Chapter 1: This chapter gives a general historical and geographical background to the town of Malmö. The urban community was preceded by a farming village, Upper Malmö, situated at a distance of some kilometres from the coast of Öresund. Upper Malmö belonged to the culture area of the fertile plain called Söderslätt. Here the medieval churches were numerous and with regard to population density it counted among the most important regions in Denmark at that time. Upper Malmö is first mentioned in the 1170s when it was a village with a church. It occurs in the records for the last time in 1415.
The town of Malmö grew up on some large banks of sand at the coast. The coastal community is first mentioned in the Norwegian King Häkon Håkonssons s saga of 1259. In 1269 a church in the coastal community is recorded. There is reference to the "burghers" of Malmö in 1275. There were royal sheriffs in the town in 1294 but even earlier, in 1284-85, the King s man in Malmö is mentioned. In the 1310s the church of St Peter and St Paul began to be built; a church which as regards size and architecture has few counterparts in Scandinavia. This shows that in the early 14th century Malmö had developed from next to nothing to one of the most important merchant towns in slightly over fifty years.
Malmö has been spared from war ravages in historical times and as a result a surprisingly large number of medieval records have been preserved judging by Nordic standars. Up to 1500 the documentary evidence amounts to around 600 items, including 28 royal letters. However, the records do not give a total picture of the town until the end of the 16th and the 17th centuries. In 1692 a very thorough survey of all existing buildings was made. Through preserved taxation records of 1517, 1518, and 1519, the so called "Lyder van Fredens magistratic accounts" it is nevertheless possible to get a good socio-economic picture of the town and its population at the end of the Middle Ages.
The earliest perspective representation of Malmö was drawn in the 1580s. The earliest map was made in 1652 and the first land maps showing the distribution of fields and meadows dates from 1697. In the 18th century the growth of Malmö stagnated, largely as a result of its lack of a proper harbour. In the 19th century the large expansion of Malmö in modern times began and to-day it is the third largest town in Sweden.
Chapter 2: This chapter contains a catalogue of specific elements in the town area of medieval Malmö. The numbers given in the headings refer to the map, fig. 8. Nos 1-15 account for ecclesiastical buildings and institutions. In spite of its city-like character in the Middle Ages Malmö had only one medieval parish church. Other ecclesiastical institutions known to have existed in the medieval town are three monasteries, one leper-house, one grammar-school, and several chapels.
Nos 16 -19 show the municipal buildings, that is the old and the new town hall, and the customshouse. Nos 20 -33 show the location of medieval assembly-rooms, that is the buildings of the merchants and artisans guilds. Nos 34 -104 indicate brick buildings in private possession. Compared with other Nordic medieval towns Malmö had a very large number of brick houses. A comparatively large number of these houses still remain in a fragmentary condition.
Nos 113 -130 show the medieval defence work towards the sea. In the 15th century a strong shore wall, running from Västerport to Österport, began to be built. The wall was three bricks wide and approximately five metres thick. Nos 131 140 mark the medieval defences on the landward side.
The medieval market-place and thing-stead were situated in the street now called Östergatan to the north of the church of St Peter. Nos 144 -148 refer to the medieval brick-works which existed in Malmö and are mentioned in the written sources. One of these has been archaeologically excavated in modern times (no. 147). Finally, nos 149 -152 show the medieval baths which are known through the preserved records.
Chapter 3: An account is given of numerous archaeological data concerning the town area of medieval Malmö. In the early 1970s the Ancient Monuments Act began to be successfully applied in Malmö. Between 1974 och 1983 just over 160 scientific investigations have taken place within the medieval town area. This means that Malmö is counted among the Nordic towns where most archaeological excavations have taken place. To-day there are 25 permanently appointed archaeologists who only work on excavations in the urban district of Malmö, that is apart from the medieval town also an adjoining wider area.
On the map fig. 12 the original ground level of the town area has been marked. It has been possible to make a very detailed study due to the richness of the archaeological material. The greatest depth of the culture layer is c. 3.5 metres. The map fig. 13 shows the present building structure of the city centre. Only where there are low houses could early habiation layers still survive.
Chapter 4: The archaeological activity is discussed in this chapter. The table on page 47 gives a rather shattering idea of how much archaeological evidence has been lost through the lack of archaeological control of ground work in Malmö. A certain amount of source criticism is presented in view of the sometimes too optimistic view of the possibilities for archaeology to add new objective facts to our historical knowledge.
Chapter 5-7: As Malmö Museum has spent more than 15 years continuously carrying out archaeological excavations in the old farming villages surrounding the medieval town, it is natural to add to the report on the medieval town a study of the 28 medieval farming villages in the urban district of Malmö. Chapter 5-7 account for this study of the hinterland.
For each farming village a catalogue is given of all the preserved medieval records as well as a catalogue of all excavations concerning the medieval period in the settlement area. The last mentioned information is accounted for through special maps showing these settlements to-day with an addition of the old farming settlement as known from preserved 18th century maps.
Chapter 6: presents some views on medieval archaeology in the old farming village with reference to the large practical experience of Malmö Museum in this field. It also gives an account of the very meagre factual material we possess at present as regards the medieval farming villages. It is high time to start systematic excavations of medieval farming villages in Sweden so as not to risk the loss of invaluable historical evidence.
Finally chapter 7 contains comments on the foldout map which has been included in the present publication. A large number of historical features, collected from the land surveyour's maps of the 18th century have been transferred to a map of modern Malmö. The old farms, roads, parish and village boundaries, visible ancient monuments etc. have been marked. The production of this map has been made possible through a map project which is in progress at Malmö Museum.
Stockholm: Riksantikvarieämbetet och Statens historiska museer , 1984. , p. 100