The Celts continue to stir our imagination, but far too often we seem to be having a rather stereotypical representation of what they looked like. Archaeologists in Europe have now discovered quite a few new elements, especially related to the period around the fifth century Before our Common Era. These findings could readjust our mental picture, e.g. about the way the Celts dressed.

In Flanders, the Kemmelberg was an important ‘aristocratic hillsite’, such as the Mont Lassois in France or the Heuneburg in Germany. The Ename Center has been commissioned by the Province of West-Flanders to coordinate and integrate the various Task Force Kemmelberg educational initiatives.

The Technical Institute TIHV in Bruges put its students of the Fashion department to work to design a ‘Kemmelberg Prince and Princess’ outfit with assorted clothes, shoes and jewellery. For content-related questions, they collaborated with the East Flemish non-profit organisation Legia, which specialises in experimental archaeology and living history related to the Iron Age.

Three students of the Artevelde College developed a learning package for 10- to 12-year-olds, which should help them gain a better understanding of the living environment of the former Kemmelberg inhabitants. A search for lost objects from a tomb puts the pupils on the right track.

Last but not least, 3 heritage boxes are currently being put together. They recount the story of hunters-gatherers, the first farmers and the first aristocrats. Particular attention is given to the evolution in the use of everyday tools and people’s satisfaction with meeting elementary needs, such as making fire for heating or cooking purposes, or manufacturing clothes.