Medieval and Early Modern Archaeology

Contemporary archaeology of the Middle Ages blends two specializations that were separated for a long period of time. The early Middle Ages period (6th-12th centuries) was studied by Slavic archaeology which evolved continuously from the late 19th century. The late Middle Ages period (13th-16th centuries) was the subject of medieval or historical archaeology which took shape in the Czech lands in the 1950s and 1960s. The paper discusses the traditions of both these specializations, while most attention is devoted to archaeology of the late Middle Ages. Its establishment was determined by two abilities: first, the ability to conduct excavations of complex stratigraphic contexts and the provision of quality primary data; and second, the ability to formulate research programmes so that their results could become part of the general historical discourse. The development of these two abilities remains a key prerequisite for the general development of archaeological study.

La actuación arqueológica desarrollada a lo largo del mes de julio de 2000 en el castillo de la Estrella (Teba, provincia de Málaga) tuvo como principal objetivo solucionar las incógnitas existentes sobre el acceso original que debió tener en su día la Torre del Homenaje (TH), el elemento estructural más destacado de este recinto castra1. Esta Torre, junto con el llamado Recinto Fortaleza (RF), donde se incluye, conforma el punto más elevado de todo este gran perímetro castral. La intervención arqueológica ha venido a confirmar que la TH y el RF son obras plenamente castellanas (nunca anteriores, por consiguiente al siglo XIV: el hisn Atiba fue conquistado en 1330) y que en ella no se adivina la mano andalusí-nazarí. Igualmente, se han desentrañado las claves del acceso primigenio a la TH. Se ha descubierto un gran aljibe para el almacenamiento de agua de 3 m. de profundidad, contiguo a la TH. Por lo que respecta al asunto principal, el acceso a la TH, se ha podido constatar que se realizaba mediante un patín de obra construido después de la edificación del cubo, entrada que venía a sustituir la anterior, a través de escalas móviles. Se emplaza en la fachada N. de la TH. En su concepción es muy similar a otros accesos de fortalezas de frontera relativamente cercanas como puede ser la de ülvera (provincia de Cádiz). El valor de reducto del cubo central del RF queda reforzado mediante este sistema, insistiéndose así en el concepto clave de la poliorcética feudal basado en la compartimentación de la defensa estática o, lo que es lo mismo, en la adopción de un conjunto de disposiciones estructurales para evitar que la pérdida de un sector comprometiera la defensa de los subsiguientes. Una vez que la fortaleza de la Estrella y, en particular, el RF y la TH, perdieron su exclusivo valor poliorcético para pasar a tener otro de representación señorial con connotaciones áulicas, la entrada mediante escalas de madera resulta ser demasiado onerosa y presentar demasiados inconvenientes de aplicación estrictamente doméstica para mantenerla, por lo que se arbitra otra solución más acorde con la nueva

У книзі відомого дослідника Гетьманщини Сергія Павленка вміщено
нариси про виникнення та розбудову Батуринської фортеці, її захисників
і про драматичні події 1632 та 1708 років. Видання знайомить з новими
фактами, джерелами й версіями буття колишньої гетьманської столиці та
її очільників. Особлива увага приділяється періоду, коли володарем булави
був Іван Мазепа, який доклав чимало зусиль для зміцнення фортеці. Саме
Батурин як символ суверенної влади був знищений вщент під час московської навали 1708 рок

In 2017, during archaeological research on the site of the former J. Struś Hospital (previously the Convent of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns) on Szkolna Street in Poznań, a medallion reliquary was found next to one of the burials. On the surface, the medallion was decorated with motifs associated with the cult of St. Teresa. It contained, among others, fragments of bones (relics) and a sheet of paper with a print of Caravaca cross and handwritten prayers against the plague.

The article discusses artefacts acquired during renovation and conservation work conducted in 2006-2012 in the vicarage building at Posadzego 7 Street on Ostrów Tumski in Poznań. The work did not involve archaeological supervision. According to previous findings, the building was erected in the second half of the 18th century. However, the analysed objects (vessel ceramics, vessel glass, tiles, and building ceramics) date to the period between the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries and the 18th century. The predominance of the 17th-century material permits the assumption about the existence of an older building in this place. Perhaps this archaeological hypothesis will be possible to verify in the future.

Summary
Barcode 8 is one of 50 vessels dated to the late medieval- and early modern period, found in Bjørvika, Oslo during archaeological surveys. The vessel is clinker-built, had sail and has been around 10 m long. In many ways, Barcode 8 is built in the traditional Nordic tradition, while it also has construction elements that differ from previously known Nordic ship finds. In this article we will compare constructional elements and the shape of Barcode 8 with a selection of contemporary published, similar sized vessels from the Nordic countries, including some of the vessels found in Oslo. Our aim is to look at differences and similarities in the regional boatbuilding traditions in the Nordic countries in the 16th-17th century.
The analysis of Barcode 8 show that the vessel has many similar elements with vessels found in both Sweden and Denmark, while the vessels robust construction and bulkiness is more comparable with other Oslo-vessels. It might therefor appear that while the overall construction and technical elements to a certain degree is comparable to other contemporary vessels, Barcode 8s functional abilities and its intended area of usage differ.
Sammendrag
Barcode 8 er datert til ca. 1595, antagelig bygd i Norge og er et av 50 fartøy fra sen middelalder og renessanse funnet under arkeologiske utgravninger i Bjørvika. Båten er subygd , seilførende og har vært omtrent 10 meter lang. Den har både konstruksjonsmessige elementer kjent fra eldre norske og nordiske skipsfunn og trekk som bryter med det tradisjonelle nordiske båtbyggeriet. For å forstå bakgrunnen for denne blandingen av eldre og yngre teknologiske løsninger sammenligner vi konstruksjonstrekk og utforming med et utvalg publiserte skipsfunn fra Norden av omtrent samme størrelse og fra samme tid , for å belyse likheter og forskjeller i regionale båtbyggertradisjoner i Norden på 15/1600-tallet.
Av analysen fremgår det at Barcode 8 har mange felles konstruksjonstrekk med samtidige båter funnet både i Danmark og Sverige, mens når det gjelder drektighet og robusthet i konstruksjonen har båten mer til felles med andre Oslo-båter enn de øvrige, Nordiske båtene. Det kan derfor se ut som at det er Barcode 8s funksjonelle egenskaper og dermed tiltenkte bruksområde som skiller den fra andre, samtidige Nordiske båter mens overordnende konstruksjonstrekk og -teknikk i all vesentlighet er de samme.

Join us for a session discussing Ottoman archaeology in Europe, in topics including but not limited to:
- Material culture interactions between Europe and the Ottoman Empire
- Ottoman settlements and archaeology along and across the Danube River
- Cultural encounters and traffic routes in Ottoman Europe
- Commercial activities and material exchange between the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe
- Borderlands, conflicts, and interactions
- Development of Ottoman archaeology in post-Ottoman Europe
Ottoman-period material culture in museum storages and its past, present, and future
- Ottoman architecture in modern context: the use and preservation of Ottoman-period buildings in post-Ottoman Europe

Looking forward to meeting you in Belgrade!

Submission deadline: 6 February, 2025
For details see: https://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2025

Almost 300 graves, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, were discovered and excavated during the archaeological research of the Church of St Martin at Prozorje. These were mostly simple earth-dug grave burials with several exceptions in the church interior. Some deceased individuals were buried in three different types of burial chambers: a brick burial shaft, large masonry tombs, and crypts. Two earthdug grave burials stand out because they had some architectural elements. One grave was covered with laid rows of bricks, the other with a secondarily used tomb slab. This paper compares the available written records regarding the individuals buried inside the Church of St Martin at Prozorje with the archaeological data on the burial chambers and graves with some architectural elements, the finds discovered alongside deceased individuals, and the results of the bioarchaeological analysis with the main aim of revealing the social and economic status of the deceased. The conclusion is that these were most often wealthy lay individuals of high social status or members of the clergy.

During rescue archaeological excavations in 2013-2018 on the area of the former women Cistercian monastery in Owińska near Poznań, among pottery a numerous collection of fragments of stove tiles was gained. Heavy shredded and destroyed fragments can be dated from Late Medieval Period to the 19th-20th century. The largest group was the 18th century tiles. Stove tiles from Owińska reflect the tendencies in the tile manufacturing in Greater Poland.

This analysis was prompted by the discovery of a fragment of a medieval wall at
Malbork Castle during an archaeological inspection in 2023. Drawing from early modern
inventory descriptions, maps, and panoramas of the castle, it was determined that
this fragment belonged to a previously unidentified complex of gates located between
the outer bailey and the Nogat River. These gates have not yet been fully recognised
or properly identified by researchers. Although limited archaeological investigations
have taken place in this area, they have not provided substantial information about
this gate complex. The most well-known of the gates was the first one, positioned near
St Lawrence Church. Historical sources describe a long, narrow entrance passage extending
westward from this gate. Along the passage’s side walls were two additional
gates, referred to as the Grain (Ger. Korn) or Granary (Ger. Kornhaus) Gates, named
after a large nearby granary on the Nogat River. The northern gate led towards the granary,
while the southern gate provided access to the town of Malbork. In front of the
southern gate was a transverse moat, crossed by a drawbridge. Another gate branched
off towards the river. To the west of the gate complex was a small walled courtyard,
surrounded by various buildings mentioned in surviving records. An analysis of these
sources enabled the partial reconstruction of the gate complex, which did not survive
the Swedish Deluge in its original form. However, key aspects – such as the dimensions
of the complex, the precise layout of the walls, and the construction techniques – still
require further investigation.

Activities of the Lviv archaeological center in studying monuments of the princely age in the 1950s-early 1970s

The article is devoted to the study of topical issues of the development of medieval archaeology in post-war L’viv. The stages of this process up to the turn of the 1960s/1970s are considered, when the so-called realities prevailed in all spheres of social life in Lviv. "stagnant period". The post-war restoration of the L’viv Archaeological School took place under state control. For the ideological "strengthening" of the L’viv scientific community, a number of natives of eastern Ukraine were sent to work here. Not without the control of state security agencies. Archaeological sites were clearly formed at the beginning of the 1950s in three scientific institutions of the city. First of all, these were the department of archaeology of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and the department of the history of primitive society of the L’viv Historical Museum. Teaching archaeology to students of the Faculty of History of the L’viv State University named after I. Franko led to the employment of one or two more archaeologist scientists there. Among almost two dozen L’viv archaeologists, only I. Starchuk, O. Ratych, G. Vlasova, V. Shelomyantsiv-Terskyi and R. Bagrii systematically studied the monuments of the princely era. The main sights that were explored were the historical Zvenigorod, Plisneske and Sudovyshnyansk hillforts. Of these works, the scientists properly presented to the scientific community only the results of the excavations at the Plisneske hillfort. This was done by Kyiv archaeologist Mykhailo Kuchera. On the other hand, no less large-scale works on the other two monuments, carried out mainly by Oleksiy Ratych and Volodymyr Shelomyantsev-Tersky at the behest of the heads of the scientific institution, remained for many decades in the archives of the Institute of Social Sciences. It should be noted the thorough preparation of the manuscripts of both monographs, which is witnessed by one of the authors of the article. An analysis of the social situation in L’viv makes it possible to understand the reasons for this paradox

This article presents a unique group of ten leaden, spherical projectiles (lead balls) for small arms. They were found at the scene of the battle of Lauenburg (Elbe), August 17th to 19th, 1813. Due to their weights and diameters (ball caliber) as well as characteristic deformations caused by loading and firing these lead balls clearly were fired from rifles („Büchsen“). In Europe in German-speaking countries such muzzle-loading firearms were used by civilians for hunting and militarily by the hunter („Jäger“) troops (light infantry) well into the 19th century. The objects discussed in the article each show a raised Roman numeral cast on their surfaces, which deviates from the usual appearance of such spherical lead balls. These numerals were found to be indications of the ball caliber. They made it possible to distribute the projectiles, which were produced centrally as a general reserve of a unit, quickly and efficiently when needed. This was necessary because within such units the military rifles used usually had different barrel calibers, which in turn required lead balls of different sizes. The ten lead balls recovered near Lauenburg can undoubtedly be attributed to the battle of 1813. The author is not yet aware of any comparable pieces.

Wydawca/Publisher:
Muzeum Historyczne w Ełku | Historical Museum in Ełk
Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk | Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Skarb monet z XVII w. z Ełku, woj. warmińsko-mazurskie odkryto w 2020 r. W skład jego znanej części wchodzą 684 egzemplarze o zróżnicowanej strukturze nominałowej oraz pochodzenia (m.in. monety inflanckie, polskie i litewskie, Prus Książęcych, Prus Królewskich, austriackie i czeskie). Scharakteryzowano je w monografii, w której znalazł się również opis konserwacji oraz rozdział poświęcony analizom składu pierwiastkowego 200 monet inflanckich wyemitowanych podczas szwedzkiej okupacji Rygi i Inflant (po 1621 r.). Książce towarzyszy pełny katalog monet.

A seventeenth-century coin hoard from Ełk, Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship, was discovered in 2020. Its known part contains 684 pieces of very diverse denomination and origin structure (coins from Livonia, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Ducal Prussia, Royal Prussia, Austria and Bohemia). They are characterised in the monograph, which also includes a description of the conservation process and chapter about elemental composition analyses of the 200 Livonian coins issued during the Swedish occupation of the City of Riga and Livonia (after 1621). The book is accompanied by a full catalogue of the coins.

Pdf całej publikacji dostępny również na stronie www Muzeum Historycznego w Ełku | full pdf available also at the official website of the Historical Museum in Ełk:
https://muzeum.elk.pl/wydawnictwo/skarb-monet-z-xvii-wieku-z-elku-bibliotheca-lyccensis-t-2/

Die sog. Weinsberger Becher sind eine hochwertige Keramikgattung, welche in der Frühen Neuzeit vorwiegend in den schwäbischen Weinanbaugebieten auftritt. Sie sind durch ihre Dünnwandigkeit und ihre auffallende Oberflächengestaltung mit horizontalen und wellenförmigen Rillenbündeln sowie den schwarzen bis silbrigen Glanz charakterisiert. Bisher sind aus diesem Material nur Becherformen bekannt. Sie zeigen deutliche Parallelen zu zeitgleichen Glasbechern. Die neue Zusammenstellung konnte verschiedene Gefäß- und Randformen sowie Dekormuster voneinander abgrenzen. Durch naturwissenschaftliche Analysen können die Produktionsschritte, die zu der glänzenden Oberfläche führten, erschlossen werden. Der zu ehrende Jubilar hat erst kürzlich zusammen mit Jasmin Volck und Anna Zimmermann in einem Aufsatz mit dem Titel „Biertrinker im Weinparadies“ zahlreiche Becher und andere Gläser frühneuzeitlicher Zeitstellung aus Konstanz vorgelegt (Röber et al. 2022). Es trifft sich daher, dass hier nun keramische Trinkgefäße vorgestellt werden, welche formal frappierende Ähnlichkeiten zu Glasbechern aufweisen, und eine Ausnahmeerscheinung des ausgehenden Spätmittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit darstellen.

Under hösten 2024 undersöktes en mindre yta vid Kungsplan i den norra delen av Marstrand, Bohuslän, Västra Götalands län.
Vid undersökningen framkom murar och utfyllnader av sten från 1700–
1800-tal som hör till Fredriksborg (Norra Strandverket) och olika generationer av kajkonstruktioner. Längre åt söder fanns de möjliga spåren av en byggnad från 1700-tal. Längst i söder fanns stenar och block som troligen var en äldre terrassmur (1600-tal).

Die Archäologie im Rheinland lädt zu einer Reise durch 400 Millionen Jahre Geschichte ein. Lassen Sie sich faszinieren von den kreidezeitlichen Farnschuppen aus einer Höhle von Wülfrath und den Fossilien vom Gelände der römischen Villa Blankenheim. Lernen Sie die eiszeitlichen Jäger aus Düsseldorf kennen und den Alltag der Ritter in Haus Immerath. Entdecken Sie die eindrucksvolle Vorstadt vor den Toren des römischen Legionslagers auf dem Fürstenberg bei Xanten und die über 2000 Jahre Stadtgeschichte am Neumarkt im Herzen von Köln. Erfahren Sie, warum eine außergewöhnliche römische Bestattung in Holzweiler den Grabräubern im Mittelalter verborgen blieb und wie sich die erpresserische Flutung Aachens 1248 durch Wilhelm von Holland nachweisen ließ.

Archäologie im Rheinland invites you on a journey through 400 million years of history. Be fascinated by the Cretaceous fern scales from a cave in Wülfrath and the fossils from the site of the Roman villa in Blankenheim. Get to know the Ice Age hunters from Düsseldorf and the everyday life of the knights in Haus Immerath. Discover the impressive suburb at the gates of the Roman legionary camp on the Fürstenberg near Xanten and over 2000 years of city history at Neumarkt in the heart of Cologne. Find out why an extraordinary Roman burial in Holzweiler remained hidden from grave robbers in the Middle Ages and how the extortionate flooding of Aachen in 1248 by William of Holland can be proven

Analysis of new data from recent excavations at Miẓpe Sede Ḥafir in the western Negev Highlands has revealed complex transformational encounters between nomadic and sedentary societies at a pivotal phase of Egyptian-Levantine connectivity. A comparative, multivariate statistical analysis of ceramic assemblages from Miẓpe Sede Ḥafir and Tel ‘Erani revealed unexpected correlations. The extent of contact between nomadic groups and Egyptian visitors to the region was evidently much more substantial than has previously been estimated.

Lisbon is a peculiar disciplinary case for Historical Archaeology, since is the only European empire capital destroyed in a singular event, the 1755 Big Earthquake on the 1st November. This transformed the city in a wide archaeological site, where numerous excavations are carried out on a daily basis, providing valuable and significant data for “Tobacco Culture” study, clay tobacco pipes being a part of it. Based mainly on public information, both published and displayed, the authors provide an actualized synthesis on clay tobacco pipes presence in Lisbon´s archaeological contexts, trying to update data and to provide readings on the evolution of smoking habits, relating it to respective social environments, and to enlighten on providing sources used by the town between the 17th century and middle 18th century, being mention worthy a l7th century local fabric of distinctive features regarding contemporary European imports.

Quedan reservados todos los derechos: esta publicación no puede ser reproducida, ni en todo ni en parte, ni registrada en, ni tramitada por, sistema de recuperación de información, en ninguna forma ni por ningún medio, sea mecánico, fotoquímico, electrónico, magnético, electroóptico, por fotocopia, o cualquier otro, sin el permiso previo del instituto de estudios Ceutíes.

The archaeological site of Ksar Seghir is a medieval settlement on the South margin of the Strait of Gibraltar. Its apogee as a town and a seaport was attained during the Marinid dynasty. In 1458 it was conquered by the Portuguese who stayed untill 1550, living the town totally abandoned until today. From 1974 and 1981, the site was intervened by a Moroccan-American archaeological mission that excavated near 18% of the town and uncovered a considerable number of Islamic and Portuguese structures. Since 2011 a Moroccan-Portuguese team has also been developing archaeological works at the site. In this article, we study two domestic spaces from the Islamic and the Portuguese period, while trying to establish a synthesis on the evolution of vernacular architecture at Ksar Seghir between the 14 th and 16 th centuries.

During a preventive archaeology work in Largo das Olarias, in Lisbon’s late-medieval Moorish neighbourhood
(Mouraria), four pottery kilns from the 16th and 17th centuries were discovered. A large number of objects was
found inside of them, such as kiln furniture and ceramic wastes of faience, unglazed redware and also some leadglazed
earthenware. All the kilns were small, oval shaped and had their combustion and firing chambers separated by
a grid floor supported by arches; they were made of brick, clay and ceramic fragments. This paper aims to bring new
information on Lisbon’s pottery production in the Early Modern period, and an evaluation on the technology used in
its pottery kilns, through the study of those finds from Largo das Olarias.

Eine zeitgeschichtliche archäologische Studie von oberflächen Funde aus dem ehemaligen Zwangsarbeitslager Sebaldushof in Brandenburg, Deutschland. Sie fokussiert Kochgeschirr, Essgeschirr und Lebensmittel aus dem Baracken- und Verwaltungsareal.

Due to a construction project, the archaeological investigation of the 19th-century synagogue of Groß-Enzersdorf in
Lower Austria was necessary. An excavation revealed the entire layout of the building and helped to reconstruct the interior
plan and structure. The archaeological features revealed further information about the use and modifications of the
site, the occupation of the synagogue during the Nazi regime and the demolition in the 1960s.

The deposition of votive objects in buildings as an expression of folk belief is a well-known phenomenon in Danish ethnological research. A growing body of archaeological data has provided the opportunity to research these practices. This article presents the different types of votive offerings that have been identified in the archaeological record from Jutland and compares them with those documented by ethnographers in the 19th and early 20th century. It is argued that most ethnographically documented practices have their roots in the past, with some originating in the Iron Age or earlier, while others emerged during the Christian period

The Lisbon´s subway extension works in 1996 originated the archaeological excavation of a large ventilation shaft in Largo do Corpo Santo, done by central administration archaeologists. The sequence exposed evidence for the blacksmith workshops of the navy Arsenal da Marinha, under which laid the remains of the second phase of the Corte-Real Palace (built 1585 and destroyed by 1755 earthquake), several compartments of the ground floor with their respective pavements having been revealed. This palatine complex was built on top of a large landfill earthwork, having used the debris of the first Palace, originally in the water riverfront area donated to Corte-Real family by king Manuel 1st (1495-1521) and destroyed by a big earthquake in 1531. The strata units formed between 1531 and 1585 provided a valuable set of artifacts, including local glass, coarse wares, local glazed wares, Italian majolica, Chinese porcelain, South Spanish various fabrics (yellow and green glazed, “Isabella white”,  “Isabella polychrome” and lustre wares, …), produced from late 15th to early 16th centuries.
From the vast pottery assemblage the authors studied the significant set of «cuerda-seca» wares produced in Andalucía, 12 MNI. The type of vessels attested are mainly dishes and platters, but also albarellos, the first ones highly decorated and bearing exuberant polychromies. Albeit a long tradition of the decoration technique, the «cuerda-seca» ware was produced in small numbers and occurred only between 1490-1510, directly connected to Iberic Expansion process. One can state its relation to social and economic status, and this feature explains its archaeological attestation in other former riverfront areas of Lisbon such as in Ribeira das Naus (1995) e Praça do Comércio (2012), therefore in the proximity of the Royal Palace of Paço Real da Ribeira, by contrast to other areas of the city where Andalucian and Sevillian pottery is frequent but «cuerda-seca» is absent.

Following the discovery of the remains of Santo Hieronimo in the early 1970s near the Island of Šipan (Croatia), the Maritime Museum of Dubrovnik carried out the rescue excavation of the wreck. The pioneering work led to the preliminary interpretation of hull remains and recovered artifacts. Ten years later, the research conducted at the National Archive of Dubrovnik resulted in the identification of the sunken ship. The archaeological study of the remains of Santo Hieronimo continued in 2014. This paper presents the latest research results on the hull features of Santo Hieronimo, aimed at understanding the shipbuilding techniques of the post-medieval vessels that sailed the Adriatic.

Landschapsbiografisch, Historisch ecologische verkenning Eindhoven. Lezing uitgesproken op 21 november 2024 in D'n Aard Veldhoven. Landschapsbiografie, historische ecologie, ecomorfologie, helologie, psammologie, elologie, geohydrologie, aquatische ecologie, hemero-biologie, typhologie, ecotopologie, fysiotopologie.

Las diferentes campañas de excavación en el Cerro del Castillo de Capilla (Badajoz), desarrolladas entre 2016 y 2023, han aportado un total de 51 monedas de una amplia cronología. Su registro se ha llevado a cabo mediante método estratigráfico, lo que permite identificar qué tipo de numerario circulaba en cada una de las fases del yacimiento. Un análisis diacrónico sobre esos materiales permite comprender algunos aspectos clave sobre el uso y circulación de moneda en época medieval y moderna, extrapolándolo al suroeste peninsular, donde no existen para estos periodos estudios de numismática con base estratigráfica.

Public-oriented article giving a general description of the Chinese and Japanese porcelain found in the pond of the castle d'Ursel in Hingene (Bornem) - Belgium. The porcelain is among the most luxurious found so far in an archaeological context in the southern Netherlands (roughly Belgium).