Did you know the very first farmers in the Netherlands lived right here in South Limburg? Thousands of years ago! And now four municipalities are teaming up to bring that story back to life.
On Saturday June 20th, during the National Archaeology Days, the municipalities of Stein, Sittard-Geleen, Beek, and Maastricht officially launched the ‘Bandkeramiek Zuid-Limburg’ collaboration at the Archaeological Museum Stein. The goal? Making this special heritage much more visible to everyone.
And here is where it gets really exciting 👀
A brand new artwork is coming to the A2 highway near Urmond. A landmark you will spot from your car as you drive by. Something striking in the landscape, a real point of recognition. Professional artists and designers are invited to join the design competition. More info can be found on the municipality’s Bandkeramiek page.
After the launch, there was also a Culture Cafe Archaeology event at MFC De Grous, where visitors learned more about the lives of those first farmers in our region.
The Linear Pottery culture (roughly 5300 to 4900 BC) represents the oldest farming civilization in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in all of Northwestern Europe. These pioneer farmers built elongated wooden houses, grew grain, and kept livestock. South Limburg is the only place in the Netherlands where remains of this pioneering community have been found, making the region archaeologically unique in the entire country.
Source: Municipality of Stein
