This study focuses on interdisciplinary research of the abandoned Early Modern ‘Křepelka’ hammer mill near the village of Cetviny in the Gratzen Mountains (Novohradské hory in Czech). The main aim is to comprehensively document the hammer mill site and its surrounding area, as well as to evaluate the potential for using non-destructive methods in archaeological research. Particular attention is given to the application of mobile laser scanning (MLS) and photogrammetry, which provide detailed records of the preserved remains and the site’s micro-relief. The study combines field surveys, analysis of historical and cartographic sources, and methods of documentation. The acquired data were processed using GIS software and utilised to create a digital elevation model and a 3D model. The resulting ground plans and cross-sections provided an interpretation of the spatial relationships between the individual structures.
The research focuses on the peripheries of the Elbe Lowlands in the east of Central Bohemia during the Early Neolithic, examining colonisation dynamics and the character of settlements in marginal areas. The recently discovered Linear Pottery culture (LBK; 5500–4950 BC) settlement at Dobřeň provides new insights into this issue. A rescue excavation conducted in 2024 uncovered a loosely arranged settlement consisting of four longhouses. Based on relative chronology and radiocarbon dating, the site can be placed within the classical LBK period, roughly between 5300 and 5050 BC. Other sites in the peripheral zone, such as the well-known settlement at Miskovice, may also be assigned to this period, although uneven data quality limits broader comparisons. The results indicate that the periphery of the selected part of the Elbe Lowlands was apparently not settled until after 5300 BC, i.e. several generations after the initial colonisation of the fertile lowlands. This may reflect a process of secondary densification of occupation within the region. The research also shows that most settlements in the area contain almost none of the pottery typical for the Late and Final LBK. However, available data are still insufficient for drawing firm conclusions about a possible decline or abandonment during these phases. It also remains unclear whether these sites were simply unfavourable or whether they offered Neolithic communities different advantages, such as access to resources outside the settled zone. Therefore, studying the peripheries and ‘empty’ regions outside occupied enclaves is crucial for fully understanding the Neolithic centres themselves in the future.
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.
