Helmsteeg: living, baking cookies, roasting coffee and more

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In July and September 2022, archaeological supervision was carried out at Helmsteeg 1 to 14 in the center of Gorinchem. New homes were constructed within existing buildings at this location, requiring the foundations to be reinforced. This necessitated excavating soil to approximately 2,55 m +NAP, which could lead to the disturbance of archaeological remains.

The research revealed archaeological traces, structures and finds of the late middle ages up to and including the new era (1250 to present).

Part of the map by Joan Blaeu from 1652. The buildings on the Helmsteeg are marked in red.

The soil structure has been mapped using soil borings. The presumed natural deposits of the Linge They are located around 1,0 m -NAP. Raising layers are present on top of these. The nature of the deposited soil on the Hoogstraat side differs from the deposited soil on the Langendijk. Based on the results obtained, the assumption that the Langendijk is older than the Hoogstraat seems plausible.

Four buildings

The oldest structures, not including the urban fill package, date from the 14th.^de century. In total, four buildings could be distinguished: a building on Hoogstraat with an extension behind it, a building parallel to Helmsteeg, and two buildings on Langendijk. The building on Hoogstraat likely contained a cellar. The building on Helmsteeg certainly had a cellar, which was later put into use as a cesspool. A fireplace was present in a building on Langendijk.

Remains of a 14^de century fireplace

These buildings underwent renovation in the 19^de century of great changes. In the period between the 14^de century and the 19^de century, mainly (water) cellars were built. Most traces could be dated to the 19^de in 20^de century. Including structures that could be associated with the trade in colonial goods, baking cookies and roasting coffee by the firm RJ de Kroes. Of course, goods were also stored here.

Keyhole-shaped oven from the 19^de/​20th century.

Finds

During the excavation few finds were made. It mainly concerns complete or fragmented wall tiles from the 17^de century. A sealing cloth from this period also dates from Tiverton, Great Britain. Some older finds concern natural stone ornaments from probably the late medieval Grote Kerk, some Belgian hearth stones from the 16^de century and a few potsherds from the 14th^de century.

Fireplace stone depicting Judith beheading Holofernes (ca. 1525 – 1575)

The excavation work was limited to approximately 0,6 m below the floor level (up to 2,55 m +NAP). As a result, not all archaeological traces and structures within the research area have been fully investigated. Most of the remains are older than the 19^de century have been preserved in situ and are still located under the new floor.

	KT Salomons and SA Landskroon (2024) Living, working, baking cookies, roasting coffee and the storage of Colonial goods in Gorinchem. The archaeological excavation (variant AB) at Helmsteeg 1-14, municipality Gorinchem (ZH), Hollandia series 1148, Zaandijk/Rotterdam. PDF (37 MB)