Schokland and Surroundings
Schokland is an island on dry land, rich in archaeological treasures. Schokland is the Netherland's oldest continuously inhabited settlement and symbolises the centuries-old relationship of the Dutch with the water. On Schokland there are traces of human habitation dating back far into prehistoric times. It is an archaeological monument that covers over 8000 years of habitation history. For centuries, Schokland lay as a vulnerable island in the Zuiderzee. The devastating seas devoured chunks of the island. There was a constant risk of flooding, coupled with extreme poverty among the population. For this reason, the government decided to permanently evacuate the entire island in 1859. Some 635 'Schokkers' moved to the mainland for good.Since the reclamation of the Noordoostpolder, Schokland has again been part of the mainland, an island on dry land with a rich, archaeological soil archive. Schokland and Surroundings have been a World Heritage site since 1995.