The excavations in the centre of Aarhus 1994-97

Abstract

The excavations in the centre of Aarhus 1994-97

Between 1994 and 1997, comprehensive archaeological investigations took place in the old centre of Aarhus (fig. 1). The excavations were mainly brought about by construction projects initiated by the municipality. The work resulted in a great amount of media coverage and interest from the citizens of Aarhus (fig. 2).

The excavations resulted in an almost unbroken 450 m long section through the old town deposits. The section extended from the coastal area in the east around Skolegade/Skolegyde ('School Street/School Alley' fig. 3) through the fortified town centre to the area behind the town, almost as far as the Vor Frue Monastery ('Our Lady Monastery') in the west.

The archaeological investigations in Skolegade, Skolegyde and the cathedral school ground resulted in new knowledge of the Viking settlement and of different buildings in the cathedral school area from c. 1200 onwards. In Skolegade, the late medieval churchyard wall was found (fig. 4, 5, 6).

On Bispetorv ('Bishop's Square') which was not created until the early 20th century, when some houses was demolished, fairly comprehensive remains of the cathedral's chapter house and canons' lodgings had been previously excavated (fig. 7). A number of small excavations in 1996 (fig. 8) showed that this area is now severely damaged by modern activities. The different archaeological investigations have resulted in a better understanding of the extent of the cathedral churchyard towards the south (fig. 7 and 9). A single intact grave with a hemispherically­shaped pottery vessel under the chapter house and some fine artefacts (a mount for a drinking horn, an axe, and an oval brooch) found under Aarhus Theatre, are strong indications of a pagan burial ground in this area (fig. 10).

On Skt. Clemens Torv ('St. Clemens' Square'), which was created when a stone house was taken down in the early 18th century, fairly comprehensive excavations took place in 1997 (fig. 11). Archaeological layers, of a thickness of up to 2.7 metres, were deposited here since the Viking Age (fig. 12 and 13). Twelve road phases from c. 1200 to modern times were traced in the area. Wooden houses from the 13th century were found in the western end of the square (fig. 14), whilst the remains of the late medieval stone house which was taken down in the early 18th century were found in the eastern end (fig. 15). The excavation also resulted in a number of fine artefacts; for instance a very fine hairpin made from walrus ivory around the year 1000 (fig. 16). Some of the excavated soil from the square was wet-sieved and this resulted in several kilos of medieval pottery fragments (fig. 17).

In 1994 Store Torv ('The Large Square') the main square in Aarhus was altered, which gave the opportunity for the largest area excavation in Aarhus to date. Closest to the cathedral, in the east, the area was dominated by the churchyard (figs. 9, 19, 20). A total of 170 skeletons, more or less undisturbed, were excavated. The graves date to the period c.1250-1500. North of the cathedral, comprehensive excavations of the catholic bishop's court had taken place in 1923-26, but only a few graves were found then (fig. 18).

At the bottom of the archaeological layers in Store Torv, the remains of the Late Mesolithic Ertebølle Culture were found. Above them the next culture layers were from the Viking Age. Fig. 21 shows the remains of the Viking Period. At least eight pit houses were found (fig. 22). Pit house ahb was an unusually large one, measuring 4 by 4.2 metres (fig. 23). Fig. 24 shows the section through pit house aji. Next to the fireplace in this house a clay vessel with holes for its suspension was found (fig. 25). Eight wells from the Viking and Medieval Period were found (fig. 22). Fig. 26 shows the excellent preservation of well I from the 13th century. Fig. 27 shows a plan of well II. Well IV was the same type as wells I and II (fig. 28). Fig. 29 shows a reconstruction drawing of well IV. A closer examination of the wood from this well concluded that it was made from reused building timber and the deck boards and planks from a ship built around 1190 (fig. 30). One deck board was of special interest, as it had an incised gaming board for 'three­men's-morris and 'nine-men's-morris' on it (fig. 31). Cutting marks near the gaming board indicate that the players cut chunks of "snack" food there, to eat while playing (fig. 32). Well lll was a cone-shaped stone-built well, built right up against the first Town Hall in the early 14th century (fig. 33). This Town Hall was a 15.5 m long and 7.5 m wide building, erected on Store Torv around 1300 (fig. 9, 34, 36). During the 15th century, a tower was added to the Town Hall. The ground plan of the tower measured 6 m square. Fig. 35 shows what the Town Hall might have looked like. Around 1500, small St. George badges with the bishop's coat of arms were cast in the Town Hall cellar (fig. 37). A few meters to the north of the oldest Town Hall were the remains of the Town Hall latrines (fig. 38). Around the Reformation, in 1536, the oldest Town Hall was replaced by a 26.5 m long and 10.4 m wide Town Hall (figs. 9 and 40). This second Town Hall had a stair tower, the ground plan of which was 5.5 m square. This Town Hall existed until 1859.

In the western end of Store Torv, the gate Borgporten ('The Castle Gate') led into the town (fig. 41, 42). The gate formed part of the town fortifications and, from the time of its erection around 1250 until 1683, it was the only direct entrance between the walled town and the suburb to the west. The gate survived the demolition of the rampart around 1477 and later served as the town lockup.

The excavation of Lille Torv ('The Small Square'), Immervad ('The Permanent Ford') and Vestergade ('West Street') in 1995-96 showed that these streets were laid out around 1250 as part of a comprehensive urban renewal plan (fig. 43). Until c. 1250, a 60-70-m wide wetland in this area separated the walled town from the suburb around Vor Frue Kloster. Subsequent road and culture layers deposited in a thickness of up to 2.5 m have completely erased the impression of this low and marshy area (fig. 44). Originally, the two parts of the town had been connected but when the fortifications were made in the 10th century, a vast amount of soil was removed from the area and this caused the creation of the marshy area west of the walled town. Not until around 1250, with the establishment of Vestergade, Immervad and Lille Torv, were the two parts of the town connected again. In Vestergade up to 14 road phases from c. 1250 and later have been established (fig. 45).

The extensive excavations in the town centre in 1994-97 have naturally resulted in a large quantity of artefacts from the Viking Age and Medieval Period. Figs. 46, 47, 48, 50, 51 and 52 show a selection of the metal finds. Figs. 16, 53 and 54 show some of the antler, tooth and bone items. Fig. 55 shows a leather shoe for a baby. Traces of textile were also found. Figs. 30, 31, 38, 56, 57 and 58 show a variety of constructions and items of wood. Fig. 59 shows a selection of whet­stones.

To sum up, the recent excavations have thrown new light on the topographic conditions of Viking and Medieval Aarhus. The first, unfortified Aarhus was situated on a sandy foreland along the northern edge of the river (fig. 60). In the first half of the 10th century the town was fortified and a reinforcement of this fortification in the second half of the 10th century resulted in the reformation of the terrain such that the town was divided in two by a 60-70-m wide marshy area (fig. 61).The moving of the cathedral in the 1190s from the western part of the town to the walled town was the start of a far-reaching reconstruction of the town, which seems to have been completed around 1300 (fig. 62). Just about all the central streets and original squares were established in the 13th century. The driving force behind this alteration to the plan of the town seems to have been the bishop. Whole quarters of the town were demolished in order to make way for Store Torv in front of the cathedral and the two parts of the town were connected again, after the establishment of Lille Torv and lmmervad.

Hans Skov