Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a large medieval house in Werther, a small town in northwestern Germany, providing the first direct archaeological evidence of settlement in its historic centre around 1,000 years ago.
The discovery was made during excavations on a garden plot on Ravensberger Straße, where a new building is planned. Because the site lies only about 200 metres from St James’ Church, within Werther’s historic centre in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, archaeological investigations were required before construction could begin.
An excavation team working with LWL Archaeology for Westphalia examined nearly 800 square metres and documented 39 archaeological features. The most significant were postholes outlining a building almost 20 metres long, constructed during the tenth or eleventh century.
First evidence of Werther’s medieval settlement
Sweat-inducing work in 35-degree Celsius heat (in the shade). Excavation worker Dennis Hubel digs out one of the discolorations. Photo: LWL/S. Düvel
Werther’s origins can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. Excavations conducted at St James’ Church in 1980 found that its oldest foundations date from between the late ninth and eleventh centuries, while the earliest known written reference to Werther dates to 1009. Until now, however, archaeologists had found almost no physical evidence of the settlement that developed around the early church.
The excavation on Ravensberger Straße has now produced the first archaeological finds from Werther’s old town and the first direct evidence that people were living there during the period associated with the early church and the settlement’s first appearance in written sources.
Ceramic fragments recovered from the postholes date the building to the tenth or eleventh century. This places it within the formative period of the medieval community, when Werther was beginning to emerge as a recognisable settlement.
The newly discovered structure was built using large wooden posts rather than stone walls. Although the timber has long since disappeared, the holes dug to support the posts preserved the outline of the building, allowing archaeologists to reconstruct its approximate size and plan.
A house occupied for decades
Rainer Kist uncovers a unique feature on the west side of the medieval house: a rotten post had apparently been replaced, and the resulting hole lined with stones for durability. Photo: LWL/S. Düvel
The archaeological evidence suggests that the house remained in use for an extended period, possibly between 30 and 40 years. One of its supporting posts appears to have been replaced after the original began to deteriorate.
The replacement posthole was lined with stones, probably to protect the timber from moisture. Archaeologists found that the stones had previously been exposed to intense heat, raising the possibility that material from a hearth was reused when the building was repaired.
These repairs provide a rare glimpse into the practical decisions made by the house’s medieval inhabitants. Rather than abandoning the structure when one of its posts failed, they reinforced it using materials already available to them.
The house stood less than 100 metres from the Schwarzbach stream. Its proximity to the waterway was probably important to those living there, as streams could provide water and support agricultural, domestic and craft activities. The Schwarzbach may therefore have played a significant role in shaping the location and development of the early settlement.
Other features recorded during the excavation belong to later periods. These include a brick-built well and additional remains dating from the modern era. The medieval postholes, however, are the most important discoveries for understanding the earliest stages of Werther’s history.
“The excavation has once again demonstrated how important archaeological monitoring of construction projects in historic town centers is in general, and especially during infill development,” says Sebastian Düvel, scientific advisor for LWL Archaeology for Westphalia/Bielefeld branch. “These important insights into the town’s history can only be preserved through archaeological investigations. They can no longer be obtained in any other way.”
Archaeology ahead of construction
An unassuming find is extremely important for the history of Werther: Excavation director Hisham Nabo presents a fragment of a globular pot, which provides a clue to dating the building to the 10th/11th century. Photo: LWL/S. Düvel
The investigation was led by archaeologist Hisham Nabo and carried out before work began on the planned development. According to those involved, close coordination between the heritage authorities, developer, excavation company and LWL Archaeology for Westphalia allowed the project to proceed smoothly.
“We are truly delighted with how smoothly the investigation went and that we were able to contribute to the exploration of the city’s history, especially since this was our first time working with archaeology,” said construction manager Mareike Bünting.
Top Image: Excavation site on the former garden plot on Ravensberger Straße. In the area of the current carport on the left edge of the excavation site, the postholes of a medieval residential building, erected near the Schwarzbach stream, were discovered. Photo: Archaeology am Hellweg eG/H. Nabo
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a large medieval house in Werther, a small town in northwestern Germany, providing the first direct archaeological evidence of settlement in its historic centre around 1,000 years ago.
The discovery was made during excavations on a garden plot on Ravensberger Straße, where a new building is planned. Because the site lies only about 200 metres from St James’ Church, within Werther’s historic centre in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, archaeological investigations were required before construction could begin.
An excavation team working with LWL Archaeology for Westphalia examined nearly 800 square metres and documented 39 archaeological features. The most significant were postholes outlining a building almost 20 metres long, constructed during the tenth or eleventh century.
First evidence of Werther’s medieval settlement
Werther’s origins can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. Excavations conducted at St James’ Church in 1980 found that its oldest foundations date from between the late ninth and eleventh centuries, while the earliest known written reference to Werther dates to 1009. Until now, however, archaeologists had found almost no physical evidence of the settlement that developed around the early church.
The excavation on Ravensberger Straße has now produced the first archaeological finds from Werther’s old town and the first direct evidence that people were living there during the period associated with the early church and the settlement’s first appearance in written sources.
Ceramic fragments recovered from the postholes date the building to the tenth or eleventh century. This places it within the formative period of the medieval community, when Werther was beginning to emerge as a recognisable settlement.
The newly discovered structure was built using large wooden posts rather than stone walls. Although the timber has long since disappeared, the holes dug to support the posts preserved the outline of the building, allowing archaeologists to reconstruct its approximate size and plan.
A house occupied for decades
The archaeological evidence suggests that the house remained in use for an extended period, possibly between 30 and 40 years. One of its supporting posts appears to have been replaced after the original began to deteriorate.
The replacement posthole was lined with stones, probably to protect the timber from moisture. Archaeologists found that the stones had previously been exposed to intense heat, raising the possibility that material from a hearth was reused when the building was repaired.
These repairs provide a rare glimpse into the practical decisions made by the house’s medieval inhabitants. Rather than abandoning the structure when one of its posts failed, they reinforced it using materials already available to them.
The house stood less than 100 metres from the Schwarzbach stream. Its proximity to the waterway was probably important to those living there, as streams could provide water and support agricultural, domestic and craft activities. The Schwarzbach may therefore have played a significant role in shaping the location and development of the early settlement.
Other features recorded during the excavation belong to later periods. These include a brick-built well and additional remains dating from the modern era. The medieval postholes, however, are the most important discoveries for understanding the earliest stages of Werther’s history.
“The excavation has once again demonstrated how important archaeological monitoring of construction projects in historic town centers is in general, and especially during infill development,” says Sebastian Düvel, scientific advisor for LWL Archaeology for Westphalia/Bielefeld branch. “These important insights into the town’s history can only be preserved through archaeological investigations. They can no longer be obtained in any other way.”
Archaeology ahead of construction
The investigation was led by archaeologist Hisham Nabo and carried out before work began on the planned development. According to those involved, close coordination between the heritage authorities, developer, excavation company and LWL Archaeology for Westphalia allowed the project to proceed smoothly.
“We are truly delighted with how smoothly the investigation went and that we were able to contribute to the exploration of the city’s history, especially since this was our first time working with archaeology,” said construction manager Mareike Bünting.
Top Image: Excavation site on the former garden plot on Ravensberger Straße. In the area of the current carport on the left edge of the excavation site, the postholes of a medieval residential building, erected near the Schwarzbach stream, were discovered. Photo: Archaeology am Hellweg eG/H. Nabo
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