Archaeologists working in central Berlin uncovered a small medieval coin hoard in the Molkenmarkt dig, the State Office for Monument Preservation Berlin said. The cache—five silver denarii and one half-denarius—came from a layer dating to the late 13th century. Each 1.5-centimeter piece bears a standing margrave between two domed towers on one side and a crowned eagle on the other, linking the coins to the Ascanian margraves Otto IV and Otto V, who ruled from 1260/65 to 1293 CE.
The coins join roughly 700,000 artifacts retrieved since large-scale work began six years ago. Die Zeit reported that crews have examined about 70 percent of the 22,000-square-meter site, digging an average of four meters below street level through medieval ditches, wells, latrines, wooden cellars, and house foundations. More than 88,000 cubic meters of soil are being sifted.
“It is one of the largest urban excavations in Germany, and the 22,000 square meters must be systematically worked through,” said State Conservator Christoph Rauhut, according to n-tv. He added that much of the material still requires laboratory treatment, but the effort is worth it because finds span the city’s beginnings to the 20th century.
From the same soil layer as the coins, teams recovered a 14th-century bone flute, 17th-century marbles, a knitted sock paired with leather shoes from around 1450, and a 50-meter wooden walkway built circa 1230. The State Office said the items illuminate everyday life in medieval Berlin.
Many freshly conserved objects now sit in display cases at the PETRI Berlin museum’s laboratory and exhibition building, where visitors can view the coins, the bone flute, and other pieces soon after their removal from the ground.
The excavation occupies a former parking lot and roadway in front of the Red Town Hall, leaving what locals call a crater. “We are literally doing urban repair here,” said City Development Senator Christian Gaebler, noting that streets and utility lines must be rerouted to open new ground.
Digging is scheduled to continue through 2027, followed by an extended study phase. Berlin has already opened an architectural competition for a new residential and commercial quarter; high-rise construction could start in 2029, with the first occupants arriving by 2032. Planners intend to incorporate “archaeological windows” into the development so future residents and visitors can look down at the preserved layers of history.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.