During renovation work

Feldkirch reports archaeological finds

One of the finds from Feldkirch.

(Bild: Talpa GnbR)

Feldkirch (Vorarlberg) is undergoing renovation and construction work - and in the process, building fabric and everyday objects from earlier centuries are repeatedly found. This is also the case now in Entenbachgasse.  

"Remarkable archaeological finds were recently uncovered" in the course of the inner city redevelopment in Entenbachgasse, the city of Feldkirch announced on Tuesday. The most striking find is the remains of a building at the western entrance to Arthur-Conan-Doyle-Gasse: the uncovered walls surround a section of the building measuring around 4.5 by 6.5 meters with at least two rooms. The southern room, probably a hallway, has a well-preserved brick slab floor. A 1.65 meter wide entrance with a sandstone threshold originally led directly from the building to the alleyway in front of it.

This alleyway was paved with a densely set rolled stone pavement, which was also uncovered. The carefully laid, rounded stones indicate an elaborate paving technique that points to intensive use of the street space. The uncovered walls form the original south and south-west end of today's town hall (Schmiedgasse 3). In the course of urban development changes in the 19th and 20th centuries, this area was gradually altered in order to widen Entenbachgasse and today's Arthur-Conan-Doyle-Gasse.

Jug from the 18th century
The layers of backfill uncovered in the former Entenbach bed contain numerous finds from the 19th and early 20th centuries. These objects found their way into the former course of the stream, often as settlement waste. Particularly noteworthy are a fragment of a jug stamped with "FACHINGER MIN WASSER" and the Nassau lion, dated between 1791 and 1831, as well as a fragment of a pie pot from Sarreguemines (France), produced in the late 19th to early 20th century. The pot bears the inscription "Terre a feu, Sarreguemines" and a characteristic satyr head appliqué. 

The large number of ceramic and glass finds, including plates, cups, jugs, porcelain pipes and metal objects such as nails, shovels and cooking pots, tell of everyday life in Feldkirch. The numerous animal bones with butcher's marks also provide clues to the diet of the population. The high density of bottles, especially apothecary bottles, indicates the importance of medical supplies and remedies.

Cleaning and analysis
All finds are carefully cleaned, photographed, analyzed and described. In accordance with the current amendment to the German Monument Protection Act, the property owners or the clients of the construction work are responsible for the further whereabouts of the finds. The scientific evaluation of the finds will take place at a later date, as only an initial determination is possible during the ongoing excavation work.