The Streets as a Meeting Place for different Actors and Agendas

The town of Nya Lödöse, close to present-day Gothenburg, Sweden, existed from in 1473-1624. The material from the extensive archaeological excavations 2013-2017 presents the opportunity to study construction, use, and change of the streets. There seems to have been a clear hierarchy of streets, ranging from main streets to local streets and private alleys. This variety of streets covered different needs in the town’s infrastructure. They were also the meeting point for different public and private actors with shifting objectives. Over time the authorities gained increased control over the streets, apparent in the material from the 1580s and onwards. This can be seen as a part of a Scandinavian trend linked to the emergence of the early modern state.