The archaeological investigations recently undertaken in the middle of Oslo’s medieval town took place on a vast scale. One of the first things that visitors noticed was the interplay between the archaeologists and the massive construction operation. From a distance, the excavations evoked an anthill teeming with activity, calling to mind childhood memories of Richard Scarry picture books. Working under such circumstances meant the team had to respond both to archaeological issues and to the project construction schedule. This required effective project leadership and frequent contact between archaeologists, authorities, and contractors. And all of this while impressive remains of medieval building foundations, fortifications, and roadways were turning up.
‘It’s pretty remarkable that we had so much archaeology conserved here, when concrete culverts were being assembled by cranes just a few metres away,’ says Egil Lindhart Bauer, Head of Oslo Division at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) and former Project Manager for the Follo Line excavation. But why is Oslo so rich in medieval archaeology? A headstrong Danish king of the 1600s holds the answer.
Medieval Oslo
According to the Norse sagas, Oslo was founded by the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada in AD 1049, beside what is now the aptly named Oslofjord. Archaeology, though, tells a different story, as the discovery of Christian burials dating back to before AD 1000 suggests earlier settlement in the area. Questions about the precise foundation date are far from being the only uncertainty surrounding Oslo. Today, there is no shortage of reconstruction drawings of the medieval town, which can make it easy to assume that we have a clear sense of what it looked like.
Excavating Orkney and Shetland