Archeologisch Site Museum
Small museum in Werken with archaeological finds from Kortemark: a Roman coin hoard, the Hoge Andjoen motte, the Hemelsdale abbey and Bronze Age burial mounds.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Archeologisch Site-Museum in Werken (Kortemark) was founded in 1994 and gives an overview of the archaeological finds in the municipality. It shows the results of local excavations, from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, in four themes. The museum is housed in the landscape experience centre De Handzamevallei.
In 1898 children found an earthenware pot with Roman coins beside the Roman road: the coin hoard of Werken, probably the saved pay of a soldier. The museum shows enlarged photos and original coins. The Hoge Andjoen motte behind the church in Werken is six metres high and dates from the eighth or ninth century; a reconstruction of a water well and a scale model explain it.
The Cistercian nuns of Hemelsdale Abbey settled in Werken in 1295; their monastery was destroyed in 1578. Of this you can see, among other things, a reconstruction of two graves, pottery and coins. The fourth theme is two Bronze Age burial mounds, discovered by aerial photography in 1990 and confirmed by an emergency excavation in 1992.
Highlights
- Coin hoard of Werken with original Roman coins
- Hoge Andjoen motte with reconstruction of a water well and a model
- Hemelsdale Abbey with reconstruction of two graves
- Bronze Age burial mounds
- Archaeology case and smartphone tour for schools
Permanent exhibition
- Archeologie in Kortemark – Four themes show finds from the municipality: the Roman coin hoard of Werken, the Hoge Andjoen motte, Hemelsdale Abbey and the Bronze Age burial mounds.
- Founded
- 1994
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups (15+ people) | –Guided tour for groups of at least 15 people: €70, approx. 2 hours; book with the Tourism department. |
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| Guided tour for groups (from 15 people, approx. 2 hours) | €70Book with the Kortemark Tourism department |
Individual visitors pay no admission fee.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
For pupils there is an educational brochure, a smartphone tour with an archaeologist's certificate at the end, and the archaeology case for the fourth to sixth year and the first stage of secondary school.
Getting there & parking
The museum is housed in the landscape experience centre De Handzamevallei in Werken.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
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| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | For schools there are an educational brochure (mainly for the third stage of primary school), a smartphone tour with interactive audio fragments and questions, and a free-to-hire archaeology case; ask for them at the Tourism department. |
