The Washington times., 1925-10-16
MODERN TOWN
ON ANCIENT
CITY
Rude Stones From Viking
Period Dug Up In Visby,
"PearI of Baltic"
BY international News Service

Wisely, Sweden, Oct. -Four
Thousand year-old records of human
haoitation have been uncovered
th:s fall under this city, called
"The Pearl of the Baltic" BY
simply digging down below the cen
trail market square a mine Of
antiquities, ranging in dates from
the Stone Age or about 1000 B. C..
to the comparatively recent period
when Sweden was one OF the great
Baltic powers, has been brought to
light. The first clues were dis
closed last year when the city put
in modern water main and now
government Psychologists have taken
charge of the explorations.
Under the central city square five
distinct layers of paving stones,
laid at irregular intervals from the
twelfth century to the twentieth,
were cut through, and as the picks
struck deeper and deeper signs of
Increasingly older civilizations were
encountered.
Old Church Found
Immediately below modern
merchants warehouse, for instance,
foundations of a medieval church,
and part of the church floor con-
sisted of rude stones from the Vik
ing period. In later times material
from the crumbling walls were
used. before their archaeological
value was realized. in the construc-
ton of bank building.
Underneath each layer of pavings
or building foundations have been
recovered either coins or ornaments
o. tools, characteristic Of the age
that had gone before, and thus
each period has left date as clear
TO the Swedish psychologists con-
Quoting the excavations as though
it, had been written in a book.
Under one of the layers of paving
stones, for instance, was found a
coin of the fifteenth century, when
the Danes ruled the island on
which Visby is situated, and under
the rude stone flooring of the.
church lay silver ornament of the
Viking age.
Evidences of habitation before the
age of me tails appeared in the form
OF bone Or horn ornaments. polished
bird bone heads, carved seal teeth,
and Ilarpoons of deer horn with a
ef pottery and bone instruments for
their manufacture have also been
Gug up in great quantities. SKele-
tions of both children and grown
ups. buried on rough hewn blocks
Of lime stone. instead Of in the loose
earth, have been identified as he:
longing to the Stone Age.
In the Middle Ages Visby was the
most important trading center of
northern Europe and to this day
there remain impressive ruins OF
erected by the well-to-do merchants.
This summer the foundations Of
their city hall, built, according to an
cid Latin chronicle. in 1917. have
been laid bare and the stone col
umns as well as some Of the steVs
leading down to a wine shop in the
basement have been uncovered.
BOOtIeggers. Too
The refreshment place was kept
by one of the city counsellors, who,
according to contemporary records,
found it necessary to take legal
measures to restrain his colleagues
from selling wine illicitly in their
shops about the market square.
When the rival tradesmen Of
Labeck stormed and sacked the
city OF Visby in 1926, the city. hall
was burned and several thousand
Of the ornamental bricks set in the
ceiling of the basement, wineshop
were later used for the restoration
Of the st. Maria Church, which this
summer celebrated its Tooth ami
Versary.
Called 1.-THE city of ruins and
roses Visby is today the best pre-
served center of mediaevaI anfinui.
ties in northern Europe.