Optical dating and archaeological survey of an inland dune along the Lower Scheldt valley at 'Warandeduinen-Speelbos' (Wetteren, East Flanders, BE)

A sand dune at the “Warandeduinen-Speelbos” in the municipality of Wetteren (province of East Flanders, BE) has been studied within the frame of a research project about the age and formation processes of inland dunes in the Scheldt basin (NW Belgium) and their potential for Late Glacial sites. First, Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to determine the age of dune formation and enhance the chronological framework of the inland dune system and the changing aeolian landscape along the Scheldt river. The second step comprised an archaeological augering and test pit survey to detect and assess possible (sealed) prehistoric sites in this dune. The resulting OSL ages indicate a Late Glacial dune formation, which is consistent with similar other dated deposits in the region. The discovered lithic finds in the archaeological survey further indicate a prehistoric presence. Unfortunately, no differentiation in archaeological levels could be determined with certainty due to the disturbed and complex dune morphology and lack of typochronologically diagnostic artefacts