Dorestad

Dorestad was an early medieval emporium, located in the southeast of the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands, close to the modern-day town of Wijk bij Duurstede. The township was established at the base of a Roman fortress in the 7th century, and was situated near the northernmost branch of the Rhine which splits into the Lek and the Kromme Rijn.

The settlement was included in the northeastern shipping routes due to its proximity to the fork in the Rhine, with access to Germany (via the Lek) and to England, northern France, the northern Netherlands, northern Germany, and Scandinavia (via the Kromme Rijn). Initially, the Franks and the Frisians fought for control of the territory. However, the Franks gained control of the Frisian Coast in 719.

Dorestad flourished between the 7th century and the middle of the 9th century. The settlement was well known for minting coins under the control of several Frankish rulers. It is generally believed that the township reached its peak around the 820s – 830s and declined considerably thereafter. It is thought that the decline occurred due to Viking invasions as well as a decline in the economy. By the 9th century, it seems that the need for international trade was waning as regional trade gained importance. The majority of the information known about the emporium comes from a combination of historical documents, archaeological finds and numismatic evidence.

In order to find out more about the settlement and its prominence in the early Middle Ages the site was excavated. Some excavations took place in the middle of the nineteenth century and the finds from them are now in the National Museum and the British Museum. The most important findings were discovered during an excavation that took place between 1967 and 1977. About 30 hectare were exposed during the excavation and much was learned about the physical parameters of the settlement. It was discovered Dorestad was situated one mile north of Wijk bij Duurstede and was approximately 3 square kilometers in size. This is considered a large settlement for the time period.

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Wikipedia