Archaeologists discover parts of medieval Brussels

Archaeological excavations near Rue du Marché aux Herbes in the centre of Brussels have exposed cellars, wells and septic pits dating from the 13th- and 14th centuries, as well as hundreds of leather shoes, reports brusselnieuws.be.

Because of its high archaeological potential, the Brussels-Capital Region decided to carry out preventive excavations on the site between Rue du Marché aux Herbes, Rue des Bouchers, Rue de Marché aux Peaux and Impasse de la Tête de Boeuf. As the street names still infer, the area was the centre of the Brussels butchers in the Middle Ages. In the future it will provide the space for a new real estate project that includes the construction of a number of new apartment blocks.

The archaeologists stumbled upon various medieval structures, including cellars, wells and septic pits, in addition to jaw bones from cattle and pieces of horns.

At the site of a shoemaker, the researchers uncovered hundreds of leather shoes from the 13th- and 14th centuries, said Jef Pinseel of the conservation laboratory. "Very rare,” he said. “Never before have we found so many shoes together like this in Brussels. We will study each piece, one at a time. And afterwards we will know so much more about medieval dress, shoe sizes and the differences between men’s and women's shoes."