Helmsteeg, living, baking cookies, roasting coffee and more

In July and September 2022, archaeological monitoring was carried out at Helmsteeg 1 – 14 in the centre of Gorinchem. Here, new homes were built in existing buildings, for which the foundations had to be reinforced. For this, soil had to be excavated to approximately 2,55 m +NAP, which could lead to disturbance of archaeological remains.

The research revealed archaeological traces, structures and finds of the late middle ages up to and including the new era (1250-present).

Part of the map by Joan Blaeu from 1652. The buildings on the Helmsteeg are marked in red.

The soil structure has been mapped using soil borings. The presumed natural deposits of the Linge are located around 1,0 m -NAP. There are raised layers on top of them. The nature of the soil brought in on the side of the Hoogstraat differs from the soil brought in on the Langendijk. The assumption that the Langendijk is older than the Hoogstraat seems plausible based on the results obtained.

Four buildings

The oldest structures, not counting the urban embankment package, date back to the 14th century.^de century. In total, four buildings could be distinguished: a building on Hoogstraat with an extension behind it, a building parallel to the Helmsteeg and two buildings on the Langendijk. The building on the Hoogstraat probably had a cellar. The building on the Helmsteeg certainly had a cellar, which was later used as a beer cellar. A chimney was present in a building on the Langendijk.

Remains of a 14^de century fireplace

These buildings underwent renovation in the 19^de century of great changes. In the period between the 14^de century and the 19^de century, mainly (water) cellars were built. Most traces could be dated to the 19^de in 20^de century. Including structures that could be associated with the trade in colonial goods, baking cookies and roasting coffee by the firm RJ de Kroes. Of course, goods were also stored here.

Keyhole-shaped oven from the 19^de/​20th century.

Finds

During the excavation few finds were made. It mainly concerns complete or fragmented wall tiles from the 17^de century. A sealing cloth from this period also dates from Tiverton, Great Britain. Some older finds concern natural stone ornaments from probably the late medieval Grote Kerk, some Belgian hearth stones from the 16^de century and a few potsherds from the 14th^de century.

Fireplace stone depicting Judith beheading Holofernes (ca. 1525 – 1575)

The excavation work was limited to approximately 0,6 m below the floor level (up to 2,55 m +NAP). As a result, not all archaeological traces and structures within the research area have been fully investigated. Most of the remains are older than the 19^de century have been preserved in situ and are still located under the new floor.

	KT Salomons and SA Landskroon (2024) Living, working, baking cookies, roasting coffee and the storage of Colonial goods in Gorinchem. The archaeological excavation (variant AB) at Helmsteeg 1-14, municipality Gorinchem (ZH), Hollandia series 1148, Zaandijk/Rotterdam. PDF (37 MB)