Regional archaeological research, be it field surveys, inventory of collections, test trenches or coring, is a major method of research for this additional information. The material reflection of all human activities over a certain period in a region is in itself an archaeological source of information. It provides us with a new perspective on societies in the past. The south-east of the Netherlands is archaeologically very rich. Thanks to the geologically relatively stable terrain, all traces of habitation from the late Palaeolithic onwards are still on the surface.
Regional research seems therefore eminently suitable.
The data do encompass the entire area and have a greater depth of time, but their quality is significantly less than the excavation data. How to handle the numerous, but randomly distorted, primary data responsibly is one of the main challenges of the regional archaeological research in the south-east of the Netherlands.