Studies of inland harbours in Central Europe as hubs for European communication networks

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Inland harbours have long been a neglected perspective of medieval European transport history. A systematic archaeological, historical and especially interdisciplinary research is a desideratum - in the framework of the SPP, this is of a special significance as the network of inland harbours connects the maritime zones of transport and economy. With comparative studies of main corridors of transport in Europe we examine this system and its individual characteristics. Our aim is to analyze the transport infrastructure at the intersection of land and water in its significance for the transport of passengers and goods. The evaluation of the itinerary of Frankish an German Kings forms a supra-regional link; these kings intensively used the network of harbours. In the first phase of the project the analysis of the 8th to 10th century itinerary proved the use of many watercourses and harbours for almost every king. In the second phase of the project the high medieval itineraries will follow. To enlighten the role of harbours for the transport of goods, early medieval manorial roles have been analyzed. Contrary to older state of research there was an intensive manorial use of waterways. In project phase 2 we will carry out a comparative analysis of early and high medieval water tolls on Rhine and Danube, which contain further information on organization and structural shape of harbours as well as transport of goods. All historical and archaeological evidence for harbours, voyages by ship and water tolls in the early and high medieval period will be collected in an interdisciplinary catalog. Together with Roman inland harbours a long-term-dataset between Atlantic, North and Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea enables comparative and diachronic analysis of interdisciplinary issues of the SPP. The work on the catalog will be continued in the second project phase and complemented by the main water systems in France by means of international research collaboration. The headwaters of the Moselle and Saône as well as the Doubs will be focused in order to investigate the change of the network of harbours at this central interface between North and South. In the first project phase two micro studies at Main and Franconian Saale enlightened the integration of harbours in local settlement structures, economic systems and fluvial landscapes. It was possible to correct previous harbour reconstructions and locate potential landing sites. Various aspects of the construction of harbours and their usage between Antiquity and the Middle Ages will be answered in project phase 2 by the analysis of excavated harbours in Regensburg, Frankfurt (Main) and Speyer. The new archaeological features in these major port cities with exceptional harbour structures - among them high medieval quay walls and extensive early medieval wood and stone architecture - promise extraordinary results for the research of harbours.