Interactive map (bone)skate finds in The Lower Countries (0 - 1650)

The map of skate finds is interactive: you can zoom in and out and slide the map in all directions. It is also possible to include and exclude different periods. This creates a picture of how skating evolved through the centuries. Each layer includes both the objects and the most important places from that period. When you click a point on the map, a pop-up showing the location, the dating, and a photo (when available) appears.

Bone skates are generally dated rather broadly. We have used the periods that archaeologists use, as you can see in the legend next to the map. The full names of these periods are:

RT Roman time

VME Early Middle Ages, with parts A, B, C, and D

LME Late Middle Ages, with parts A and B

MT Modern time

Sometimes a bone skate doesn’t fit perfectly into one layer. In these cases, we put the skate in the best layer. When two skates with the same dating fit equally well into two layers, we put one in each layer. An example is the skates from Anjum. The most precise dating is shown in the pop-up. Poorly and undated bone skates are in the layer ‘Other’.

If you have trouble using the map, try reloading the JavaScript. Exactly how you do this depends on your browser, but Control-Shift-R is worth a try.

The map is under construction. Currently it only includes bone skates. Soon metal-bladed skates, representative works of art, and text fragments will take their place on the map by generation.

We appreciate your feedback: Are any bone skates missing? Do you have ideas for how the map can be improved? Let us know via the links below.