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Founded in AD 775, the monastery of St John in Müstair represents a major construction project of the Carolingian period. It was commissioned by the Bishop of Chur, possibly under orders from Emperor Charlemagne himself. The size of the monastery stands in contrast with the multitude of small early medieval proprietary churches in the Adige Valley. To understand the context and impact of such a building project on the immediate and wider landscape climate conditions, vegetation cover, natural resources, historic settlement patterns and traditional lines of communication have to be considered in a long-term perspective. Their potential influence on building traditions with respect to the choice of construction materials and methods will be evaluated. In terms of the spatial dimension, the monastic complex serves as a case study for the review of early medieval monumental stone architecture as a political instrument. Finally, the size, situation, and purpose of the monastic convent will be situated not only in its regional but also in its inner Alpine and wider European landscape context.

The Benedictine convent of St. John at Müstair (UNESCO world heritage site) in Grisons, Switzerland, preserves a huge amount of well-documented (dolomitic) archaeological mortar samples dated from the Carolingian to the Baroque Age (8th to 18th century). In the medieval period, the architecture of the Val Müstair and the surrounding regions was characterized by stone and mortar constructions. The geological overview of the area around the monastery indicates that dolomitic rocks are widely available and the production of lime was a common practice in the Müstair valley as demonstrated by the presence of mortar mixers, lime-kilns and local toponyms. As part of an ongoing research project, the question about the potential source(s) of the raw materials for the production of the binder of the historic mortars was posed. The proposed research is based on the close relationship between the geological raw materials and the underburnt relics (lime lumps) found in the archaeological mortars. Textural features and mineralogical composition were investigated by combining Polarizing Light Microscopy (PLM) and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) analysis. Results indicate that the textural evidence (sometimes) retained by underburnt relics of dolomitic rocks cannot be used as possible criteria for provenance studies due to the high variability of dolomite crystal size, fabric and heterogeneity within the same group and at the scale of individual samples. However, the presence of silicate phases may suggest potential proxies.

En oversigt over de væsentligste arkæologiske undersøgelser af klostre i Danmark frem til vor tid.

Om Valdemar den Stores droning Sophia (Sofie) og hendes og hendes børns ægteskaber

This paper examines the presence of European ‘contacts’ during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, i.e. elements of culture derived from Central Europe that were introduced into historical Denmark, on the basis of three examples. First, Baltic Ware, a specific pottery type, was developed from Western Slavic antetypes. The rapid spread of Baltic Ware over the Eastern part of Denmark does not reflect a Slavic settlement but the adoption of a high quality product for cooking. Second, the art of glass making was nearly unknown before the Renaissance. To help meet the growing demand for window panes and glass vessels, German and Venetian gaffers were invited to Denmark. The production they started was ephemeral, however, ceasing after only one generation. Third, the tile stove and the concept of "appartement" consisting of a smoke-free heated living room and separate sleeping chambers were imported to Denmark as elements of European medieval court culture. Through a trickling down process they became a common part of daily life in the Renaissance.