The long and rich history of the mound at Hegebeintum.
Origin and evolution
The mound (a "terp" in Dutch) is a typical characteristic
feature of the Friesian coast. These mounds, which can be described as
hand-made hills, protected the people and their cattle against flooding
caused by the high tides. These mounds were repeatedly built-up over the
years, using clay, manure and household waste. The majority of them
reached heights of 2 to 7 metres above sea level, but the mound at
Hegebeintum comes on top at 9 metres. In about the year 1000, dyke
building had started, making the mounds less necessary as safe havens
against flooding. Nevertheless, they remained intact until the end of the
19th century, around which time, as the soil appeared to be
very fertile, much of it was removed from most of the Frisian mounds and
was used as fertiliser on agricultural land. A very steep slope is all
that remains of the original, unique, Hegebeintum terp.
