When we arrived in 2008, we found that the inner ward courtyard was being excavated. This represented a fabulous learning opportunity, for we could tell that anywhere from one to three feet of the debris field had been removed.
While there I had a chance to meet Phillippe Dolmazon (right), one of the archelogists working the site. I offered my credentials as an historian and he allowed me exclusive access to the area. He spoke no English, and he asked if I spoke French. Nope... so we had to rely on my German which is sufficient to get around, but became a challenge when dealing with the technical terms of an archeological dig! Nevertheless, we were able to communicate well enough that I could learn and understand what they had done and found.
The photo at left shows that at minimum about one foot of the debris field had been removed and swept for artifacts.
Below the debris they had found the site of the original castle dating from the 1300s... long forgotten as it was covered over by the newer Hardenburg!
This wall on the left, which spans the sides of the courtyard, appear to be part of the original 13th Century castle, as only a small portion remained after the reconstruction in the 1500s.
Right and below, a series of photos showing one of the most interesting finds... a ceramic multi-jointed pipe that supplied running fresh water from a spring that was further up slope.
As can be seen, the pieces were fitted together nicely, the workmanship on these ceramic items of over 700 years being virtually flawless!
The design of the pipe determined the layout of part of the castle, with the kitchen first (farthest away in the photo below), followed by the laundry, and culminating with the toilet and bath area.
Right, a broken portion of the pipe. A close examination revealed a near-perfect consistency in shape and thickness.
Left, an area of the dig that began to reach into some lower chambers.
Below, pieces of pottery found in the site. The pieces varied from the 1300s to the 1400s and included imported items from afar. Unfortunately, no weapons or pieces of weapons were found, implying that the site had once been abandoned.
Left, authentic unreconstructed stairs dating from over 700 years ago.
Below, an excellent overview of the more important section of the site. While the archeologists had breached some lower chambers, they had to cease their work as their contract had run out! What a shame!
An overview of most of the courtyard showing the area uncovered. The open area to the right was actually a garden that was watered by the spring that also provided the fresh water to the original castle. This water came from another pipe that branched off from the primary one.
