Archaeological excavations in the Harbour of Grønnegaard, Copenhagen: Examples of quays, careening wharf, slipway, crane, and the reuse of scuttled ship-hulls in 17th & 18th century

Summary

The aim of the paper is to present and discuss the archaeological finds from the B&W site in Copenhagen, which was excavated in 1996-1997. The site unveiled the archaeological remains of 8 ships and boats, dating from the period 1580-1650, as well as numerous remains of harbor installations, ranging in date from the end of the 16th century till the 20th century. The B&W site is part of the former harbour of Grønnegaard, which is the oldest historically known harbour reserved for wintering private merchant ships in Copenhagen. It was first mentioned in the historical sources in 1556. The harbour basin was filled in the 1950’s, when the Danish shipbuilding company Burmeister & Wain establishes its ship engine factory on the site, which was closed in the 1980’s. The B&W site therefore present nearly 400 years of harbor and shipbuilding activities, which can be documented through historical and archaeological sources. The paper will discuss the many harbor installations, their technical aspects and the reuse of ship hulls in the 17th and 18th century, in the very heart of what is now modern Copenhagen.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• Coastal and Port Cities: Maritime Archaeology on Land and Underwater

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-57,05