Intact 17th c. storage barrels found in Norway

Three intact wooden storage barrels and a large wood rammer from the 17th century have been unearthed in the medieval center of Skien, Norway. They were covered in moist soil and trash fill which preserved the wood in excellent condition for 400 years.

Skien was one of only eight towns that existed in Norway during the Middle Ages. It was founded, perhaps as a small trading post, in the 9th century and grew into a thriving market town. Located on the lowest point of the Skien River system, it was conveniently located for trade and shipping, receiving goods like grain, whetstones and lumber from the northern parts of Telemark county and then exporting them to England and northern continental Europe.

Archaeological surveys have been conducted in the city center due to upgrades in the water and sewage systems. It is the largest excavation of the medieval city since the 1970s. The barrels were found in the excavation of Torggata, one of the main streets of the city whose current level overlays previous iterations. (Sections of the 18th century wooden street were uncovered in the excavation; it had a slightly different orientation, running almost exactly north-south.) They were on the west side of the 17th century road in an area that had been subject to extensive land reclamation.

The barrels were made of oak with bands of wood (hazel or beech) wrapped around the circumference. Those slim bands are now as soft as cheese. Unlike other wooden remains like road planks, the barrels and rammer were untouched by the many fires that ravaged the city (documented in 1671, 1732, 1766, 1777, 1779 and 1886).

The barrels and the ram were dug down to the ground level of the time from the 17th century. Around them was a layer of lime. Inside the barrels, cakes of lime were found at the bottom and some demolition material at the top.

The fact that the barrels are buried may indicate that they were used for safe and frost-free storage of finished slaked lime, before it was mixed with sand and water to make lime mortar. The barrels and pestle have probably been used for storing building lime over a long period of time.

Each time the barrels have been emptied, a little lime has been left at the bottom. The lime around the barrels tells archaeologists that they have been completely buried.

The find provides insight into the city’s construction activity and craft community, and is an indication of urban growth, infrastructure and business. Lime mortar was a key building material during the period, both for masonry and plaster, and was probably used in the reconstruction of stone buildings in the city center after a city fire.

The barrels and rammer have been dismantled and removed before the site is altered by the infrastructure work. Archaeologists hope they can be reassembled and placed on public display in the future.

* This article was originally published here