Archaeologists have discovered an ancient big game hunting pit in Lanaken (Limburg). The pit is 2 cubic metres large and 6,000 years old. The pit was uncovered during excavations in the summer of 2022. Research seen by daily Het Belang van Limburg shows that it is the first Neolithic trapping pit in Flanders that can be described in great detail.
It was not immediately clear during the excavations that this was a hunting pit, explains archaeologist Petra Driesen. ‘The excavations revealed very remarkable traces. The pit was poorly visible, so we suspected it must be very old. It had been dug in a strange way, was funnel-shaped and ran steeply downwards. Afterwards, we started looking for parallels and that's how we discovered it was a hunting pit.’
How were these pits used?
It is not easy to reconstruct how such pits were used. Petra Driesen explains how it was probably employed: ‘It is assumed that these are pits dug out in clearings in the forest or along forest margins. They were covered by branches and leaves. The pits were left like that and humans waited for animals to get stuck in them.’
First documented ancient hunting pit
Archaeologists could find no reports of other ancient hunting traps in Flanders in the literature. Petra Driesen suspects there are other examples, but they have not been recognised and identified as such. ‘You have to look for parallels,’ she says, ’and recognise them. It's not always obvious. Unfortunately, with these kinds of pits there are never any finds in them. No pottery or other materials has been found in them.’
During the excavations in Lanaken archaeologists did not immediately realise this was a hunting pit. ‘It was only later in the office that we worked out that it must indeed be a hunting pit. And when your suspicions are confirmed, you're pretty happy with your find,’ the archaeologist adds.