The archaeological objects from Ham(ma)burg

Until the 9th century, various linguistic landscapes were formed out of older Germanic languages in the eastern part of the Frankish Empire. The area of Hamburg's Old Town was visited sporadically since the Neolithic period. Archaeologists have no traces of a permanent settlement in the form of foundations, rubbish pits, or gravesites so far. Until now several stone tools and fragments of pottery were the only finds.

After its expansion in 817/22 the Hammaburg became one of the most important border fortifications in the north of the Frankish Empire. In order to advance the missionary work of the neighboring regions in the north and to make them tributary, Emperor Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, sent the loyal and experienced missionary Ansgar to Hammaburg in 834. Christian religion is the root of our culture. Its dissemination through Northern Germany was therefore a particularly important historical event.

Around 900 the powerful fortification Hammaburg III was built. The port was enlarged and the Reichenstraße Island (Reichenstraßeninsel) colonized. A shore market also came to life. Hammaburg was the intersection point of major trade routes and had connections to distant regions.

The Cathedral Square is historically most important plac in Hamburg. Archaeological excavations discovered numerous traces of its eventful history. Here lies the nucleus of the Hanseatic city: the “Hammaburg”, a fortress that gave its name to the city in the 9th century AD. Under the protection of the Hammaburg, archbishop Ansgar built the first wooden church. This was a strategic missionary base for the northern crusades to convert the people’s beliefs in Denmark, Sweden and the Slavs in the area of the Baltic Sea. During excavations in the Old Town of Hamburg, late Saxon pottery was mostly found. Slavic pottery products, however, were discovered as well. The pieces of broken pottery include some which came from distant places by ship, providing evidence of the international trade Hamburg merchants were involved in.