Cuijpers: “Every path, road, ditch, dyke, or field in the Netherlands was once constructed and has undergone changes over time. Each element has followed its own developmental process—far more complex than one might initially assume. Yet there is little recorded information about how they were constructed or altered.”
Retrogressive Research Method
Research into the historic landscape often resembles solving a difficult puzzle. Traditional methods tend to leave many questions unanswered. The retrogressive research method developed by Cuijpers takes a different approach. Cuijpers explains: “Instead of starting with the oldest available data and moving forward in time, this method begins with the most recent and accurate data, and then works step by step backwards.”
Lith and Lithoijen
The method was tested in the villages of Lith and Lithoijen, revealing previously unknown insights. Cuijpers: “For example, the river dykes protecting towns such as ’s-Hertogenbosch and Tiel appear to have been regularly shifted, relocated, or raised in the past, while other sections have remained in fixed positions.”
Avoiding Mistakes
Cuijpers continues: “When planning new developments—such as dyke reinforcements, residential areas, or new nature reserves—it is vital to understand the problems our ancestors faced in a given area, the solutions they devised, and why. This enables us to address issues—such as water management—much more effectively and helps avoiding repeating past mistakes.”
Medieval Data
Cuijpers based his research on 19th-century data, such as maps and land registries. He then consulted over 25,000 written sources in archives, which he analysed in detail. Cuijpers: “This enabled us to reconstruct the landscape as it would have looked in earlier centuries, reaching back as far as the Middle Ages. That’s remarkable, as such reconstructions have rarely been successful using conventional methods.”
Digital Research Assistant
The research and analysis were carried out manually, with the computer serving as a ‘dumb’ tool for storing data and drawing maps. Cuijpers: “The structure of the research is such that it could form the basis for a ‘digital research assistant’. Who knows—perhaps one day every village or municipality will have a tailored historical landscape description, serving as a foundation for addressing specific spatial planning challenges.”