Research in Viking Period Hedeby. From Nazi Investigations to UNESCO World Heritage

A keynote lecture by Volker Hilberg held on Tuesday 7 September, during 27th Annual Meeting of EAA.

Our knowledge of the development of urbanism in Northern Europe is largely depending on the archaeological research in the so-called emporia, early medieval urban production and distribution centres, which belonged to a new generation of ports developing from the late Merovingian period onwards.

The investigation of the early medieval port at Hedeby is one of the most extensive archaeological projects in the Baltic region since several decades. Due to its central position at the narrowest part of the Jutland Peninsula, this place was an important hub in the communication and trading network linking Scandinavia with the Continent and the North Sea with the Baltic Sea from the early 9th century to the middle of the 11th century AD.

Early medieval Hedeby is characterised by the fact that it has not been disturbed by modern building activities and by the excellent preservation of the archaeological features and their stratigraphy. For an enhanced understanding of the results and interpretations of the new fieldwork since 2002 it was also necessary to start a reassessment of the previous excavations since 1900. In combination with modern scientific analyses, this is opening up completely new possibilities for a more comprehensive understanding of the development and purpose of this early medieval trading and manufacturing centre.