During construction work at the Estonian Maritime Museum, a wall and a canal were discovered in the courtyard of the Fat Margarita tower in the center of the future exhibition hall. These findings add to the understanding of Tallinn's medieval fortifications.
“A few weeks ago, during excavation work in Tolstaya Margarita, a fortress wall was found, which supposedly was part of the artillery tower immediately preceding, most likely built in the 15th century, a gate system. Now, in the courtyard, closer to the old town, another early outer fortress wall with one well-preserved loophole has been discovered,”said Ragnar Nurk, an archaeologist at the Tallinn Antiquities Service, who said the findings were extremely interesting.
Nurk explained that taking into account the general history of the development of Tallinn's city fortifications, the wall forms one whole with the very first Suur-Rannavärav gates, which could have been built in the second half of the 14th century. Until now, the existence of this gate was just a hypothesis.
“The second important discovery is a channel with limestone walls, closed on top with flagstone slabs, which appeared later than the wall, but is still medieval. It was definitely not pure drinking water that flowed through this canal, but water that was discharged from the city - the canal could divert water from the moat in Tornide Square to the sea, which partly, presumably, came from natural sources in Toompea, and partly were storm or waste waters of the city. - said Nurk. - Suur-Rannavärav makes it possible to demonstrate the stages of expansion of medieval city fortifications and gate systems using the example of physically preserved structures. Since it was the city's sea gate, it is clear that during the entire medieval period special attention was paid to their protection."
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For the head of the Maritime Museum, the finds were unexpected
“If the earlier found fragment of the wall was found under the future wardrobe and fit into the existing project, then the new finds in the courtyard coincide with the future exhibition space, the hall for the koga, and require changes in construction,” said the museum director, Urmas Dresen, who said the find in this place was unexpected..
Dresen noted that this is a fascinating process that will allow a better study of the history of the Suur-Rannavärav gate, and the museum will better tell the history of this remarkable structure. It is not yet possible to assess whether the finds will influence plans to open the refurbished museum in November 2019.
Nadezhda Berseneva
