Tineke Dijkstra/Central Government Real Estate Agency of the NetherlandsThe foundations of the Spuipoort were uncovered during renovation work at the Binnenhof.Archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery amid ongoing renovations at the Binnenhof, a complex of government buildings in The Hague, Netherlands. During excavations near the Tweede Kamer building, where the lower house of parliament meets, workers uncovered the original foundations of a medieval gate known as the Spuipoort.Built in the late 13th or early 14th century, the Spuipoort was part of a system of moats and gates that surrounded the Binnenhof. It was demolished in 1861, but now officials hope to reincorporate its ruins into a new entrance to this historic complex.Uncovering The Remnants Of The Medieval Spuipoort In The HagueIn 2024, renovation work at the Binnenhof in the heart of The Hague the administrative capital of the Netherlands revealed the brick foundations of a massive gate that once led into the government complex located here. The Spuipoort, which connected the area of the city known as the Spui to the Binnenhof, consisted of two tall towers flanking a rectangular guardhouse. It was first mentioned in written records in 1352, but it may have been erected many decades earlier, sometime in the late 13th century.Leiden University LibrariesThe Spuipoort once served as a gate and guardhouse that led into the Counts Court area of the Binnenhof.The gate was located on the southern side of the Counts Court, where the residences and offices of the Counts of Holland were located. The Spuipoort was one piece in an extensive medieval defense system that consisted of double moats, gates, and drawbridges that protected the Binnenhof.As reported by the NL Times, archaeologist Peter Stokkel noted, The Binnenhof was where the power was, so only the elite came under the gate. Not everyone was allowed inside.The towers of the Spuipoort were later replaced by octagonal supports, and the entire structure was demolished in 1861. Previous excavations in 1987 revealed part of what was left of the gate, but now the entire foundation of the Spuipoort has finally been uncovered.Tineke Dijkstra/Central Government Real Estate Agency of the NetherlandsThe Spuipoort was first built in the late 13th century or early 14th century.Andjelko Pavlovic, an archaeologist for The Hague, told the Binnenhof Renovation Program, This discovery sheds new light on the rich history of the Binnenhof After 33 years since the last significant excavation, we now have the opportunity to learn more about how the gate changed over time.While researchers look forward to studying the ruins of the gate and learning more about its historic past, they also have big plans for the future of the Spuipoort.Future Plans For The Historic Gate Found At The BinnenhofDuring the excavation process, archaeologists carefully analyzed the medieval brickwork, or kloostermoppen, that made up the gates foundations. They used 3D scanning to map out where each individual brick was positioned.As Stokkel stated, With a scan, we know exactly which brick goes where, and it will be placed back in the new entrance.Tineke Dijkstra/Central Government Real Estate Agency of the NetherlandsOfficials hope to repurpose the brick foundations of the Spuipoort into a new entrance to the Binnenhof.Officials hope to incorporate the former foundations of the Spuipoort into the renovated entryway to the Tweede Kamer building once the ongoing construction work is complete. As of now, the renovations are expected to be completed by 2031. The process has faced significant delays due to rising costs and the interference of an unexpected nuisance: parakeets.Hundreds of these tiny birds, which are considered an invasive species in the Netherlands, have descended on the construction site to wreak havoc. As soon as the scaffolding was removed from one building, the parakeets alighted on the facade to gnaw on the fresh paint and putty. Theyve also chewed on the cables of electric cranes, posing a safety hazard.The parakeets are so disruptive that the government recently hired a falconer to release his bird in the area throughout the month of March to chase them away.In the meantime, the brick foundations of the medieval Spuipoort are waiting to become part of the historic Binnenhof once more. How cool is it to integrate the last gate into the new gate? said Stokkel. To us as city archaeologists, this is very special indeed.After reading about the medieval gate found in The Hague, go inside the tulip mania that gripped Dutch investors in the 17th century. Then, learn about the Yde Girl, the bog body found in the Netherlands in 1897.The post The Remains Of A Medieval Gate With Two Imposing Guard Towers Were Just Found Under The Dutch Houses Of Parliament appeared first on All That's Interesting.