Kemmelberg

Hunter-gatherer cultures used the hill as a viewpoint. From there they could observe the local herd animals.

With the emergence of a sedentary existence, conflicts arose over possession of land and goods. There are indications that the first farmers had already provided the Kemmelberg with earthworks and ditches.

An elite body of Celts converted the Kemmelberg into a power centre with several moats, ramparts, and palisades, from where they could also overlook the region and be visible to those they dominated.

In the dying days of the First World War, a short but very fierce battle took place on the Kemmelberg. German troops captured the Kemmelberg from the French. The destruction was total. However, a great many archaeological traces of the ancient hill fort have more or less been preserved.

As a result of the Cold War, a command bunker for the Belgian army was built in 1953 into the hill's southern flank. The bunker was quickly out of date in technical terms, and never served effectively.

 

RELATED HISTORY FILES LINKS:
Early Cultures of Europe
Neolithic Farmer Cultures in Europe
Celts
Modern Belgium
Modern Netherlands

 

Text copyright © Archeo Kemmelberg. An original feature for the History Files: Kemmelberg.