Leather shoes and a sock are among the headline medieval finds from the Molkenmarkt excavation in Berlin, alongside a small hoard of coins.
All of these discoveries were made by a team from the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments Berlin during excavations at Molkenmarkt, in the historic centre of the German capital. This major archaeological dig has so far uncovered 700,000 objects.
Silver denarii (1260/65-1293) Photo: Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, Julia-Marlen Schiefelbein
The coin hoard consists of five full denarii and one half denarius, recovered from a medieval pit. The silver coins, measuring 1.5 centimetres in diameter, date to the second half of the 13th century, during the reign of the Ascanian margraves Otto IV and Otto V (1260/65–1293). The obverse depicts the standing margrave between two domed towers, each resting on a double arch; the reverse features a crowned eagle.
“The coins found are an important testament to the consolidation of medieval Berlin in the 13th century,” said Dr. Christoph Rauhut, State Conservator and Director of the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments in Berlin. “They can be documented for the first time in Berlin at the Molkenmarkt.”
Leather shoe (circa 1450), length 21 cm, today shoe size 32-34. Photo: Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, Julia-Marlen Schiefelbein
Many items from medieval daily life were unearthed in recent months, including:
Leather shoe/boot (dating to around 1450), length 12 cm, today shoe size 19
Leather shoe (dating to around 1450), length 21 cm, today shoe size 32-34
Woolen stocking/sock (dating to around 1450), length 23 cm
A net sinker from the 14th century
A bone flute from the 14th century
A silk ribbon from about the year 1450
Woolen stocking/sock (circa 1450), length 23 cm. Photo: Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, Julia-Marlen Schiefelbein
In addition to these medieval finds, the archaeologists also found more recent items, such as toy marbles from the 17th century and flint from flintlock weapons, dating to the 18th century.
Net sinker, ceramic (14th century), diameter 12.5 cm. Photo: Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, Julia-Marlen Schiefelbein
The Molkenmarkt project is a major revitalization of a historic area in the centre of Berlin. The archaeological work, which will continue into 2027, covers 22,000 square metres and involves digging down to an average depth of four metres and removing more than 88,000 cubic meters of “historical” subsoil.
Statuette of Saint Catherine from the 15th century. Photo: Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, Julia-Marlen Schiefelbein
Last year, the archaeologists showcased medieval finds related to religion – including a mid-15th-century white-clay statuette of Saint Catherine, a headless Madonna and Child from the same period, and a 14th-century cache of ceramic female figurines represented by fragments from 188 small figures with medallion-shaped chest insets; scientific analysis found human bone fragments in the insets, suggesting the objects served as reliquaries and reflecting growing popular piety.
On a larger scale, the dig has also revealed key medieval infrastructure and settlement evidence, including a plank road and fortified ditches from the 13th century, and extensive medieval-era features such as wells and latrines, plus traces of buildings and activity areas.
Area being excavated. Photo: Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments
Christian Gaebler, Berlin’s Senator for Urban Development, Construction and Housing, explains, “The excavation at Molkenmarkt, covering an area of approximately 22,000 square meters, is currently the largest urban archaeological excavation in Germany and continues to surprise with interesting finds. Visitors to the recently opened PETRI Berlin can now admire a large number of the finds from Molkenmarkt. The scientific analysis of these artifacts will provide us with many more exciting insights into medieval Berlin and will change our perspective on the history of our city.”
Top Image: Leather shoe/boot (circa 1450), length 12 cm, today shoe size 19 – photo by Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, Julia-Marlen Schiefelbein
Leather shoes and a sock are among the headline medieval finds from the Molkenmarkt excavation in Berlin, alongside a small hoard of coins.
All of these discoveries were made by a team from the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments Berlin during excavations at Molkenmarkt, in the historic centre of the German capital. This major archaeological dig has so far uncovered 700,000 objects.
The coin hoard consists of five full denarii and one half denarius, recovered from a medieval pit. The silver coins, measuring 1.5 centimetres in diameter, date to the second half of the 13th century, during the reign of the Ascanian margraves Otto IV and Otto V (1260/65–1293). The obverse depicts the standing margrave between two domed towers, each resting on a double arch; the reverse features a crowned eagle.
“The coins found are an important testament to the consolidation of medieval Berlin in the 13th century,” said Dr. Christoph Rauhut, State Conservator and Director of the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments in Berlin. “They can be documented for the first time in Berlin at the Molkenmarkt.”
Many items from medieval daily life were unearthed in recent months, including:
In addition to these medieval finds, the archaeologists also found more recent items, such as toy marbles from the 17th century and flint from flintlock weapons, dating to the 18th century.
The Molkenmarkt project is a major revitalization of a historic area in the centre of Berlin. The archaeological work, which will continue into 2027, covers 22,000 square metres and involves digging down to an average depth of four metres and removing more than 88,000 cubic meters of “historical” subsoil.
Last year, the archaeologists showcased medieval finds related to religion – including a mid-15th-century white-clay statuette of Saint Catherine, a headless Madonna and Child from the same period, and a 14th-century cache of ceramic female figurines represented by fragments from 188 small figures with medallion-shaped chest insets; scientific analysis found human bone fragments in the insets, suggesting the objects served as reliquaries and reflecting growing popular piety.
On a larger scale, the dig has also revealed key medieval infrastructure and settlement evidence, including a plank road and fortified ditches from the 13th century, and extensive medieval-era features such as wells and latrines, plus traces of buildings and activity areas.
Christian Gaebler, Berlin’s Senator for Urban Development, Construction and Housing, explains, “The excavation at Molkenmarkt, covering an area of approximately 22,000 square meters, is currently the largest urban archaeological excavation in Germany and continues to surprise with interesting finds. Visitors to the recently opened PETRI Berlin can now admire a large number of the finds from Molkenmarkt. The scientific analysis of these artifacts will provide us with many more exciting insights into medieval Berlin and will change our perspective on the history of our city.”
Top Image: Leather shoe/boot (circa 1450), length 12 cm, today shoe size 19 – photo by Berlin State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, Julia-Marlen Schiefelbein
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