Skip to content
1882
Volume 2, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2736-2426
  • E-ISSN: 2736-2434
file format pdf download PDF
read_more Read

Abstract

Abstract

This article analyses the formation and early development of Copenhagen, Denmark, through the methodological concept of biography. How can we understand the development of the town from a small, anonymous port in the eleventh century to the successful merchant’s town that it was in the thirteenth century? Which people, events, and wider processes in society had impact on the development of early Copenhagen? In this article, a biographical approach is used as a way of looking at the development from a contemporary perspective, considering actors and processes involved in the first settlement without seeing it through the prism of the later ‘result’ — the medieval merchant’s town. This can hopefully give a more nuanced understanding of the actions and events of importance for the development of the town and contribute to an understanding of the course of medieval urbanization as an unpredictable process without a given ‘result’. The study takes its starting point in the new archaeological information revealed in Copenhagen in later years, which together with the re-examination of older archaeological material, historical sources, and new ways to statistically model radiocarbon data present a picture of a dynamic initial period of the town, with several actors involved in the course of events shaping the town.

© Brepols Publishers NV
Open-access
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1484/J.JUA.5.121528
2020-01-01
2025-12-05

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Secondary Studies
    Bayliss, A. 2009. ‘Rolling out Revolution: Using Radiocarbon Dating in Archaeology’, Radiocarbon, 51: 123–47.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. ‘Bayesian Analysis of Radiocarbon Dates’, Radiocarbon, 51: 337–60.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Christophersen, A. 1986. ‘Fra Villa Hafn til Portus Mercantorum: Københavns Oppkomst og Eldste Udvikling’, Historiske Meddelelser om København, 1986: 7–34.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Crawford, B. E. 2006. ‘The Cult of Clement in Denmark’, Historie: Jysk Selskab for Historie, 2006: 235–82.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Dahlström, H. 2014. ‘New Light on the Early Urbanisation of Copenhagen: With the Metro Cityring Excavation at Rådhuspladsen (Town Hall Square) as a Point of Departure’, Danish Journal of Archaeology, 2: 132–45.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Dahlström, H.. 2019. ‘Networks of Iron: The Role of Blacksmithing in Medieval Copenhagen’, Acta archaeologica, 90.2: Manifestations of Urbanity: 127–52.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Dahlström, H. and S. Ashby. 2015. ‘Combs (Medieval)’, in E. Lyne and H. Dahlström (eds), ‘Rådhuspladsen. Metro Cityring Project. KBM 3827, Vestervold Kvarter, Københavns Sogn Sokkelund Herred, Københavns Amt’ (unpublished archaeological report, Museum of Copenhagen), Appendix 24.
  8. Dahlström, H. and J. Olsen. 2020. ‘Chronology in Urban Archaeology – Bayesian Modelling of Radiocarbon Dates from Medieval Copenhagen as a High Definition Approach’, META Historiskarkeologisk Tidskrift, 2020: 111–37.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Dahlström, H., B. Poulsen, and J. Olsen. 2018. ‘From a Port for Traders to a Town of Merchants: Exploring the Topography, Activities and Dynamics of Early Medieval Copenhagen’, Danish Journal of Archaeology, 7: 69–116.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. El-Sharnouby, H. and L. Høst-Madsen. 2008. ‘København – Fra Fiskeleje til Middelalderlig Købstad’, in H. Andersen, G. Hansen, and I. Øye (eds), De første 200 årene: nytt blikk på 27 skandinaviske middelalderbyer, Arkeologiske Skrifter, Nordisk, 5 (Bergen: Universitetet i Bergen), pp. 147–54.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Engberg, N. and J. Frandsen. 2011. Valdemar den Stores Borg på Sprogø (Højbjerg: Wormianum and Sund og Bælt).
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Enghoff, I. B. 2015. ‘The Animal Bones’, in E. Lyne and H. Dahlström (eds), ‘Rådhuspladsen. Metro Cityring Project. KBM 3827, Vestervold Kvarter, Københavns Sogn Sokkelund Herred, Københavns Amt’ (unpublished archaeological report, Museum of Copenhagen), Appendix 1.
  13. Fabricius, H. 1999. Københavns Topografiske Udvikling indtil 1300, Aarbøger for Nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie, 1998 (Copenhagen: Det Kgl. Nordiske Oldskriftselskab).
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Frandsen, K.-E. 1996. ‘Hvad fik Absalon af Kong Valdemar?’, in F. Birkebæk, T. Christensen, and I. Skovgård Petersen (eds), Absalon: Fædrelandets Fader (Roskilde: Roskilde Museum), pp. 195–208.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Gosden, C. and Y. Marshall. 1999. ‘The Cultural Biography of Objects’, World Archaeology, 31: 169–78.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Hansen, P. B. 1994. ‘Næstved – By og Stad. Næstved i Yngre Jernalder og Middelalder. Bidrag til en Status’, Liv og levn, 8: 2–24.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Jahnke, C. 2000. Das Silber des Meeres, Quellen und Darstellungen zur Hansischen Geschichte, 49 (Cologne: Böhlau).
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Jensen, J. J. and H. Dahlström. 2009. ‘Beretning for Skt. Clemens I og III. Udgravning af den Nordlige Del af Kirkegården Tilhørende den Middelalderlige Skt. Clemens Kirke, København – Februar til Juli 2008. KBM 3621’ (unpublished excavation report, Københavns Bymuseum).
  19. Jouttijärvi, A. 2015. ‘Metallurgical Analysis Report’, in E. Lyne and H. Dahlström (eds), ‘Rådhuspladsen. Metro Cityring Project. KBM 3827, Vestervold Kvarter, Københavns Sogn Sokkelund Herred, Københavns Amt’ (unpublished archaeological report, Museum of Copenhagen), Appendix 7.
  20. Jørgensen, B. (ed.). 2016. Danmarks Stednavne, xxv: Stednavne i København og Københavns Amt. Sokkelund Herred. Sjællandsdelen (Copenhagen: Reitzel).
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Kieffer-Olsen, J. 1993. ‘Grav og Gravskik i det Middelalderlige Danmark: 8 Kirkegårdsudgravninger’ (unpublished doctoral thesis, Aarhus University).
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Kopytoff, I. 1986. ‘The Cultural Biography of Things: Commoditization as Process’, in A. Appadurai (ed.), The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), pp. 64–94.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Kornerup, B. 1929–1930. Vor Frue Kirkesog Menigheds Historie: Et Tilbageblikpaa 700 Aars Dansk Kirkehistorie (Copenhagen: Gad).
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Kristensen, H. K. and B. Poulsen. 2016. Danmarks Byer i Middelalderen (Aarhus: Aarhus Universitetsforlag).
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Kristiansen, M. S. 1999. ‘Den Middelalderlige Befæstning på Kongens Nytorv’, in H. Gautier and et al. (eds), Københavns Arkæologi: Historiske Meddelelser om København (Copenhagen: Københavns Kommune), pp. 154–77.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Langkilde, J. 2015. ‘Medieval Pottery Report’, in E. Lyne and H. Dahlström (eds), ‘Rådhuspladsen. Metro Cityring Project. KBM 3827, Vestervold Kvarter, Københavns Sogn Sokkelund Herred, Københavns Amt’ (unpublished archaeological report, Museum of Copenhagen), Appendix 9.
  27. Lyne, E. and H. Dahlström (eds). 2015. ‘Rådhuspladsen. Metro Cityring Project. KBM 3827, Vestervold Kvarter, Københavns Sogn Sokkelund Herred, Københavns Amt’ (unpublished archaeological report, Museum of Copenhagen).
  28. Lyne, E. and H. Dahlström. 2016. ‘Rådhuspladsen, KBM 3827. Cultural Historical Report, Metro Cityring Excavation’ (unpublished archaeological report, Museum of Copenhagen).
  29. Märcher, M. 2010. ‘Fra Lund til Kirke Hyllinge i 1000-tallet’, in M. Andersen and P. O. Nielsen (eds), Danefæ: Skatter fra Den Danske Muld (Copenhagen: Nationalmuseet and Gyldendal), pp. 202–05.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Nielsen, M. L. 2014. ‘Starup: Et Jysk Stednavn med Historisk og Arkæologisk Potentiale’, KUML: Årbog for Jysk Arkæologisk Selskab, 63: 187–204.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Nyborg, E. 2004. ‘Kirke og Sogn i Højmiddelalderens By’, in S. B. Christensen (ed.), Middelalderbyen, Danske Bystudier, 1 (Aarhus: Aarhus Universitetsforlag), pp. 113–90.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Paravicini, W. 2000. Europäische Reiseberichte des späten Mittelalters: Eine analytische Bibliographie, iii: Niederländische Reiseberichte, Kieler Werkstücke, 14 (Kiel: Lang).
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Poulsen, B. and S. M. Sindbæk. 2011. ‘Settlement and Lordship in Viking and Early Medieval Scandinavia’, in B. Poulsen and S. M. Sindbæk (eds), Settlement and Lordship in Viking and Early Medieval Scandinavia, The Medieval Countryside, 9 (Turnhout: Brepols), pp. 1–28.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Ramsing, H. U. 1940a. Københavns Historie og Topografi i Middelalderen, ii (Copenhagen: Munksgaard).
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Ramsing, H. U.. 1940b. Københavns Historie og Topografi i Middelalderen, iii (Copenhagen: Munksgaard).
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Reimer, P. J. and et al.. 2013. ‘IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0–50,000 Years cal bp’, Radiocarbon, 55: 1869–87.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Sass Jensen, L. M. and E. Roesdahl. 2013. ‘Esbern Snare og Hans Borg i Kalundborg’, in L. Pedersen (ed.), Menneskers Veje: Kulturhistoriske Essays i 100-Året for Kalundborg Museum (Kalundborg: Kalundborg Museum), pp. 149–74.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Skaarup, B. 1988a. ‘Byarkæologiske Undersøgelser i København – Middelalderarkæologi’, Hikuin, 14: 347–48.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Skaarup, B.. 1988b. ‘Møllerende eller Voldgrav’, Hikuin, 14: 23–32.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Steineke, M. and J. J. Jensen. 2017. ‘Kongens Nytorv, KBM 3829. Metro Cityring Project’ (unpublished excavation report, Museum of Copenhagen).
  41. Stiesdal, H. 1975. ‘Absalons Borg’, in K. Hvidt, S. Ellehøj, and O. Norn (eds), Christiansborg Slot, i (Copenhagen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck), pp. 1–47.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Svanberg, F. and B. Söderberg. 2000. Porten till Skåne: Löddeköpinge under järnålder och medeltid (Lund: Riksantikvarieämbetets Förlag).
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Sørensen, J. K. 2017. ‘-købing’, in Den Store Danske, Gyldendal <http://denstoredanske.dk/Sprog,_religion_og_filosofi/Sprog/Navne/Stednavnes_orddele/-k%C3%B8bing> [accessed 15 May 2020].
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Ulsig, E. and A. Sørensen. 1981. ‘Studier i Kong Valdemars Jordbog – Plovtalsliste og Møntskat’, Historisk Tidsskrift, 14: 1–24.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Weidhagen-Hallerdt, M. 2010. S:t Clemens kyrka i Helsingborg: Medeltida monument och människor, ed. P. Carelli, Skrifter/Dunkers Kulturhus, Museum & konst, 15 (Kristianstad: Dunkers kulturhus/Museum & konst).
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1484/J.JUA.5.121528
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field.
Please enter a valid email address.
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An error occurred.
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error:
Please enter a valid_number test
aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJlcG9sc29ubGluZS5uZXQv