The well-preserved remains of the medieval port of Brussels along the Senne were discovered during excavations at the former Parking 58 in the historic center of the town. The old river bed was exposed and thick layers related to the medieval port context were excavated. A large variety of archaeological artefacts were collected, including a huge amount of animal remains, mostly interpreted as consumption refuse, waste of artisanal activities, remains of carcasses and intrusive animals. A sieved sediment sample yielded bone fragments with cut marks, which were interpreted as the left-overs of consumed fore- and hind frog legs. The consumption of frogs has been documented in historic texts. While considered as an antidote during the Roman period, the catching and preparing of frogs as a culinary preparation is described as early as the 14th century. Nevertheless, recipes with frogs only rarely appear in cookbooks although their consumption is considered popular, especially in Italy and France.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
