In the middle Ages, Sigtuna was a rich node within an international network of exchange. It became an "End Station" for the strangers who came there, as well as for their material culture. Just as the visitors ended up in the protecting harbour of Sigtuna, their goods came to rest in archaeological deposits. These artefacts are keys to the study and understanding of a truly multicultural society. Encounters between peoples of different origins in Europe can be studied through written and archaeological sources. From eastern Middle Sweden, across southern Finland and Estonia to Russia we can discern a historical thoroughfare still under construction. Closely examining a focal point as rich with contacts as Sigtuna was through this "cultural pipeline" can unveil the process and effects of such encounters. To succeed in this endeavour, it is necessary to study human interaction on a level that is observable in the material remains. Firstly, the study aims to chart Sigtuna's international political network. Secondly, the project will closely investigate the process of cultural transmission of ceramic style traditions that took place there. The empirical base consists of ceramics, personal belongings and interregional imports.