Archaeologists excavating Oslo’s historic neighborhood of Bjørvika have uncovered a trove of medieval leather artifacts—over 2,900 pieces, including hundreds of beautifully preserved shoes, bags, and knife sheaths. The 13th- and 14th-century artifacts provide an unusually detailed picture of life in medieval Norway.
The excavation, led by archaeologist Marja-Liisa Petrelius Grue of the Norwegian Maritime Museum, took place on land slated for a school building and revealed a cultural layer buried in thick, waterlogged clay—a perfect environment for preserving delicate artifacts. More than 80% of the items found are leather. Already, over 227 shoes have been catalogued, and archaeologists expect that number to surpass 1,000 as the excavation proceeds.
The leather shoes vary from simple, low-cut ones to tall boots with intricate patterns. They were worn heavily, repaired multiple times, and eventually discarded. “We can see that they’ve developed holes, and that these have been repaired in various ways,” Grue told Science Norway. “We see the entire life cycle of the shoe.”
These wear patterns offer more than just practical information—they’re almost personal. “It’s like a Middle Ages footprint,” Grue said in a statement. “A trace of an individual who lived, who walked, who had a life in this city.”
Among the most touching finds are more than 40 children’s shoes—some as small as a modern-day toddler’s size 22. No matter the size, they were crafted with the same techniques and materials used for adult shoes.
Everyone in medieval Oslo walked. Shoes were precious and expensive, frequently hand-stitched according to the “turnshoe” technique (sewn inside out, then flipped). Craftsmen, particularly shoemakers and tanners, were crucial. Shoemakers’ districts close to old Hallvard Cathedral have revealed tools, pieces of leather, and even a tanning vat, confirming a thriving industry. Tanning—a foul-smelling process regulated by law—was typically conducted outside urban areas, but traces of it have also appeared close to urban workshops.
Along with shoes, archaeologists discovered at least 20 purses and bags, most of them unique in size and construction. In an era when clothes did not have pockets, the bags were essential. They were usually attached to belts or tied to women’s bodices and varied from drawstring pouches to more decorated ones. A tiny bag, barely 5×5 cm, may have contained an amulet or a child’s trinket.
The team also unearthed dozens of sword and knife sheaths, some of which were hand-sewn and, in a number of cases, embossed with checkered or leaf designs. Knives were utilitarian tools, worn on belts and used throughout the day. Some of the scabbards had been recycled—cut down, reused, and reshaped—highlighting the value placed on leather goods.
In the Middle Ages, Bjørvika was an Oslofjord navigable inlet near the Alna River mouth. Century-long land reclamation works transformed the site, but it remained a harbor until the 17th century. The medieval finds were located beneath 19th-century layers, indicating that they had been deposited centuries earlier.
How they got there remains under investigation, but Grue and her team have a probable explanation. “We think that these objects were likely thrown away near the Alna River,” Grue said. “They were in use for quite long periods, and then they were discarded in a rubbish heap at some time during the Middle Ages.” Eventually, spring flooding most likely eroded the trash heaps and scoured the objects down into the harbor, depositing them where they remained for centuries untouched.
The high density of the finds—well above expectation—suggests that the site might have been a long-standing depository for refuse, and perhaps one in use for centuries before being stripped out by repeated seasonal flood activity. Finds may have been transported by the river as late as the 18th century.
Where archaeologists originally looked to discover shipwrecks or boats—given the site’s maritime past—the sheer number and quality of leather artifacts have yielded an even greater reward.
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