Studentholmen
During 1907, preliminary work for the building of a new market hall at Sankt Eriks square in Uppsala revealed medieval objects and remains of older buildings in the ground. Knut Stierna, associate professor and archaeologist at Uppsala University, began an excavation soon after this discovery. The work was carried out by volunteers, most of whom were Stierna's students, and continued until 1909.
By the time the excavation was completed, thousands of medieval objects had been collected and hundreds of wooden structures had been documented. Today, Studentholmen is recognised as one of the earliest scientifically documented excavations of a Swedish medieval townscape.
The larger of the excavated brick buildings is believed to have functioned as student accomodation, first for pupils at the Cathedral School and then for the medieval University's students. The site later became known as Studentholmen (‘the student isle’).
Knut Stierna at the excavation of Studentholmen in 1907.
Stylus, approx. 1300-1400s. Found at Studentholmen's excavations in 1907.
A seal, approx. 1300s. Found at Studentholmen's excavations in 1907.
A paperweight in bronze, approx. 13th century. Found at Studentholmen's excavations in 1907.
Want to know more about the collection?
As a private individual, you can access the objects in our collections in various ways. Look out for our events, visit the Gustavianum's various exhibitions or search for the objects on the digital platform Alvin. If you have specific questions, you can contact our antiquarians for each collection.