ABSTRACT
Dark-brown glauconite-rich sand cemented by iron oxides characterizes the landscape and the typical architecture of the Hageland: the so-called ferruginous sandstone of the Diest Formation. The hilly landscape of the Hageland is characterized by a sequence of south to south-east oriented ridges. In Roman times the flanks of these hills were used to cultivate wine. The Diest Formation is a glauconite-rich siliceous sand unit with a maximum thickness of about 100 m. The spreading of the ferruginous sandstone is determined by the hills of the Hageland and extends to the southern Campine and the Brabant loamy region, agreeing more or less with the area where material has dominantly been used for construction works. The use of ferruginous sandstone as a construction material reaches back to the Roman era. The difficulty of sculpting the ferruginous sandstone is most probably responsible for the lack of finely detailed ornaments within characteristic local architecture.
