A donk is a natural sandy rise in a peat or river landscape, formed as a river dune or aeolian sand mound, which in dry periods stood above the surrounding wet land. Donks were attractive settlement sites in prehistoric and early medieval times because they remained dry in an otherwise marshy environment.
Origin
Donks generally date from the last ice age. In the dry, cold climate, sand blew up from riverbeds and exposed soils. On sheltered spots, dunes and mounds formed. As the climate became warmer and wetter, peat grew around them, but the donks themselves stayed dry:
- Material — usually fine cover sand or river sand
- Height — a few metres above the surrounding peat or clay
- Location — particularly in the river clay landscape of the Netherlands and parts of Belgium
Habitation
Donks were used early in prehistory:
- Mesolithic — hunters and gatherers set up camps
- Neolithic — early farmers settled permanently
- Middle Ages — churches, castles and villages were often built on donks
Well-known examples include the donks near Hardinxveld-Giessendam, where archaeologists found settlement traces from around 5500 BC.
Relevance for construction
A donk is still of interest for builders:
- Stable subsoil — sandy ground bears better than peat or clay
- Drier foundation — less settlement and less timber rot for wooden pile foundations
- Cultural heritage — finds on donks are often protected archaeological sites
Building on or near a donk therefore usually requires archaeological investigation, and the transition to the weaker surrounding soil must be considered in the structural design.
Related terms
- Cover sand
- Terp
- Drumlin
- Building ground
- Archaeology
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