Thousands of Molehills Help Reveal an 800-Year-Old Medieval Gatehouse in Belgium

Archaeologists in Belgium have uncovered evidence of a medieval gatehouse after examining something surprisingly ordinary: piles of soil created by moles.

Researchers from Ghent University studied 814 molehills in a nature reserve near the historic town of Damme. Their investigation produced 2,810 archaeological fragments and helped reveal the remains of a medieval estate dating mainly to the 13th and 14th centuries.

A Natural Excavation Team

The researchers carefully mapped the molehills across an area measuring about 20 by 30 meters. More than half of the piles contained archaeological material.

The recovered objects included pieces of brick, pottery, metal and natural stone. About 85 percent of the finds were construction materials, providing important clues about a buried structure beneath the grass.

The Molehills Pointed to a Hidden Building

The distribution of the archaeological fragments revealed a rectangular area measuring roughly 10 by 8 meters.

Geophysical surveys and soil investigations supported the idea that the remains belonged to a substantial brick structure. Archaeologists identified the building as a probable medieval gatehouse associated with a former estate surrounded by a moat.

Why Fewer Molehills Were Sometimes More Important

One surprising part of the investigation was that the richest archaeological evidence did not necessarily appear where there were the most molehills.

Moles tend to avoid hard building debris and waterlogged ground, so they sometimes dug less frequently directly above buried structures. However, the few molehills that appeared over the suspected gatehouse contained a particularly high concentration of building material.

Pottery Helped Date the Site

The pottery fragments provided another important clue. Most of the identifiable pieces were consistent with activity during the 13th and 14th centuries.

Historical maps also helped researchers understand the landscape. A map created by Flemish cartographer Pieter Pourbus in 1574 depicts raised, moated areas in the same location but does not show buildings standing on them.

A Medieval Estate That Disappeared

The evidence suggests that the estate was abandoned before the 16th century, leaving little visible above ground.

Because the site is now part of a protected natural landscape, conventional large-scale excavation would be difficult. The researchers therefore used the material already brought to the surface naturally by the moles.

Animals Can Accidentally Reveal Human History

The study demonstrates how natural processes can sometimes expose archaeological evidence without traditional excavation.

The researchers emphasize that this does not mean animals should be used to disturb archaeological sites deliberately. Instead, existing natural disturbances can be studied systematically alongside geophysical surveys, historical maps and soil analysis.

A Different Way to Study the Past

The discovery near Damme shows that even small piles of soil can contain clues about buildings and communities that disappeared centuries ago.

By combining the molehill discoveries with scientific surveys and historical evidence, archaeologists were able to reconstruct part of a medieval landscape that had remained hidden beneath a modern nature reserve.

Sources

• Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory — Research on molehill sampling and medieval archaeology near Damme — September 2, 2026.
• Ghent University — Research into archaeological remains and natural soil disturbance near Damme, Belgium — 2026.
• Arkeonews — “800-Year-Old Medieval Structure Discovered in Belgium with Help from Moles” — September 20, 2026.
• ECONEWS — Report on the 814 molehills and 2,810 archaeological fragments discovered near Damme — October 1, 2026.