Ghent University research plays leading role in exhibition on Judith of Flanders

Verhaal van Vlaanderen sets the ball rolling

The tomb was excavated in 2006 during the reconstruction of the Sint-Pietersplein. From the location of S127, just in front of the entrance to the current abbey church, archaeologists were able to deduce that someone belonging to the absolute top layer of society was buried there. Soon the hypothesis grew that it could well be Judith, the first countess of Flanders and daughter of Carolingian king Charles the Bald.

In 2023, during an episode of the Flemish historical series het Verhaal van Vlaanderen, the bones are rediscovered in the Zwarte Doos, the heritage depot of the City of Ghent. When Tom Waes asks if it is Judith or not, Steven Vanderputten, Ghent University professor and historian, and Geert Vermeiren, Ghent city archaeologist, cannot give a conclusive answer. After the recording, the idea grows to explore the hypothesis further with a multidisciplinary group of researchers.

Interaction between scientific disciplines

What follows is a large-scale multidisciplinary scientific study in which archaeological and historical sources are combined and tested against the latest analytical techniques in the field of bioanthropology. The latter was in the hands of Professor Isabelle De Groote and Dr. Jessica Palmer, bioanthropologists from ArcheOs research laboratory for biological anthropology.

The skeletal remains are extensively examined and checked against history and vice versa. The different disciplines put puzzle pieces together to get an overview. New perspectives generate new questions and new results. This constant interaction between different disciplines makes this research exceptional.

Visitors become scientists

All currently possible research questions and avenues around Judith, the first countess of Flanders, have been explored and are now being presented to the public. More than the question of the identity of the woman in the tomb S127, visitors become scientists themselves. A special scenography of intriguing research tables, unseen objects and ancient documents, breathes new life into the Carolingian period and illuminates Judith's life.

-> Visit ‘Judith. A Carolingian princess in Ghent?'

More information

The exhibition is a collaboration between Historische Huizen Gent, Ghent University's Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, the Henri Pirenne Institute for Medieval Studies, the ArcheOs Research Laboratory for Biological Anthropology and the City of Ghent's Department of Urban Archaeology & Monument Conservation.

A total of 17 researchers collaborated on the project. The principal investigators are: Prof. Dr. Steven Vanderputten and Dr. Stefan Meysman (Department of History, UGent), Prof. Dr. Isabelle De Groote and Dr. Jessica Palmer (Department of Archaeology, UGent), Geert Vermeiren and Marie-Anne Bru (City of Ghent).

You can read all the details about their findings in the scientific publication ‘Judith of West Francia, Carolingian Princess and First Countess of Flanders’, edited by Steven Vanderputten.

 
-> Read more about the research at daretothink.be.