In that article we dedicated to the tragic end of the Dutch Prime Minister and his brother in 1672, we explained that the Treaty of Dover, signed between Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France, led to the so-called Third Anglo-Dutch War. In this conflict, the French army was halted by the floods […]
Netherlands
An Ancient Floor Paved with Animal Bones Found in a Building in Alkmaar, Netherlands
In the historic center of Alkmaar in the Netherlands, a team of municipal archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery during the renovation of a building on Achterdam Street: a section of an ancient floor partially composed of animal bones. These types of findings are extremely rare and, to date, have only been documented in the North […]
Roman Soldier Flaccus’ Tomb Discovered in the Netherlands, Dating to the Late 1st Century BCE
In late November 2024, during archaeological investigations conducted in Heerlen (Netherlands), an exceptional discovery was made: the tomb of a Roman soldier named Flaccus. This find, dating to the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE, represents one of the most significant pieces of evidence of Roman presence in the area. It is […]
The First Company in History to be Listed on a Stock Exchange
The world’s first multinational company was also the first to be listed on a stock exchange. Of course, there’s a bit of a twist here, since the first modern stock exchange — that is, one with a public market for bonds and shares — was actually founded by…yes, that very company. Not only that, but […]
The Incursion of the Dutch Fleet That Sailed Up the Thames, Destroyed the Royal Navy, and Unleashed Panic in London
In a recent article titled How the Dutch Ate Their Prime Minister in 1672, we recounted a military event carried out by the navy of the Netherlands that occurred in 1667: a bold naval incursion in which sixty-two warships, under the command of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter and the brother of the Dutch prime minister, […]
How the Dutch Ate Their Prime Minister in 1672
As its name suggests, the Haags Historisch Museum (The Hague Historical Museum) is dedicated to the history of that city in the Netherlands. Housed in a 17th-century guildhall, it educates visitors about the development of The Hague from its founding in the Middle Ages to the present day, including the commercial and cultural splendor of […]
The Highest Peak in the Netherlands is a Caribbean Volcano You Climb via 1,064 Steps
Similar to Australia, whose highest peak is located in a remote part of the Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and Antarctica, the highest point in the Netherlands is not found in Europe, but on a small Caribbean island. This peak is Mount Scenery, a volcano located on the island of Saba, which rises 887 meters above […]
Pier Gerlofs Donia, the Giant Peasant Who Fought Against Dutch and Germans in Frisia
If someone visits the Fries Museum in the town of Leuvarden, in the Netherlands, they will see among the exhibits a zweihänder (also called biedenhänder). This is a type of enormous sword, typical of the Modern Age, with a long handle and crossguards suitable for inevitable two-handed use. According to tradition, this weapon belonged to […]
Evidence of Intentional Roman Use of Narcotic Seeds, Found in Bone Vessel in the Netherlands
The black henbane or mad herb (Hyoscyamus niger) is a highly toxic plant that can also be used for medicinal or psychoactive purposes. Its remains are common in archaeological sites in Northwestern Europe as it grows wild near human settlements, making it difficult to infer whether its presence in the archaeological record is due to […]
Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon’s Brother who Was King of Holland and Confronted Him after the Invasion of the Country by the French
It was the year 1851 when the prince president of France ordered the demolition of the old – and dilapidated – parish church of Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles in Paris. In its place, another church was built at his expense to house a family crypt. Among others, the mortal remains of his father, who had died in Livorno […]