@article { VIOR002-003,
	year = {2006},
	title = {Een abdij onder het gras. Geofysische prospectie bij de evaluatie van verdwenen monumenten},
	publisher = {VIOE},
	volume = {2},
	journal = {VIOE-Rapporten},
	url = {https://oar.onroerenderfgoed.be/publicaties/VIOR/2/VIOR002-003.pdf},
	abstract = {The abbey of Herkenrode, situated to the north- 
west of Hasselt (B., prov. Limburg), is thought to have 
been founded around 1182 AD. This foundation has 
been attributed to Gerard, count of Loon (1171-1194), 
and must have been undertaken during a period of ma- 
jor political problems. Later on, during the 13th century, the abbey became the largest and richest Cistercian 
complex for women in the Low Countries. Its importance is illustrated by the fact that the abbey remained 
the burial place for a number of members from the 
countal family of Loon. Many of the medieval structures of the abbey have been described in historical 
documents and are depicted on figurative maps. 
Prior to the planned rebuilding of the abbey, during the 18th century, part of the complex was destroyed to make way for new structures. However, this 
rebuilding has never been realised due to the political 
upheaval towards the end of that century. After the 
French Revolution, the abbey was sold and some of 
the remaining buildings were used for industrial and 
agricultural purposes. Ultimately, the central part of 
the medieval abbey – church, cloister, kitchen, refectory, priest’s and guest’s houses, mill, brewery – has 
been completely destroyed. 
In 2003, the Flemish Heritage Institute (‘Vlaams 
Instituut voor het Onroerend Erfgoed’, the successor 
of the former ‘Instituut voor het Archeologisch Patrimonium’) ordered a geophysical  survey by the Archaeological Prospection Services of the University of 
Southampton. This survey was designed to see whether 
the subsurface remains of the medieval structures could 
be identified and evaluated. Two types of geophysical 
prospection techniques were applied: resistivity measurements and magnetometry. Subsequently, the contrasting results of both techniques were compared, 
evaluated and integrated. 
The exact location of the church, the cloister, and 
service buildings were recorded, together with some 
strong rooms and cellars. The results, showing a relatively good preservation of the subsurface structures 
will be used for excavation planning. The archaeological 
research will contribute to the touristic and economic revaluation of the abbey complex, as planned by the Stichting Vlaams Erfgoed (Flemish Heritage Foundation).},
	keywords = {},
	author = {Van Impe, , Luc and Strutt, , Kris}
}

