The Bryggen Papers present results based on the archaeological material from the excavations at Bryggen and other medieval and early sites in the town of Bergen. Known as an episcopal seat and regional royal administrative and residential centre, Bergen developed in the 12th and 13th centuries into the first truly international trading centre of Scandinavia and one of the most important ports of northern Europe, at the same time becoming the first capital of the Norwegian kingdom. The Hanseatic League established one of its four main trading stations or Kontore in Bergen around 1360, lasting into the latter part of the 18th century. This volume of the Bryggen Papers presents a study of the processes of the urban development of Bergen, how the town emerged and developed into an important urban community by the early Middle Ages. The study is primarily based on archaeological contemporary source material from c. 800 to c. 1170 - a complex and composite material, comprising traces of cultivation, culture layers, buildings, plots and artefacts. Its main aim is to investigate the town's structure, plots and plots systems, and the different activities, crafts and production as well as the character of the urban settlement and its development until around 1170. The main questions that are addressed are when, how, why and on the initiative of whom Bergen emerged as a town. The author Gitte Hansen: Dr. Art. Assosiate Professor at Bergen University Museum, University of Bergen.