Editing Tromsø (section)

===Middle Ages: a fortress on the frontier===
[[File:Tromso burial.JPG|thumb|left|[[Tromsø Burial|Hoard]] of [[Viking art|Viking]] jewellery found in Tromsø dating from 7–8th Centuries AD now in the British Museum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=British Museum - Collection online - Search: Tromso |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?place=31638&plaA=31638-3-1 |access-date=9 June 2014 |website=British Museum |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116060522/https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?place=31638&plaA=31638-3-1 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
The area's rich [[Norsemen|Norse]] and [[Sami people|Sámi]] heritage is well documented. The Norse chieftain [[Ohthere from Hålogaland|Ohthere]], who lived during the 890s, is assumed to have inhabited the southernmost reaches of today's Tromsø municipality. He described himself as living "furthest to the North of all Norwegians" with areas north of this being populated by Sámi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-08-18 |title=Ottar fortalte om det ukjente "Norge" - Magasinet |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/magasinet/2007/12/04/520192.html |access-date=2012-02-16 |publisher=Dagbladet.no |archive-date=5 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805080837/http://www.dagbladet.no/magasinet/2007/12/04/520192.html |url-status=live }}</ref> An Icelandic source (''Rimbegla'') from the 12th century also describes the fjord [[Malangen (fjord)|Malangen]] in the south of today's Tromsø municipality as a border between Norse and Sámi coastal settlements during that part of the Middle Ages, however, Archaeological finds show that the Vikings have been present on the main island itself. In a burial/settlement near today's airport, a sword and other combat tools have been found, as well as household tools typical for the Norwegians <ref>{{Cite web |title=Langnes Søndre, Gravminne |url=https://www.kulturminnesok.no/kart/?q=&am-county=&lokenk=location&am-lok=&am-lokdating=&am-lokconservation=&am-enk=&am-enkdating=&am-enkconservation=&bm-county=&cp=1&bounds=69.66907403972955,18.90995442867279,69.66743753984545,18.914889693260193&zoom=18&id=59900 |publisher=Riksantikvaren |language=no |access-date=20 February 2023 |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226205957/https://www.kulturminnesok.no/kart/?q=&am-county=&lokenk=location&am-lok=&am-lokdating=&am-lokconservation=&am-enk=&am-enkdating=&am-enkconservation=&bm-county=&cp=1&bounds=69.66907403972955,18.90995442867279,69.66743753984545,18.914889693260193&zoom=18&id=59900 |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, one of Northern Norway's largest Viking treasures is found on the island itself.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Klimaveien 55, Funnsted |url=https://www.kulturminnesok.no/kart/?q=&am-county=&lokenk=location&am-lok=&am-lokdating=&am-lokconservation=&am-enk=&am-enkdating=&am-enkconservation=&bm-county=&cp=1&bounds=69.67475234962642,18.938568234443665,69.6731162874666,18.943503499031067&zoom=18&id=108560 |publisher=Riksantikvaren |language=no |access-date=20 February 2023 |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226205957/https://www.kulturminnesok.no/kart/?q=&am-county=&lokenk=location&am-lok=&am-lokdating=&am-lokconservation=&am-enk=&am-enkdating=&am-enkconservation=&bm-county=&cp=1&bounds=69.67475234962642,18.938568234443665,69.6731162874666,18.943503499031067&zoom=18&id=108560 |url-status=live }}</ref> There has also been extensive Sámi settlement on the coast south of this 'border' as well as scattered Norse settlements north of Malangen—for example, both Sámi and Norse Iron Age (0–1050 AD) remains have been found on southern [[Kvaløya (Tromsø)|Kvaløya]].<ref name="regjeringen.no">{{Cite web |date=3 December 2007 |title=2 Samisk tilstedeværelse... |url=http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/jd/dok/nouer/2007/nou-2007-14/67.html?id=584636 |access-date=2012-02-16 |publisher=regjeringen.no |archive-date=9 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009180750/http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/jd/dok/nouer/2007/nou-2007-14/67.html?id=584636 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sør-Kvaløya - fornminner — Kulturminneaaret 2009 |url=http://loype.kulturminneaaret2009.no/kulturminneloyper/soer-kvaloeya-fornminner |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501010953/http://loype.kulturminneaaret2009.no/kulturminneloyper/soer-kvaloeya-fornminner |archive-date=1 May 2012 |access-date=2012-02-16 |publisher=Loype.kulturminneaaret2009.no |language=no}}</ref>

The first church on the island of Tromsøya was erected in 1252. ''Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos'' ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near the Heathens"—the nominal "heathens" being the Sámi), was built during the reign of [[Haakon IV of Norway|King Hákon Hákonarson]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diplomatarium Norvegicum b.1 nr.112, the Papal letter (in Latin) first referring to ''Troms'' |url=http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/middelalder/diplom_vise_tekst.prl?b=114&s=100&str=sancte%20Marie%20de%20Trums%20%20iuxta%20paganos |access-date=2012-11-22 |publisher=Dokpro.uio.no |archive-date=17 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017011840/http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/middelalder/diplom_vise_tekst.prl?b=114&s=100&str=sancte%20Marie%20de%20Trums%20%20iuxta%20paganos |url-status=live }}</ref> At the time, it was the northernmost church in the world. Around the same time a turf [[defensive wall|rampart]] was built to protect the area against raids from [[Karelia]] and Russia.

Tromsø was not just a Norwegian outpost in an area mainly populated by the Sámi, but also a frontier city towards Russia; the [[Novgorod republic|Novgorod state]] had the right to tax the Sámi along the coast to [[Lyngen Peninsula|Lyngstuva]] and inland to the [[Skibotn|Skibotn River]] or possibly the [[Målselva|Målselv River]], whereas Norway was allowed to tax areas east to - and including - the [[Kola Peninsula]].<ref name="regjeringen.no" /> During the next five hundred years Norway's border with Russia and the limits of Norwegian settlement would be pushed eastwards to [[Sør-Varanger Municipality]], making Tromsø lose its character as a "frontier town".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Emma |date=2020-04-06 |title=The History of Tromsø |url=https://thehiddennorth.com/the-history-of-tromso/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The Hidden North |language=en-US |archive-date=7 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507215518/https://thehiddennorth.com/the-history-of-tromso/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=April 2024|certain=y}}