Hoogkarspel

Hoogkarspel
The skyline of Hoogkarspel, with the characteristic Hoogkarspel Water Tower.
Coordinates: 52°41′41″N 5°10′40″E / 52.69472°N 5.17778°E / 52.69472; 5.17778Coordinates: 52°41′41″N 5°10′40″E / 52.69472°N 5.17778°E / 52.69472; 5.17778
Country	Netherlands
Province	North Holland
Municipality	Drechterland
Population (2015)	7.932

Hoogkarspel (West Frisian: Hougkarspel) (population estimate: 7932) is a village in the municipality Drechterland, located in the north west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. The name derives from the words hoog (Dutch for "high") and , a Middle Dutch word for parish.

Hoogkarspel was a separate municipality until 1979, when it was merged into the new municipality of Bangert, which has been renamed to Drechterland in 1980.

There is a railway station, Hoogkarspel, with half-hourly connections to Hoorn, Amsterdam and Enkhuizen.

The so-called Hoogkarspel culture is an important part of the Elp culture, a culture of the Bronze Age dating from approx. 1800-800 BC. In the 1960s remains were found of a tumulus behind the Hoogkarspel water tower, and remains of an agricultural settlement were discovered in the 1970s, dating from 1000 BC. Two periods are identified, Hoogkarspel-I (1400-1100 cal BC) and Hoogkarspel-II (800-400 cal BC). Earthenware found in the area is divided into old and young, following the influential publication by R. W. Brandt in 1988.

South-west of the former "Medemblikker Tolhuis" (Medemblik tollbooth) remains of a mound from the late Bronze Age were found. The Medemblik tollbooth was a tollbooth next to a well maintained road to the city Medemblik, and this road still exists.