Thick, dark-coloured homogeneous deposits, Dark Earths, are a

common phenomenon in European towns. They cover large surfaces

and are often rich in archaeological remains. Their seeming absence

of stratigraphy has in the past resulted in a lack of research or their

discarding. Meanwhile, geoarchaeological research has

demonstrated that Dark Earths contain highly valuable information

impossible to access with traditional methods. For the Early and High

Medieval Period, Dark Earths represent some of the least known

aspects of town development. Micromorphological data from

numerous case studies, primarily in Belgium and Switzerland, are reevaluated

in an integrated study in order to answer fundamental

questions about medieval towns, through characterisation of human

activities, natural processes, and taphonomical changes that shaped

them. All data are entered into a novel two-pillar database system -

the first online standardised tool publicly accessible to the scientific

community. This enables the systematic collection, organisation,

storage, interpretation, and sharing of data, and novel statistical

analyses. The large amount of comparable data thus created leads

to a geoarchaeological synthesis of medieval urban Dark Earths in

Europe. Moreover, thanks to this unique open access system and

image reference collection, the project will have a significant and

lasting impact on how Dark Earths are studied in the future,

preventing further loss of irreplaceable information.