012, 90.

94 Gawronski & Kranendonk Citation2018, 24-25.

95 Gawronski & Veerkamp Citation2014, 30.

96 Owned by Nicolaas and Hendrik van Hoorn, who had major shares in the sugar production in Surinam.

97 Commelin Citation1694, 153; Abrahamse & Feiken Citation2019, 36-39. A damaged 17th-century iron well drill of the same type Ente used – and had patented in 1605 – was uncovered during North South metro line excavations in 2005: Gawronski & Kranendonk Citation2018, 199, cat. 4.4.1 (NZD1.00602MTL001).

98 De Gans Citation2015, 370.

99 Claeys & Jaspers Citation2010, 463-464. In addition to French whitewares, in Amsterdam a flask of stoneware of Martincamp, Normandy, was excavated (WLO-376-6, s6-fle-1; see Gawronski Citation2012, 180, cat. 370).

100 Schrickx 2016, 77-79.

101 Outside Amsterdam, in other Dutch coastal places this group in general consisted of three quarters of the Italian tin-glazed earthenware. See Jaspers Citation2009, 3.

102 Terhorst Citation2012, 89-90.

103 Ostkamp Citation2003, 14-29; Ostkamp Citation2014, 53-85; Duijn Citation2011.

104 Jarrett 2005, 34-35 in Killock & Meddens 2005, 1-91 and Whittingham 2009, 180-185.

105 Straube Citation1999, 35-57: Straube Citation2001, 51-52; Fuchs 2019, 49-57; Gardiner Citation2018, 20-40; Outlaw Citation1990, 111-112.

106 New York: Bradley Citation2007, Huey 1991; Cape: Klose & Schrire Citation2014, 101-141, Jordan Citation2014a, 143-163; Jordan Citation2014b, 165-179; VOC fort Frederik Hendrik, Mauritius: Floore & Jayasena Citation2010, 320-340.