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Towns
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The Vikings were not townspeople by preference, but towns always grow up where merchants gather to do business. This is Hedeby, formerly in southern Denmark (now in Germany), which was founded before 800 and covered an area of up to 59 acres (24 hectares). All that can be seen today is the defensive rampart built in the 10th century, but archaeologists have uncovered part of the town, giving a good idea of what it looked like. Besides being a centre of trade between eastern and western Europe, it also contained workshops, which may have made goods to be traded for food with nearby villages. Even a settlement as large as Hedeby was not a true town as we know it. There were no public buildings or schools, but there was a kind of town council.
(A) DEFENSE
Towns were protected on the landward side by wooden fences and earthen ramparts.
(B) HOMESTEADS
A Viking town was really more like a village. Each house, together with its outbuildings, was sited on a separately fenced plot, on which livestock and vegetables were raised.
(C) IN HARBOR
When ships were not in use, their sails were lowered and the oars stacked in Y-shaped supports on board.
(D) WATERWAYS
Towns were usually built near the sea or on a river with access to the sea. Boats provided the easiest form of transport.
(E) TOWNSPEOPLE
People settled in the Viking towns and traded goods with other nearby villages.
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Previous:
Back
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Book:
The Vikings
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Section:
The Vikings
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Chapter:
Towns
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