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The Early-Medieval emporium of Dorestad was located in the south-east 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 Northern branch of the Rhine which splits into the Lek and the Kromme Rijn. The settlement was included in the North-eastern shipping routes due to its proximity to the fork in the Rhine, with access to Germany (via the Lek) and to England, the North of France, the Northern Netherlands, the North of Germany, and Scandinavia (via the Kromme Rijn). Initially, the Franks and the Frisians fought for control of the territory. However, the Franks quickly gained control of the Frisian Coast. 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 The majority of the information known about the emporium comes from a combination of historical documents, archaeological finds and numismatic evidence. ==Excavation== 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.〔(British Museum Collection )〕 The most important findings were discovered during an excavation that took place between 1967 and 1977.〔(The Early-Medieval harbour of Dorestad. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2013. )〕 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. It is believed that the settlement was separated into three districts: a harbour (“Lower town”), a trading center located on the left bank (“Upper town”), and an agricultural area located further inland.〔 Upper and lower town were connected by a single road which acted as the ‘backbone’ of the town. The remnants of this road can still be seen today. Only the "lower town" was excavated by archaeologists as much of Dorestad was eroded away by the river bend. When the harbour was excavated the remains of wooden causeways which would have allowed for ease when unloading goods were discovered. These findings correlate to the development of trade on the Rhine. It is believed that wine from the vineyards South of Mainz was one of the most prominent products traded in Dorestad.〔Hodges, Richard. Mohammed, Charlemagne & the Origins of Europe: Archaeology and the Pirenne Thesis. N.p.: Cornell University Press, 1983. 99-100. Google Books. Web. 1 Nov. 2013〕 Old wine barrels have been excavated in Dorestad. It is also thought that glassware and lava querns for grinding corn were also transported to Dorestad for trading. The existence of these imports allowed Dorestad’s economy to grow substantially. While the "upper town" was never excavated, the soil of the site has been examined and tested positive for phosphates that confirm its existence. Some Carolingian artefacts have been found over the years in the trading center; however, the majority of items discovered date back to the Roman fortress that was established prior to the 7th Century. This may be because the residents of Dorestad used the tufa blocks from the Roman fortress as building material.〔 It is thought that the royal administrators were situated in the Upper Town. The Christian church was granted a piece of land in both the Upper and Lower Town. Next to the agricultural sector remains of a building were found as well as many graves. It is assumed that this area comprised the Lower church.〔 The conception of the Upper and Lower township is supported not only by archaeological evidence, but a poem was discovered by the English clergyman Alcuin, written at the end of the 8th Century, referring to the town as ‘Dorstata’ which is a pluralization of the name.〔 :Hinc tua vela leva, fugiens Dorstada relinque: :Non tibi forte niger Hrotberct parat hospita tecta, :Nec amat ecce tuum carmen mercator avarus. :Hoist your sails, flee and leave behind the (towns of) Dorestad: :You do not have the fortune of a hospitable roof offered by Black Hrotberct, :Nor does the greedy merchant love your poem. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dorestad」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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