Hoogkarspel


Hoogkarspel is a village in the municipality Drechterland, located in the north west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. The name derives from the words hoog and :nl:kerspel|kerspel, a Middle Dutch word for parish.
Hoogkarspel was a separate municipality until 1979, when it was merged into the new municipality of Bangert, which has been renamed to Drechterland in 1980.

Transportation

There is a railway station, Hoogkarspel, with half-hourly connections to Hoorn, Amsterdam and Enkhuizen.

Archeology

The so-called Hoogkarspel culture is an important part of the Elp culture, a culture of the Bronze Age dating from approx. 1800-800 BC. In the 1960s remains were found of a tumulus behind the Hoogkarspel water tower, and remains of an agricultural settlement were discovered in the 1970s, dating from 1000 BC. Two periods are identified, Hoogkarspel-I and Hoogkarspel-II. Earthenware found in the area is divided into old and young, following the influential publication by R. W. Brandt in 1988.
South-west of the former "Medemblikker Tolhuis" remains of a mound from the late Bronze Age were found. The Medemblik tollbooth was a tollbooth next to a well maintained road to the city Medemblik, and this road still exists.