At eight locations in the castle's foundations, rectangular openings can be found just below the waterline. The inhabitants of the castle used these chutes to dump (kitchen) waste and the contents of the latrines, which were located on the upper floors, into the moat. In times of decline, the shafts and the moats were no longer emptied, resulting in considerable amounts of waste at the bottom of the chutes. Analysis of the chute fills provides a wealth of information on the daily life of the castle residents. Scientific analysis of the seeds, fruit and bone material for instance reveals what was on the menu. Study of the broken or discarded household items, that were also dropped down into the moat via the chutes, tells us more about the material culture of the inhabitants. As the chute fills were created over a very short period, they should be seen as true time capsules.
