In the heart of the historic city of Alkmaar, in the Netherlands, a team of archaeologists found a medieval floor made of animal bones. The metacarpals and metatarsals of cattle, carefully cut and set vertically, reveal an unexpected use of materials. But the question remains: what was the purpose of this choice? Experts investigate between historical mysteries and artistic hypotheses.
The Enigma of the Medieval Floor
The use of these bones, carefully cut and arranged in a geometric pattern, has left scholars puzzled. Why would someone choose such an unusual material for a floor?
The bones show signs of precise workmanship. Arranged vertically, with the sawn or irregular ends pointing upwards, they create a unique visual effect. Similar discoveries have been made in other Dutch cities, such as Hoorn ed Edam, but the presence of this technique remains limited to the 15th century. “It is a privilege to discover such particular fragments of history,” he commented Nancy de Jong, archaeologist from the municipality of Alkmaar.
A historical mystery
The precise dating of the floor remains uncertain. Although the house in which it is located dates back to the 17th century, the Archaeologists they suspect that the floor could be much older, reused from a previous construction. But the real mystery, as mentioned, concerns the reason for this choice.
If tiles were not prohibitively expensive at the time, why did they choose a material like bones? Hypotheses range from practicality to aesthetics, to possible connections with local artisanal activities.
Stories Hidden in History
“Every discovery reveals new pages of our history,” he declared. Anjo van de Ven, representative for the heritage of Alkmaar. The research continues and may soon reveal even more fascinating details about this enigma. Until then, the bone floor remains a unique window into a distant era of mystery, creativity and unusual materials.