Editing Aarhus (section)

===Early history===
Founded in the early [[Viking Age]], Aarhus is one of the oldest cities in Denmark, along with [[Ribe]] and [[Hedeby]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gis.aarhus.dk/kommuneatlas/|title=Byhistoriske hovedtræk – Byens grundlæggelse|language=da|publisher=[[Aarhus Municipality]]|access-date=15 August 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130914192312/http://gis.aarhus.dk/kommuneatlas/|archive-date=14 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The original Aros settlement was situated on the northern shores of a [[Förden and East Jutland Fjorde|fjord]] by the mouth of the [[Aarhus River]], right where the city center is today. It quickly became a hub for sea-going trade due to its position on intersecting trade routes in the [[Danish straits]] and the fertile countryside. The trade, however, was not nearly as prominent as that in Ribe and Hedeby during the Viking Age, and it was primarily linked to Norway as evidenced by archaeological finds. A shipbuilding yard from the Viking Age was uncovered upriver in 2002 by archaeologists. It was located at a place formerly known as ''Snekkeeng'', or Snekke Meadow in English ('Snekke' is a type of [[longship]]), east of the [[Brabrand Lake]] close to [[Viby J|Viby]], and it was in use for more than 400 years from the late 700s till around the mid-1200s.<ref name=UBAS>{{cite journal|url=https://bora.uib.no/bora-xmlui/handle/1956/11335|title=Det ældste Århus – ca. 770–1200|publisher=[[Bergen University]]|author=Hans Skov|language=Danish|journal=UBAS Nordisk|volume=5|year=2008|pages=215–226|access-date=2 April 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Scale model of Aarhus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|Model of the fortified Viking town Aros (late 900s), north is up]]
Archaeological evidence indicates that Aarhus was a town as early as the last quarter of the 8th&nbsp;century.<ref name="Kristeligt">{{cite news |last=Grymer |first=Claus |title=Vikingernes Aros mellem land og hav |url=http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/historie/vikingernes-aros-mellem-land-og-hav |newspaper=Kristeligt Dagblad |date=1 June 2005 |access-date=16 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Det Tidligste Århus |trans-title=The earliest Århus |url=http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/tidligaros.htm |url-status=live |publisher=The Viking Museum |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421083828/http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/tidligaros.htm |archive-date=21 April 2017 |access-date=15 August 2014 |language=da}}</ref> Discoveries after a 2003 archaeological dig included half-buried [[longhouse]]s, firepits, glass pearls and a road dated to the late 700s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/norrevold.htm|title=Excavations – Nørrevold|language=da|publisher=The Viking Museum (Moesgård Museum)|access-date=15 August 2014|archive-date=19 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090828/http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/norrevold.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Several excavations in the inner city since the 1960s have revealed wells, streets, homes and workshops, and inside the buildings and adjoining archaeological layers, everyday utensils like combs, jewellery and basic multi-purpose tools from approximately the year 900 have been unearthed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/udgravninger.htm |title=Excavations |language=da |publisher=The Viking Museum (Moesgård Museum) |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-date=14 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814094749/http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/udgravninger.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> The early town was fortified with defensive earthen ramparts in the first part of the 900s, possibly in the year 934 on order from king [[Gorm the Old]]. The fortifications were later improved and expanded by his son [[Harald Bluetooth]], encircling the settlement much like the defence structures found at [[Viking ring fortress]]es elsewhere.<ref name="Kristeligt" /> Together with the town's geographical placement, this suggests that Aros became an important military centre in the Viking Age. There are also strong indications of a former royal residence from the same period in [[Viby J|Viby]], a few kilometres south of the Aarhus city centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tilbage til vikingetiden |trans-title=Back to the Viking Age |url=https://www.vikingemuseet.dk/om-udstillingen-vikingernes-aros/ |publisher=Vikingemuseet (MOMU) |language=da}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kaiser |first=Jens |title=Vikingernes Viby |url=https://jyllands-posten.dk/aarhus/ECE4433725/Vikingernes-Viby/ |publisher=Jyllands-Posten Aarhus |date=12 June 2005 |language=da}}</ref>

The centre of Aarhus was originally a [[Germanic paganism|pagan burial site]] until Aarhus's first Christian church, Holy Trinity Church, a timber structure, was built upon it during the reign of [[Frode]], King of Jutland, around 900.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://danmarkskirker.natmus.dk/uploads/tx_tcchurchsearch/Aarhus_0045-0059.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://danmarkskirker.natmus.dk/uploads/tx_tcchurchsearch/Aarhus_0045-0059.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=Kirkerne i Århus|publisher=Danmarks Kirker: Nationalmuseet|page=52|access-date=16 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref> The [[Diocese of Aarhus|bishopric of Aarhus]] dates back to at least 948 when [[Adam of Bremen]] reported that the missionary bishop [[Reginbrand]] of Aros attended the [[synod of Ingelheim]] in Germany,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/aarhus-domkirke/?tx_historyview_pi1%5Blang%5D=1&cHash=a83dfe233ede9644167a9b5ea9aa35a4|publisher=Aarhus University|title=Aarhus Cathedral|date=2 July 2012|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=25 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325000841/http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/aarhus-domkirke/?chash=a83dfe233ede9644167a9b5ea9aa35a4&tx_historyview_pi1&#91;lang&#93;=1|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_Oldtid/Yngre_Jernalder/Et_samfund_vendt_imod_havet_800-1050_e.Kr/By_efter_by|title=By efter by|date=31 March 2014 |publisher=[[Gyldendal]]|access-date=16 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref> but the late Viking Age during the [[Christianization of Scandinavia|Christianisation of Scandinavia]] was a turbulent and violent time with several naval attacks on the town, such as [[Harald Hardrada]]'s assault around 1050, when the Holy Trinity Church was burned to the ground.<ref name="Kristeligt"/><ref name="year">{{cite web|url=http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/svend-estridsen-ca-1019-107476/|publisher=Aarhus University|title=Svend Estridsen, ca. 1019–1074/76|access-date=27 June 2016|language=da}}</ref> Despite the conflicts, Aarhus continued to prosper from the trade and the finding of six [[runestone]]s in and around Aarhus indicates the city had some significance around the year 1000, as only wealthy nobles traditionally used them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/runesten.htm |title=Vikingernes Aros |publisher=The Viking Museum (Moesgård Museum) |access-date=16 July 2014 |language=da |archive-date=11 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811222222/http://www.hum.au.dk/moesgaard/vikingemuseet/runesten.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Ancient See of Aarhus|bishopric diocese]] was obliterated for almost a hundred years after Reginbrand in 988, but in 1060 a new bishop [[Christian (bishop of Aarhus)|Christian]] was ordained and he founded a new church in Aarhus, ''Sankt Nicolai Domkirke'' ([[St. Nicholas]] [[Cathedral]]), this time in stone. It was erected outside the town fortifications, and stood finished in 1070 at the site where [[Church of Our Lady (Aarhus)|Church of Our Lady]] stands today, but only an underground crypt remains.<ref name="Danmarkshistorien">{{cite web|url=http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/aarhus-1/?tx_historyview_pi1%5Blang%5D=1&cHash=42dfd94aaa459af3505372f8b2af029a|publisher=Aarhus University|title=Aarhus|access-date=15 August 2014|archive-date=24 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724213841/http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/aarhus-1/?tx_historyview_pi1%5Blang%5D=1&cHash=42dfd94aaa459af3505372f8b2af029a|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bora.uib.no/bora-xmlui/bitstream/handle/1956/11335/det-aeldste-arhus-ca-770-1200.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=Church and Priory of Our Lady |website=danmarkshistorien.dk|publisher=Aarhus University|date=24 May 2017 |access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref>