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The Chronology of Medieval Copenhagen

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2019

Jesper Olsen Open the ORCID record for Jesper Olsen [Opens in a new window] ,
Hanna Dahlström  and
Bjørn Poulsen
Jesper Olsen*
Affiliation:
Aarhus AMS Centre (AARAMS), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet), Aarhus University, Moesgård Allé 20, DK-8270 Højbjerg, Denmark
Hanna Dahlström
Affiliation:
Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet), Aarhus University, Moesgård Allé 20, DK-8270 Højbjerg, Denmark Museum of Copenhagen, Stormgade 20, 1555 København V, Denmark
Bjørn Poulsen
Affiliation:
Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet), Aarhus University, Moesgård Allé 20, DK-8270 Højbjerg, Denmark School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Jen Chr. Skous Vej 5, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
*
*Corresponding author. Email: jesper.olsen@phys.au.dk.
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Abstract

Historical sources reveals that Copenhagen was founded in the late 12th century AD by Bishop Absalon. However, during the excavation for the new metro in central Copenhagen a previously unknown early medieval cemetery was discovered and excavated at the Town Hall Square. Radiocarbon (14C) analysis was conducted on the 9 individuals found in situ, together with 11 individuals from the other early medieval cemetery in Copenhagen, belonging to the St Clemens church. The radiocarbon analysis places the onset of the cemeteries to the early 11th century AD and therefore questions the age of Copenhagen and hence the archaeological and historical perception of the Danish historical record. Here a detailed account of the radiocarbon-based Bayesian model is presented.

Keywords

archaeologyBayesian modelingCopenhagenradiocarbon
Type
Conference Paper
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 61 , Issue 6: Radiocarbon 2018 Conference Proceedings Trondheim, Norway, June 17–22, 2018 Part 2 of 2 , December 2019 , pp. 1675 - 1683
Copyright
© 2019 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 23rd International Radiocarbon Conference, Trondheim, Norway, 17–22 June, 2018

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