Reric

Reric (also Rerik) was an early medieval Obotrite trading settlement, probably on the coast of the Baltic Sea. At the turn of the 9th century, the citizens of Reric allied with Charlemagne, who used the port as part of a strategic trade route that would avoid areas of Saxon and Danish control. [ [http://www.geology.ucdavis.edu/~cowen/~GEL115/115CH7.html "Medieval Silver and Gold", by Richard Cowen] ] It was destroyed in 808 AD by the Viking king Gudfred, whereupon the tradespeople were reportedly moved by the king to the new Viking trading settlement of Hedeby.

The location of Reric is disputed. Older theories have considered the settlement to have been at Lübeck or Mecklenburg Castle. [cite book|last=Herrmann|first=Joachim|authorlink=|title=Die Slawen in Deutschland|year=1970|publisher=Akademie-Verlag GmbH|location=Berlin|pages=530|isbn= p. 113 de icon] A more recent theory locates it at Groß Strömkendorf north of Wismar, on the shores of the Bay of Wismar. This version is backed up by excavations conducted there by the University of Kiel from 1995 to 1999 on a site of 20 hectares. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20041220184421/http://www.uni-kiel.de/ifh/uschlit8gb.htm University of Kiel article] ] There is a certain amount of circumstantial evidence from this site such as the foundation and destruction dates. It is a deep water port with a planned layout. It was initially north of the present site but the earlier settlement was moved south and the original area turned into a cemetery. The new site contains buildings similar to the sunken floor buildings of West Stowe in England. There is an assemblage of pottery that includes tatting wares and shelly wares as well. There are hoards of Norwegian schist whetstones, evidence of textile, iron and bronze working, but no major industrial evidence, indicating that production was likely for local use only.

ee also

Rerik

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