OKM technology has been used by a British team for a research project in Belgium. The team of experts used geophysical instruments Future I-160 and eXp 4000 to scan a large field to look for possible hidden rooms, excavated by soldiers during the famous battle of Passchendaele of WWI.
Here the story:
A small unimpressive tent in the middle of a dreary rainy acre in the north of Ypres, in Belgium does not give any hints which important discovery is been made in that moment by a small team of archaeologists.
Scientists and WWI specialists expand step by step into an old pit filled up with water and take part of an amazing time travel back to the year 1917, the time when on this battle field the WWI has been carried out.
A few month ago, no one could guess, what was hidden since so many years below this silty acre.
A team of archaelogists and historic scientists had reasons to believe, that somewhere below this huge surface there should be large dugouts from the First World War.
It was on this place, not far away from the Belgian city of Ypres, in Flanders, where the Allied forces started the last important counteroffensive to push back the German front line.
This fight, known as the battle of Passchendaele last for some months, took the life of countless British, Canadian, French and German soldiers and lead to about half a million victims on both sides. Although the Allied forces could only push back the front line for some kilometers.
To escape from the hard life during war time and defend themselves from the enemy, the British excavated large dugouts and spend as much time as possible underground. Inside these tight tunnels 15 meters below the surface, soldiers slept and took their meals, enjoyed a few moments of silence and safeness, opened their letters and packages from their relatives and waited for the next battle.
The team of experts has the unique opportunity, to re-enter into such an untouched dugout in its original condition for the first time since 90 years. „It is a journey through time back to the First World War“ reported a member of the team. „The tunnel is in well conserved condition. Numerous traces from the past tell us the exciting story of these soldiers. An old boot, tools and munitions has been discovered already.“
Some weeks before, the team stand on this lonesome acre in the center of Belgium and did not have a premonition of the sensational finding. Together with the expert for underground research Malcolm Weale, this field has been inspected for traces of a supposed dugout during several days. To explore the underground several type of measuring instruments and ground scanners including newest technology has been in use. Due to the archaeological devices Future I-160 and eXp 4000 a three-dimensional graphic of the subsurface could be obtained. Underground anomalies like voids, buried metal or dugouts can be detected with this type of machinery. First diggings lead to several small targets, but did not indicate any entry what the team hoped for. After a long research both devices located a large anomaly at the same spot and this lead finally to the entrance slot of the dugout they have waited for.
A large part of the dugout which was filled up with water and loam, has been cleared since this first ground-breaking. Many artifacts has been discovered and will be reviewed in detail later by professionals. The exposing of the complete subterranean construction will take its time and will lead surely to more discoveries and surprises. Press and media, like the British TV channel BBC, reported about this project in Belgium and will surely follow up this story.
Since fall 2008 the major motion picture event "Passchendaele" has started in canadian theaters. The film shows moving battle scenes from this famous battle of Passchendaele in Belgium.
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