Amsterdam's train tunnels reveal surprising windows into the past

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 11:15 AM ET, Sat February 25, 2023

<strong>North-South Line: </strong>The construction of Amsterdam's underground North-South metro line was a tricky business as it burrowed beneath the foundations of old buildings and the city's waterways.
Photos: How Amsterdam's North-South metro line unearthed hidden artifacts
North-South Line: The construction of Amsterdam's underground North-South metro line was a tricky business as it burrowed beneath the foundations of old buildings and the city's waterways.
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<strong>Deep in the past:</strong> Archaeologists worked in pressurized concrete chambers known as caissons to sift through soft dirt for hidden artifacts.
Photos: How Amsterdam's North-South metro line unearthed hidden artifacts
Deep in the past: Archaeologists worked in pressurized concrete chambers known as caissons to sift through soft dirt for hidden artifacts.
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<strong>Years and years: </strong>The archaeologists unearthed around 700,000 artifacts ranging from mollusc shells thought to be 115,000 years old, right through to vintage cell phones.
Photos: How Amsterdam's North-South metro line unearthed hidden artifacts
Years and years: The archaeologists unearthed around 700,000 artifacts ranging from mollusc shells thought to be 115,000 years old, right through to vintage cell phones.
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<strong>Big project, big headaches: </strong>Difficulties involved in the North-South line's construction mean it took 15 years to build and cost way over its expected budget.
Photos: How Amsterdam's North-South metro line unearthed hidden artifacts
Big project, big headaches: Difficulties involved in the North-South line's construction mean it took 15 years to build and cost way over its expected budget.
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<strong>Extraordinary excavations: </strong>"The sheer mass of material we unearthed during the construction of the North-South line was extraordinary," says Peter Kranendonk, one of two senior archaeologists leading the excavations during the metro project.
Photos: How Amsterdam's North-South metro line unearthed hidden artifacts
Extraordinary excavations: "The sheer mass of material we unearthed during the construction of the North-South line was extraordinary," says Peter Kranendonk, one of two senior archaeologists leading the excavations during the metro project.
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