It was a risk that Oldenburg district archaeologist Dr Jana Esther Fries took in autumn 2013: Suddenly, history students were supposed to deal with archaeology and even publish a book about it. An unusual seminar idea that could have gone wrong. But it didn't: today, Fries presented the book "In search of clues with excavator and paintbrush - archaeological excavations in Oldenburg".
"Sometimes I thought: what have you got yourself into?" recalls the archaeologist during the book launch at the University of Oldenburg. She has held a teaching position at the Institute of History for several years, but this was the first time she had been responsible for such an interdisciplinary project. It was not at all easy to teach the students, who primarily analyse historical texts, how to deal with archaeological finds.
The effort involved went far beyond that of a conventional seminar. By the time the semester came to an end, not all of the students had analysed the archaeological material. But the young men and women remained committed to the project, continuing to analyse the archaeologists' documentation and finds, completing their texts, selecting images and even giving feedback on their fellow students' texts.
The result is 13 chapters that describe various archaeological excavations in Oldenburg and place them in historical contexts. For example, Jacquline Christin Schau reports on the burial rites of Neolithic Oldenburg residents in the chapter "Of cups, graves and the afterlife". Linda Ennen has compiled "The best remains of the Oldenburg upper class", and Antje Katharina Stulken tries to uncover the secret of the gold disc brooch discovered in Wechloy in 1977. How did the piece of jewellery, which was probably made in Italy in the 9th century, end up in a ditch in Oldenburg?
Thomas Fischer has also contributed a text to the book. The 78-year-old is enrolled as a senior student at the university and has been studying Oldenburg's soils and water balance. He deliberately decided to take the seminar. "I have no systematic knowledge of archaeology, and I wanted to change that," says the retired teacher from Oldenburg. He succeeded. And not only that: looking back, it was one of the most exciting courses he has ever attended at university.
The book "Auf Spurensuche mit Bagger und Pinsel - Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Oldenburg" has been produced in co-operation with the Oldenburg State Association for History, Nature and Local History and the Oldenburgische Landschaft. It is published by Isensee Verlag and is now available in bookshops for 12.80 euros.
