Keizerstraat 2a | city wall (2004)

The excavation of the city wall

The reason for this excavation was the plan of the project developer Nijhuis in Utrecht to build seven apartments and a gatehouse on a site on the east side of Keizerstraat in Gorinchem, at number 2A. The location is in the old centre of Gorinchem. During the demolition of the existing buildings, wall remains were found. These remains belong to the late medieval city wall of Gorinchem.

Since more remains of this city wall and possibly other valuable archaeological remains were expected, ADC Archeoprojects a limited excavation was carried out prior to the new construction. The aim of this research was to map the archaeological remains so that further damage to this city wall, which could be caused by the foundation of the new construction, could be limited.

In January 1997 a remnant of the late medieval city wall was previously found on the same side of Keizerstraat. This observation revealed a large building fragment of an arch and the bricked bottom of the city wall, which surrounded the eastern part of the city on the east bank of the Linge. It is possible that the wall was built in or immediately after 1382, which is the year in which Gorinchem city ​​rights around 1580 the wall was demolished.

Overview of all traces found

phasing

During the excavation in 2004, traces of buildings from various periods were found on the east side of Keizerstraat. In fact, four different phases can be recognized in the traces that came to light during the investigation. The first and earliest phase consists of tracks 27 and 28, two rows of bricks along the arch constructions (tracks 9 and 10). The yellow mortar between these bricks cannot be dated because it is too contaminated. However, the soft structure suggests that this mortar is older than the mortar used in the city wall and arch constructions. This may be an earlier city wall.

The second subsequent phase consists of the construction and demolition of the city wall, which can be dated between around 1350 and at the latest 1600 when it was demolished. The initial dating, derived from historical sources, could not be confirmed by the archaeological data. The final dating was determined on the basis of the pottery found in the fillings between the former battlement arches.

The old city wall seen from the east (track number 12)

The state of preservation of the wall and arches is good, except for the northernmost part, where a large part of one of the foundations of the battlement arch disappeared during the most recent demolition. The city wall served as a defensive structure, the presence of loopholes in the wall and battlement arches against the wall on the city side are evidence of this. The depth of these structures could unfortunately not be determined due to safety and ground/hanging water.

Presumably the wall was built first, then the battlement arches were coldly attached to it. The bricks used are more or less uniform, which indicates that they were baked especially for the wall in one go. In this context, the brickworks on the Wijdschild in the east of the city from the 15th century worth mentioning. If the bricks come from this brickworks, or from a predecessor of it, it was not far from the construction site of the city wall.

Subsidence

The wall that runs approximately parallel to Keizerstraat, in a north-south direction, has been exposed over a distance of approximately 16 metres and has a width of at least 60 cm. The wall is not equally thick everywhere; on the east or outside it is damaged in many places. The wall has a curved course towards the east. It seems likely that the wall was connected to a tower in the direction of the north, which is shown in images from the time when the wall was still in use. It seems very likely that the wall and the parapet arches have subsided integrally in the direction of the west. This can be explained by the natural subsoil on which they were built. It is even conceivable that the heavy tower that stood slightly to the north (probably at Keizerstraat number 4) has subsided and pulled the entire wall and arches with it. The leaning of the wall could still have been caused by the contouring of the wall during the demolition. However, you would expect more cracks in the masonry and you would expect the wall to be pulled outwards towards the moat. This last option therefore seems less likely.

Loopholes on the outside of the wall

Recycled stones

The city wall was demolished at some point, just like the top of the arches, and the stones that were released were probably reused elsewhere during the expansion of the city around 1600 (in the bastion part of the city?). During this phase, the arches were probably filled in quite quickly when the city was raised and expanded around 1600. The raising consists of clay and waste consisting of leather, bone, mortar and pottery. The layer of mortar that was found in various parapet arches probably dates from the period when these arches were demolished. The mortar is probably the residue of cleaning the stones of these arches for reuse. It seems that this part of the city was raised in one go by about 2,9 meters to almost the current city level.

Ditch

The old city moat has not been found. It is clear that the area where it ran has been filled in at various times. Two poles have been found at great depth on the east side of pit 2. It is possible that these are mooring poles that were part of the later Kalkhaven. The Kalkhaven was constructed during the third phase. The fourth and final phase consists of masonry that is located on the fillings of the presumed Kalkhaven. This masonry was probably not built before the second half of the 18th century. There are only two real levels with traces of the ground on the site. Firstly, the level of the city wall with the presumed walking level between the battlement arches and secondly, the level on which it was built in the late 18th century. The finds do not allow us to make well-founded statements about the prosperity and living conditions of the users/residents of the site in the past.

Gorinchem from the east, anonymous, 1568

The foundation of Gorinchem as a hamlet probably took place around the year 1000. Around the year 1000 the first developments in this region were started (Horsthuis 1997, p.5). The earliest mention of Gorinchem dates from 1224, but at that time Gorinchem was already an urban settlement.

The first defences of this settlement will probably have consisted of only an earthen wall, which was built from the soil that was released when digging a moat. The settlement's rampart will have been reinforced with planks over time and wooden gates will have been installed. The area within the walls will have covered about 17,5 ha. Gorinchem only got city ​​rights when it had grown into a regional center and under the Lords of Arkel flourished as a lively autonomous trading place. These rights were granted in the year 1382 (Horsthuis 1997, p.5). The city walls were replaced by a much stronger stone wall as early as 1350. On the map of Jacob van Deventer, which is known to be reliable and dates from around 1558. shows what the wall looked like. This 2 km long wall will not have changed significantly since 1400. An area of ​​27 ha lay within the wall. The eastern part of the wall that followed the Keizerstraat and the Kalkhaven is the most interesting here, because it stood on the research area (Horsthuis 1997, p.6).

Wall towers

Around 1400, the city wall was equipped with eighteen ramparts and seven gates. All these structures were probably built of brick. The round or square towers protruded from the wall to be able to oversee and defend the flanks. Because the Arkel castle was on the east side of the city, fewer towers were needed in that part than in the west for the city's defense. When this castle had disappeared, a second moat was dug along the east wall at the beginning of the 16th century. (Horsthuis 1997, p.8). The towers also had non-defensive functions. Several rooms of the rampart towers were rented to the city's inhabitants, some towers were used as prisons or as storage for artillery, such as the Scut tower (Horsthuis 1997, p.10).

Detail city map, Jacob van Deventer (1558), National Archives, inv. no. 1.4-5

The city wall was about 8 metres high and partly 5,4 metres thick. The parts that were less wide had buttresses that were connected to each other by means of brick arches. On these arches a battlement was made for the defenders of the city. This battlement was located behind the city wall that came out above the arches and was equipped with battlements and in between with shuttered shooting slits.

Bastion system

The wall offered sufficient resistance to the weapons available around 1400 Horsthuis 1997, p.8 and Janse & Van Stralen 2000 p.18, assume 1 metre thick walls with buttresses and arches on the city side.) This changed at the end of the 15th century, however, when firearms had become so advanced that they surpassed traditional weapons. It had become possible to effortlessly smash the existing city walls with iron balls. Defences had to be adapted to the destructive power of the cannon. The Italians took the lead in this. They lowered the walls and wall towers, which increased their stability and reduced their position as a target for the enemy. Earth was thrown up against the lowered wall to break the force of incoming cannonballs. Ballistic calculations formed the basis of the pentagonal shape developed by the Italians bastion (Horsthuis 1997, p.11). This Italian 'bastioned system' was also spread abroad. In 1584, construction of fortifications also began in Gorinchem (Horsthuis 1997, p.12). Around 1600, Gorinchem had been adapted to the new military requirements and the city area had doubled to 56 ha.

Map of Gorinchem, Nicolaas Wijdtmans (ca. 1600)

An engraving by Nicolaas Wijdtmans from around 1600 shows the completed fortifications of Gorinchem. However, on this map nothing remains of the old eastern city wall. The part that came to light during the excavations was already below the city level.