Wedged in between the geological and biological exhibits is the so-called 'Dynamicum', a subunit illustrating the impact of humans and climate on natural landscape, flora and fauna, , which have been changing continuously over countless millions of years – but very slowly indeed.
During the last two thousand years, however, these changes have been proceeding much more rapidly...
Click the timeline to see the changes:
hunters and gatherers | farmers
| the Romans | the middle
ages | The 17th and 18th centuries |
the 19th century | the 1950s
| the 1990s
Hunters and gatherers
The first humans in southern Limburg followed the food they ate:
being hunters, they temporarily set up a camp at a site that also
yielded plenty of fruit and nuts. The oldest traces of human occupation
in southern Limburg date back to almost 250,000 years ago. These
are therefore the oldest traces of human inhabitation in the Netherlands
! These traces were found in a former gravel and loess pit near
Maastricht, the so-called Belvédère quarry. There, roaming hunters
left charcoal, flint tools and pieces of ochre. With the help
of fossils we know which plant and animal species lived in the
area at the time. Thus, we are able to reconstruct the natural
environment in which the Belvédère people lived. And, in this
way, we also know what they ate.
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Farmers
The impact of humans on the natural landscape gradually increased.
Patches of woodland area were felled to make way for fields. The
first farmsteads were built. An increasing number of people remained
at the same site for a longer period of time. After extraction and
processing of bronze and iron had been 'stumbled upon', new and
larger tools were used to cultivate the land. Groups of farms grew
into the first villages.
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The Romans
The Romans constructed the first cobbled roads and built fortifications.
These grew into the first towns: centres of trade and commerce.
From this time onwards, more and more buildings were developed on
the drawing board. The foundations of contemporary Maastricht were
laid by the Romans. A small fortress was constructed so as to protect
the sole bridge across the River Maas. Results gained from archaeological
excavations allow us to reconstruct this fortification and its surroundings.
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The middle ages
Until 300 years before to the start of our Christian era, rabbits
were confined to Spain and Portugal. Mediaeval monks bred them on
a large scale since unborn and very young animals did not count
as forbidden meat during periods of fasting.
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The 17th and 18th centuries
Exotic birds were often held on extensive country estates. Naturally,
every once in a while a couple managed to escape. And, sometimes,
these escapees produced young in the wild. Following the first
report in 1986 of nesting Nile Geese in Limburg, almost 50 pairs
now breed in the wild.
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The 19th century
Six large freshwater tanks contain animals that are typical of
the streams, brooks and rivers in southern Limburg. The tanks
are chilled: on average, the water temperature is 13EC. The largest
tank holds a number of Rainbow Trout. Other tanks contain the
following species: Rudd, Roach, Pumkinseed or American sunfish,
Bass, Minnow, White Bream, 3- or 10-thorned Stickleback, Loach,
Gudgeon, Ruff, crayfish and various species of snails and aquatic
insects.
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The 1950s
Numerous plant seeds have small barbs that allow them to hang
on to animals' fur. For some species this had far-reaching implications.
For instance, Narrowleaved Ragwort reached the Belgian wool-washers
via fleece from South Africa. In comparison, the way from Belgium
to the Netherlands via the River Maas, is but a small step. The
first reported find along this river (near Eijsden) dates back
to 1942. Nowadays, Narrowleaved Ragwort has spread throughout
the entire country.
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The 1990s
Until some 25 years ago, Scurry Grass was restricted to coastal
areas. Then a spectacular inland invasion took place along the
motorways. The explanation for this is straightforward: salt used
for icy roads penetrates the soil in a strip along the motorway.
There this coastal plant thrives. It will come as no suprise that
the distribution map of Scurry Grass almost matches that of our
motorway network!
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