On a theoretical level, the presented article analyses the possible existence and hypothetical methods of cargo transportation in the Upper Palaeolithic (Gravettian, Magdalenian). Using ethnological observations and further studies concerning Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene finds originating from Arctic regions, the author describes the character of potential finds and the possibilities of their differentiation. In this context, she draws attention to three specific finds from the Moravian Gravettian of unclear function, which theoretically could be parts of a sleigh harness, and compares them with similar objects stored in some foreign ethnological collections. The aspect of harnesses used in the Upper Palaeolithic could also be interesting in discussions regarding the first domesticated wolves (dogs) in the Gravettian, or the question of the existence of tamed reindeer. From an archaeological point of view, interesting finds in this context are depictions of horse heads with some kind of halters.
The chipped lithic industry from the territory west of the Zemplín Hills (Zemplínské vrchy) comes from surface collections and belongs to multiple Palaeolithic and post-Palaeolithic cultures. However, precise stratigraphic documents are lacking. The industry was evaluated on the basis of the technotypological analysis and the composition of the raw materials. The Middle Palaeolithic industry with leaf points belonging to the Late Mousterian from the sites of Veľká Tŕňa – Hečka, Čerhov II – Pod Hečkou A and Čerhov II – Pod Hečkou B is the earliest. What is particularly noteworthy is the Upper Palaeolithic industry with carenoid and nosed scrapers from the sites of Luhyňa I, Luhyňa II, and Veľaty III, which is associated with the Middle Aurignacian. Industry from the Neolithic/Eneolithic up to Early Bronze Age was discovered at Veľká Tŕňa – Hečka, Luhyňa I and Veľaty III and included obsidian arrowheads with surface retouch.
The Krápníková Cave (in the Hostim u Berouna cadastral area) is located high above the Berounka Valley in the Bohemian Karst. On a small plateau in front of its narrow entrance, the remains of an Upper Palaeolithic settlement were excavated in the 1940s. In the loess layer above the bedrock, the previously published remains of a hearth were uncovered, alongside less certain traces of other sunken features. The article presents an analysis of the chipped stone industry made from various imported and regional raw materials (mostly silicites), with a predominance of erratic silicites and including long-distance imports (radiolarites). Among the 86 pieces, there is a high proportion of tools (10.5%), laterally retouched and backed bladelets, endscrapers, and burins; however, the settlement was likely of episodic nature. Based on the techno-typological characteristics, the industry belongs to the Magdalenian. Radiocarbon dating was unsuccessful.
The Grub-Kranawetberg site cluster is embedded in the rich Upper Palaeolithic landscape of the Middle Danube region. Here we present an updated list of the sites around the villages of Grub and Stillfried, summarise the setting of the Grub-Kranawetberg site cluster in the landscape and provide a detailed overview of the research history for the sites of Grub-Kranawetberg including an updated overview of the different excavation areas. This is followed by an overview of our new fieldwork activities since 2021 in the area including a surface survey on the Kranawetberg/Hönigsberg ridge and new fieldwork at both Grub-Kranawetberg I and Grub-Kranawetberg II. We summarise the findings of the surface survey and implications for understanding the extent and preservation of the archaeological deposits on the Kranawetberg/Hönigsberg ridge. The excavation at Grub-Kranawetberg I in 2021 produced a small assemblage of lithic artefacts and faunal remains, which is presented here for the first time. Overall, the lithic typology, the use of raw material and the faunal spectrum correspond well to previous excavations at the site. We also present our fieldwork and some preliminary results at the new site of Grub-Kranawetberg II, east of Grub-Kranawetberg I, which has been under excavation since 2022. We also discuss our new findings since 2021 in light of previous fieldwork at the site complex, compare them to the other sites in the region and discuss the Grub-Kranawetberg sites in the broader Middle Danube region context.
Among the Upper Palaeolithic sites clustered around Krems in eastern Austria, the Gravettian site of Krems-Wachtberg 2005–2015 has gained particular prominence due to the discovery of two infant burials. Of equal importance is the exposure of an occupation layer that links these burials to other clearly identifiable settlement features, including hearths, pits, and postholes. Together with the archaeological and bioarchaeological finds, these features provide the material context for a wide range of both everyday and symbolic activities, which can be techno-culturally and chronologically attributed to the Early Pavlovian. The highest intensity and diversity of activities were documented in the area surrounding a large, multi-phased hearth. Post-occupational sedimentary processes are responsible not only for the remarkable preservation of the site but also for the truncation of the occupation layer. This suggests that a considerable portion of the archaeological record is likely missing. Nevertheless, the preserved part allows for high-resolution intra-site analyses and provides valuable information on the spatial organisation of this particular occupation event. The absence of evidence for a dwelling must, however, be acknowledged. Any habitation structure may therefore have been located beyond the limits of the preserved occupation layer. It is thus highly probable that the full range of documented activities, both profane and symbolic, took place outdoors.
The Bohemian Karst (Central Bohemian Region) represents a key area for understanding human adaptation during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in Central Europe. Despite its high palaeoenvironmental significance, systematic archaeological study of hunter-gatherer activity has long been limited. This paper presents new results from the Na Skalici site near Měňany, where an unique stratified record is preserved covering a period from the Late Upper Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic. Excavations undertaken between 1989 and 2016 within a biostratigraphic framework, and renewed archaeological research initiated in 2025, revealed well-preserved cultural layers containing lithic assemblages, faunal remains, and charcoal concentrations interpreted as hearths. Radiocarbon dating of small vertebrate bones defines three major phases of human presence: the first during the Late Glacial period (c. 13900–13100 cal BC), Early Holocene (c. 8500 cal. BC) and the second in the Middle Holocene (c. 5500–5000 cal BC). Stratigraphic and palaeoecological data indicate intermittent, recurrent human use of the site in response to climatic and environmental shifts. The lithic assemblage, dominated by local cherts with supplementary erratic flint and minor exotic materials, reflects flexible raw material procurement typical of postglacial foragers. Na Skalici thus provides one of the most complete and securely dated sequences of late hunter-gatherer occupation in the Bohemian Karst and offers valuable evidence for settlement dynamics and adaptive strategies in Central Europe.
The original medieval settlement, later a small town, of Veselí nad Moravou represents a specific type of habitation situated on an island in the River Morava. In the later Middle Ages, the entire area of the small town was apparently fortified with stone defences. Only a few, heavily altered sections o the town walls have survived to the present day. In recent years, rescue archaeological excavations have expanded the previously modest information available on these fortifications. Drawing primarily on the results of new archaeological research, this article aims to describe the uncovered remains of the urban fortification system and, based on additional sources, to reconstruct its possible form and layout.
The bones of infants and juveniles found at gallows sites make up a small part of the skeletal finds. Interpreting the finds is very difficult without the support of written sources and it is necessary to look for analogies at other sites. During the research of Moravian gallows, a unique find was found at gallow in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem (Czech Republic), the burial of a child, probably boy, aged 12 to 13 years. The archaeological context and anthropological analysis indicate that he may have come from a poor social environment. Whether the boy was executed or whether it is a suicide burial is a matter of debate. In this paper, we address the context of the discovery, anthropological identification, and possible interpretation of the discovery of the boy’s skeleton in the context of medieval and early modern gallows.
This study presents archaeological research conducted at the rectory in Stěbořice, which in the Middle Ages formed part of a complex comprising the Late Romanesque Church of St Nicholas (today the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady) and a farmstead that served as the administrative offices for the estates of the Velehrad Monastery in the Opava region. Field excavations uncovered the basement of a wood-clay structure, which was connected to other sunken structures and two grave pits. One of these contained the remnants of an iron sickle, probably used as a precaution against vampires. Pottery finds have made it possible to date most of the structures to the 13th century, while a smaller collection of pottery fragments from the 8th/9th–10/11th centuries indicates the presence of an earlier settlement at the site.
In the vicinity of Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou, historians have recorded numerous deserted medieval villages, including Martinice and Johannesdorf. The village of Martinice first appeared in written sources in the first half of the 12th century and re-emerged rom obscurity during two major military conflicts that shaped Czech history. Despite the efforts of many historians and archaeologists, its exact location remained unknown for centuries. Recent nterdisciplinary research, however, has provided new insights. By combining data from aerial laser scanning, surface collections, metal detector surveys, and analyses of historical written and cartographic sources, it was possible to locate the deserted village in a forested area near Emin Château (Emmahof), built in 1882, at the northern tip of the cadastral area of the municipality of Šanov (Znojmo District). In addition to a small manorial residence, written records also mention a church in the village. Based on digital elevation model analysis, a ground-penetrating adar (GPR) survey was conducted on a gentle elevation in the eastern part of the site. The results revealed the remains of a masonry structure whose layout and orientation suggest it could represent the remains of a single-nave church. The village of Johannesdorf first appeared in written sources in 1669, where it was already recorded as deserted. A study of historical maps confirmed that the name Johannesdorf emerged in the Early Modern period as a later designation for the remains of the deserted medieval village of Martinice.
The article discusses discovered important enclosures in south and central Moravia (Hoštice – ‘Světlová’, Letonice 2 – ‘Větrníky’, Nevojice 4 – ‘Malhotky’, Nezamyslice – ‘Končiny’, Němčičky – ‘Nová hora’, Rajhradice – ‘Stráně’) and areas delimited by a ditch and rampart system (Kučerov – ‘Větrníky’). Enclosures are significant phenomena of prehistoric archaeological research. The methods of aerial and landscape archaeology and analysis of the obtained data were used. The analyses show that enclosures, but also fortifications in the lowland, or socio- cult areas delimited by ditch and rampart systems, can be evaluated in the hierarchy as sites of a higher level compared to unfortified agricultural settlements. Other research results include the finding that not only enclosures but generally places delimited by ditches and ramparts as monuments appear in the period of an increasing degree of organisation of collectives at the end of the Neolithic and the threshold of the Eneolithic, a time of the expected gradual increase in the number of members of prehistoric communities due to the development of agriculture, prehistoric crafts including mining of stone and raw materials, but also copper, the development of metallurgy, mobility and exchange due to the development of a network of prehistoric trackways and roads. Based on the research results, it can be assumed that such fortified settlements probably played a multifunctional role.
The Hlinsko – Nad Zbružovým site is considered one of the most significant Moravian locations for the study of the Middle Eneolithic period. Earlier research provided valuable insights into the cultural and technological aspects of this period. During a re- examination of metal artefacts from the site, it was discovered that one of the artefacts (spiral) was made of tin bronze, thus not of an Eneolithic dating. The tin bronze material of the find corresponds to a later period, based on the material composition presumably from the long period between the Middle Bronze Age until the Early Iron Age. This new discovery raises a crucial question regarding the interpretation of the bronze artefact. Could this be the first evidence of later human activities at the site? To explore this possibility, the study compares the bronze artefact with contemporary analogies, evaluates other finds from the same contexts as the spiral, presents results from a surface archaeological survey at the site, analyses the elemental composition of discovered bronze artefacts and compares them with other prehistoric copper- based finds in order to determine their dating.
The beginning of the Early Iron Age is characterised by a considerable decrease in evidence of the deposition of hoards of metal artefacts in many parts of Central Europe. This phenomenon is usually explained as a result of the social and ideological changes that were taking place in the territory of the newly forming Hallstatt culture. Until recently, east Bohemia was believed to be one of the regions in which the custom of depositing metal hoards was completely abandoned. However, newly obtained data show the opposite. In east Bohemia, we currently have evidence of five such assemblages. The article is primarily focused on the culture- chronological evaluation of the contents of these hoards. However, issues related to their find circumstances, topography, and their relationship to the cultural landscape are also discussed. Selected results are subsequently compared on a basic level in the broader Central European context. While some of the east Bohemian hoards date to Ha D, it cannot be ruled out that the deposition of others may have already occurred during Ha C. Compared to the surrounding areas with evidence of the deposition of hoards, the higher frequency of hoards composed of iron tools and/or weapons is a striking phenomenon. It is not yet clear whether its causes are to be sought in methodological, chronological or rather cultural- geographical aspects. Some of the individual artefacts from the hoards illustrate long- distance contacts and show that east Bohemia was involved in a wide network of links with areas to the west, east, and north. The repeatedly observed deposition of hoards on the boundaries of the settled areas is probably related to the symbolic aspects of territoriality of the Early Iron Age communities.
From October 2024 to March 2025, the Archaeological Museum Frankfurt am Main hosted a special exhibition showcasing nearly all the Early and Middle Bronze Age bread loaf idols, presented within their distribution and cultural context. Previous exhibitions on this topic have taken place in Cavriana in northern Italy in 2010 and in Manching in Upper Bavaria (Germany) in 2011. However, new bread loaf idols are continually being discovered, including those from private collections. One such example is a surface find from a settlement of the Věteřov culture at Niederfellabrunn in northern Lower Austria. This fragmentary idol, previously unpublished, was found in 1996. The article investigates whether the ‘radial’ impressions interrupting the lines on the artefact could be negatives of fruits of Lavatera thuringiaca L. (Garden tree- mallow) or other mallow plants (e.g. Malva sylvestris – wild mallow). We know of around 20 finds of bread loaf idols from eastern Austria alone, a figure which contrasts starkly with the limited finds from (southern) Moravia (only four). The article presents an analysis of ceramics and other finds from Niederfellabrunn, including a fragment of a decorated bowl and a jug fragment, supporting the dating of the site and a fragment of a bread loaf idol to the late Early Bronze Age.
During the research conducted at the polycultural site in Zohor at the Piesky site (western Slovakia) between 1995 and 2008–2010, settlement features from the Middle Bronze Age were examined, along with various others. They were exclusively pottery. With the exception of one feature from the Middle Phase, most belong to the Late Middle Bronze Age and the Blučina stage. A similar dispersion of dating was indicated by the detector finds from the surveyed area. In 2022, a Tumulus culture grave was uncovered during the excavation of adjacent plots. This represents the first clear discovery of a settlement and its contemporaneous burial site from the Middle Bronze Age in southwest Slovakia. Despite the considerable area surveyed, no other graves have been found in the immediate vicinity. However, it can be assumed that this site was originally part of a larger burial area. The grave pit, which was relatively shallow and rectangular in plan, showed no traces of a mound. The grave inventory comprised three vessels and a collection of bronze objects. In addition to two typical bracelets of Tumulus cultures, there was an atypical knife and an object resembling a rather large fishing hook. Based on the arrangement of the inventory within the grave pit, it is likely that this was originally a skeleton grave, with the remains not preserved due to unfavourable soil conditions. The pottery and bracelets suggest that the grave dates to the later part of the Middle Bronze Age.
The text addresses the medieval fortification near the village of Úhlejov (Jičín District, Bohemia). The study is focused on a revision of the situation of the 1979 excavation and the results of the 2024 campaign. The archaeological finds are evaluated and the appearance of the castle is described. The oval castle core is surrounded on three sides by earthen fortifications consisting of a moat and a rampart, on the western side by a terraced slope. The excavations discovered the enclosing fortification of the castle core. The fortification was built in several phases (wooden palisade, later stone structures). Fragments of daub indicate the presence of wooden building structures in the core of castle. The fragments of ceramic vessels that can be connected with the period of the fortification’s activity date from the second half of the 13th century to the beginning of the 14th century. The fortification was probably built by the Teutonic Order, which owned the area of Miletín from the 1240s, and it likely played a role in the Order’s colonisation of the Podkrkonoší region. The castle’s end was probably intentional and connected with the consolidation or transformation of the Order’s dominion.
By using the public aerial photographs and a series of metal detector surveys, it was possible to carry out research on the deserted medieval village of Onšov (Šanov cadastral area, Znojmo District). Crop marks reveal the ground plan of an enclosed village of rectangular shape with a gate and other internal layouts. Using metal detectors in the southern half of the village, an assemblage of metal artefacts (ferrous and non-ferrous) was collected, representing daily necessities, building components, horse quipment, militaria, etc., including a relatively large number of coins (21 pieces). Here, it was possible to capture a coin hoard of Viennese pfennigs, apparently recently disturbed. The found ceramic material also confirmed long-term settlement in the High and Late Middle Ages. By identifying crop marks and based on ceramic material and partly also using metal detector survey, an older phase of settlement of the site was revealed on the left bank of small Anšovský potok Stream from as early as the Late Hillfort period.
The study presents an assemblage of amber artefacts chronologically classif ied in the early to final phases of the La Tène period (LT B – LT D) while also discussing the use of amber in the preceding period. Amber occurs relatively sporadically in Moravia in the context of grave finds, at common lowland settlements as well as at hilltop sites. An excavation at the central agglomeration of Němčice uncovered a sunken hut interpreted as an amber workshop and, based on numerous finds of raw amber, finished beads and their preforms, their local production was identified including evidence of various production phases. Along with the Staré Hradisko oppidum, this important discovery represents the second site in Moravia where amber was verifiably processed. For the LT C1 – LT C2 period, Němčice is the only site of this type in Central Europe. The large number of new finds allow us to learn about the way amber was processed into finished products while also expanding the typological range of final amber ornaments.
The paper presents the results of the discovery research of the unknown defunct limestone district in the area of Vysoká Forest in the cadastre of the village Březina near Křtiny (Brno- venkov District). The location of the lime kiln was known from a previous surface prospection, the purpose of which was to record quarries and lime features in the Moravian Karst for the Calcarius project map geodatabase. In 2020, the excavation subsequently documented the dual purpose of the pyrotechnological facility, which was used primarily for the production of quicklime in the Middle Ages and secondarily for the grinding of lime and bricks in the modern period. The site was likely linked to nearby medieval construction activities of the Zábrdovice canonry, which maintained several similar kilns, and later to the economic facilities of the Zábrdovice estate. The article also includes raw material analysis and information about detector survey, old roads and feature dating.
The article focuses on a reconstruction of the history of archaeological research into the Suciu de Sus culture, particularly in the eponymous village of Suciu de Sus in northern Transylvania. The aim is to synthesise fragmented information on research conducted in this area from the late 19th century to the present. The author focuses on clarifying the origin of artefacts, especially those associated with this culture, and addressing controversies regarding their original find sites. In addition to historical overviews of the research, recent discoveries, including results from geophysical surveys conducted in 2024, are discussed, suggesting the presence of archaeological structures that may contribute to a better understanding of the function and organisation of sites in this area. The article also explores cultural connections in the Bronze Age, particularly those related to the Lăpuș group, and clarifies the relationship between the finds at Suciu de Sus and other sites in Transylvania. The study provides a more comprehensive view of the significance of the Suciu de Sus culture and its place within the broader context of the Bronze Age in Transylvania.
