4. ABSTRACTS
In this article we discussed an excavation which is situated in
the centre of the city of Hamont (community Hamont-Achel), in the most
northern part of Limburg (Belgium). During the construction of new
buildings, some brick foundations were discovered in the month of
November 1994. A brief rescue investigation pointed out that we
were confronted with the traces of a small square castle. The southern
corner of these foundations yielded a circular tower, while on
the western corner, there weren't any traces of a tower. The northern and
eastern sides of this construction were already built over so
that a research was no longer possible. In the north-west-foundations,
the traces of a massive gate were still present. Because of the
profound destructions, caused by mechanical diggings, is was not possible
to establish the character of the inner buildings For this reason,
it was not possible as well to recover some sherds or other materials
which to enable us to date the site. Fortunately, in the south-eastern
corner of the site (trench IV), a small sector was not yet destroyed. In
this sector we discovered the traces of the moat. The sherds from this
ditch-filling show that the site was occupied at the end of the
14th and the beginning of the 15th century. An investigation of the
archives pointed out that the castle was probably built by Robert van
Renswoude, between 1367 and 1396. At that time, he had partially lost
some rights of his castle at Grevenbroek (Achel). Because Hamont, at
that time already a centre of regional importance, was still his
allodial property, he was free to build a defence at this place. In 1401, his
territory was besieged and later incorporated in the Principality of Liege.
In 1434, the `castrum ac oppidum' of Hamont is mentioned for the last