Trijntje

Trijntje is the name given to the oldest known human skeleton discovered in the Netherlands. The remains, belonging to a woman who lived around 5500 BCE during the Mesolithic period, were unearthed in 1997 near Hardinxveld-Giessendam during the construction of the Betuweroute railway line.

== Discovery == The skeleton was discovered approximately five meters underground in a peat and clay layer. This unique environment preserved her bones relatively well, particularly the skull and leg bones. The excavation required extensive measures such as the installation of sheet piling and the removal of groundwater to safely recover the remains.