Hidden under the Amstel

Openresearch editorial board

Urban stories of Amsterdam told through archaeological finds from the North/South Line.


The construction in 2003-2018 of the new metro through the center of Amsterdam, the North/South line, gave access to a unique archaeological site at the Damrak and Rokin construction sites: the riverbed of the Amstel. Almost 700,000 finds have been collected here, which are connected to the history of Amsterdam from 1300 to 2000.

In 2018, the photo catalog Stuff with 13,000 finds was published, offering a functional picture story of objects and materials that were used in Amsterdam over the centuries. As a follow-up to this, Onder de Amstel was created, in which the narrative qualities of archaeological finds are central. Such remnants are tangible and they are connected to the daily reality of the past. In combination with historical writings and images, they put us on the trail of actual events, buildings and institutions and even people in Amsterdam in the past.