Medieval Convent Discovered Beneath Soccer Field in Denmark

<p>Researchers have uncovered a medieval convent in Denmark, located beneath a soccer field in Roskilde. The discovery was announced last month by ROMU, a state-recognized Danish museum organization.</p><p>St. Clare's Convent, built in the 13th century, was identified through a ground-penetrating radar survey conducted prior to the construction of an underground parking facility.</p><p>The survey revealed a well-preserved convent complex approximately one meter (three feet) below ground level. The scans indicated the presence of the convent’s buildings, including rooms, columns, cloisters, and a church in the southern wing.</p><p>The eastern wing of the convent is particularly well-preserved, featuring clearly defined rooms and vault pillars. St. Clare's was one of five monastic sites in medieval Roskilde, but unlike the others, it was not designated as an ancient monument due to the belief that it had been lost.</p><p>Researchers are collaborating with the municipality to plan trial excavations at the proposed parking site. Jesper Langkilde, an archaeologist and museum curator at ROMU, noted that excavations of monasteries and convents are rare.</p><p>Langkilde expressed surprise at the discovery, stating, "I almost didn’t believe my own eyes that so much was still there, and that we got such a clear image of it." The convent complex measures approximately 230 feet by 230 feet.</p><p>Although the convent was demolished in the 16th century and many of its bricks were removed, much of its underground footprint remains intact. Historical records indicate that about 500,000 bricks were sold after the demolition, but Langkilde suggested that a complex of this size could have contained twice that number.</p><p>While no excavation has taken place yet, Langkilde anticipates finding numerous artifacts related to daily medieval life, including pottery sherds, animal bones, religious objects, and items related to writing and books.</p><p>Langkilde mentioned that convents and monasteries served as centers of literacy, possessing libraries and book production facilities. He expects to find book fittings, writing utensils, and personal effects such as combs and needles.</p><p>If organic remains are well-preserved, researchers could gain insights into the diets of the nuns and the types of plants cultivated in the convent gardens. Additionally, they expect to find burials at the site, which could provide information about the nuns and others interred there.</p><p>The discoveries may also shed light on the convent's international connections, as the first nuns are believed to have come from a convent in Strasbourg. Langkilde noted that the convents were part of international networks, making it interesting to explore signs of international relations through the materials recovered from the site.</p><p>Langkilde emphasized the significance of the discovery, stating, "We know very little of the monasteries in Roskilde from an archaeological point of view." He described the find as a substantial advancement in understanding medieval monasteries, which played a crucial role in the development of Roskilde as a major town in medieval Denmark.</p><p>Langkilde concluded by highlighting the value of geophysical surveys in contributing to archaeological knowledge without the need for immediate excavation.</p>