Dig Hill 80: A day at crowdfunded World War I archaeology dig

Belgian archaeologist Simon Verdegem was convinced, after preliminary excavations a few years ago, that the valuable hill and largely German-held stronghold of Wijtschate would prove a "Pompeii of the first World War." But there was no appetite to pay for a dig when the land was set for property development. Knowing it was now or never, he asked for more time to secure public support — and got it.

The Dig Hill 80 team — crowdfunded in large part, with an unpaid volunteer workforce who received help with their expenses — uncovered the rich site they had hoped for. Here's a selection of some of the more typical effects to be discovered: a water bottle (plus bullet hole), the remainder of a British rifle clip, decaying leather almost certainly from a boot, and the remnants of two shells.

Wijtschate is near Ypres, a medieval fort city in Flanders, just inland from Belgium's northern coast. Claiming Ypres was crucial to Britain — both to halt Germany's charge towards Paris, and to secure the northern Channel ports that would allow it to safely ship soldiers to the continent. This is where the advancing German troops were halted and had to dig in, using trenching tools like this.

As Britain focused on Ypres, Germany sought access to the surrounding high ground. Hill 80 (or "Höhe 80" to the Germans) was so called because of its altitude, some 78.5 meters above sea level. That may not sound like much, but remember we're in Flanders' flat fields. From Hill 80, observers and artillery directors had a clear view of Ypres, some 8 kilometers (5 miles) away.

Within months of conflict, the village of Wijtschate was all but flattened by artillery fire. But the subterranean trenches had a better chance of surviving the blast. Inventive Bavarian soldiers had also incorporated their trench network to criss-cross the cellars of the existing buildings. They'd keep using the cellars long after the upper levels had collapsed.

You can still see the remains of the leather strap of this soldier's helmet. One specific reason the Dig Hill 80 team wanted to explore was a dark suspicion they held. In the first weeks of trench warfare, soldiers and officers had not grasped the extent of WWI's carnage. There were not yet mechanisms in place to return bodies to the back of the lines. As feared, they found more than 100 corpses.

Out of respect for the dead, and any living relatives, DW was asked not to take any photos of soldiers' remains. The anthropologists and archaeologists erected a tent to shield themselves from the sun at this site. They had uncovered two German mass graves in close proximity. Nathan Howarth, a volunteer and British soldier, noted how not all visitors felt comfortable at this part of the site.

Squaddie archaeologist Nathan had quite a way with words, exclaiming that DW had "found the mine stick" when wandering the site unsupervised. But what's a mine stick? Do you notice the walkie-talkie attached? This is where the archaeologists go to alert their munitions expert, in case they've uncovered a live one in the dirt. For easy access, it's located right in the center of the dig.

An extremely rare find at an archaeology dig: a sandbag that probably had not seen the light of day for a century. Sand doesn't usually fare well underground amid soil and water, even if wrapped in a bag. Professor Peter Doyle, a military historian and project patron, speculated that it may have survived because it was covered by that timber you can see. The timber fortified a trench wall.

The Dig Hill 80 mission wrapped up this Friday. DW visited with just a week left to run. By that point, by the team's own admission, the time had come to cut some corners. This small excavator is scraping away a layer of the soft soil, as a volunteer monitors its process, ready to signal the operator to stop if any treasure emerges underneath.

The multinational crew hailed from all over: Belgium, Britain, Berlin and beyond. Shortly before the Belgians' quarterfinal, the crew were filling out their World Cup predictions game during the down time on site. One member of the crew was hoping for a Belgium England final, he'll have to settle for a third-place playoff on Saturday. But there were artifacts on hand to console, too.

These few square meters were a particularly rich source of items, with an array of effects scattered around the (now removed) remains thought to have belonged to a French soldier. Can you guess what it is yet?

That's right, it's a military-issue water flask! Incredibly, on shaking it, you could hear sploshing noises. Yet more surprisingly, the archaeologist immediately emptied its contents onto the soil. Asking why prompted a knowing grin: "The soldiers didn't always keep water in these, we've found others filled with fuel." This flask was one of several, plus two toothbrushes, found in close proximity.