Ookflevoland

Swifterbant

Swifterbant, with roughly 6,000 inhabitants, is a quiet village with lovely green surroundings. For example, the bird sanctuary ‘Pleisterplaats’ near the Ketelbrug bridge, and the Swifterbos woodlands have lovely walking trails. Many plants and animals, among them the long-eared owl, are at home here.
History
Between 5300 and 3400 BC, mobile and semi-agrarian communities lived on the large Dutch and North German plain. They knew the art of pottery and had domestic animals, but also hunted for wild animals. They probably grew crops, but also gathered wild plants and fruits. Relatives were buried in small gravesites, sometimes with grave-goods such as amber or jet beads. This culture was called the ‘Swifterbant culture’, because it was first identified based on archaeological digs near Swifterbant.