Miroslav Popelka

A silver shield-head bracelet and a silver eastern-type spring-cover fibula were found in Otaslavice through metal detector survey. Both artefacts are closely related to finds attributed to the Wielbark culture. Their dating conforms to phase B2a or the second third of the 2nd c., respectively.

The social group of equestrians represents a component of Germanic society in the barbarian territory at the Middle Danube, which was not yet properly and extensively studied due to lack of archaeological sources. Since the cremation burials were practised over the whole of the Roman Period, we do not know any graves of mounted warriors and the spectrum of equestrian equipment from cremation graves is limited. Apart from solitary finds of horse harness components (cheek bars, rein guides, phalerae or pendants), the finds are almost exclusively represented by spurs. Their present number on individual Suebic burial grounds varies between zero and 15 pieces. This state of knowledge may be changed by a new cemetery from the time of the Marcomannic Wars at Roštění where, on the contrary, the spur finds significantly outnumber these limits.

This research was focused on the analysis of material composition and organic residues present in three molds found in the Moravian region (Czech Republic) belonging to the Roman era. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy pointed out the possible remelting of Roman objects in Barbarian territory. The analysis of organic residues retrieved from the internal part of mold #2 by pyrolysisgas chromatography/mass spectrometry proved the presence of ozokerite wax ("earth wax"). Consequent analysis of this organic residue by Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe-ion mobility spectrometry-high-resolution mass spectrometry (ASAP-IMS-HRMS) confirmed the presence of ceresin, the main component of ozokerite. Ceresin was also detected in a sample of the organic residue from mold #1. Note that this is the first application of ASAP-IMS-HRMS in archaeological research. The remains of earth wax in molds suggest the production of wax models as an intermediate stage for the production of lost-wax ceramic casting molds.

The cremation burial from Pustiměř in Vyškov region was discovered in 2012 with a metal detector and thus, unfortunately , it was partly primarily disturbed. Based on offerings as well as the available anthropological analysis, the grave can be hypothetically identified as female. The burial can be dated-based on grave goods-to phase B2b-transitional stage B2/C1. The numerous grave goods contained artifacts of barbarian provenance as well as fragments of Roman bronze vessels (barrel-shaped bucket, dippers).

A hoard of three Prague groschen and several parvi issued by John the Blind and Charles IV discovered near Ptení brings new data on the typology and chronology of both sovereigns' small denominations. The find context of the hoard provides precious information on the maintenance of medieval hollow ways.

Systematic metal-detector prospection conducted in 2016 in the forested area of the western part of the Kroměříž region yielded a solitary find of a Romanesque sword. This weapon can be classified as a sword of the XII, B, 1 type, and its origin is sought in the 12th century. The blade consists of a layer of steel encasing a softer core, which was a relatively new type of construction used at the time. Besides, a specific tin-inlaid initial inscription was detected on both sides of the blade, which most likely reads as Salvator Iesus Omnipotens Salvator, or Omnipotens Salvator Iesus Omnipotens. These and  urther details of the find are in the article discussed in detail.

In the autumn of 2017 Institute for Archaeological Heritage in cooperation with Museum of the SouthEast Moravia, Masaryk University and Palacký University Olomouc realized prospection with metal detectors in the site of 'Rysov' near Provodov. The archaeological research itself was caused by the need to find out its archaeological potential, because the site has been damaged by amateur 'treasure hunters' for a long time. According to available information these activities have been going on here since the late 1980s. The research also included practical lessons for archaeology students of Palacký University who exercise to work with metal detectors in the field and document context of discoveries.

Rescue survey at the site locally known as Zdražilovsko in the cadastral area of Holešov-Všetuly has brought yet unregistered evidence of the settlement of the area during the Eneolithic. The features requiring extra attention include two wells. The dating of one of them (i.e. the final stages of the Initial Eneolithic) was possible thanks to the presence of clearly determinable set of pottery items – in particular the final stage of Epilengyel; the second well dates to the last phase of the Early Eneolithic, particularly the later stage of the Baalberge phase of the Funnelbeaker Culture. Artefacts from the final horizons of the features, along with the pottery items from feature 500, serve as evidence of settlement of the area also during the Late Eneolithic.

Paper deals with the Art of the Este culture and Situla Art which in general represent an interesting chapter of the Italian Iron Age. Evidence of the influence of both can also be recognized in Central Europe, north of the Alps, during the 6th century BC.
The traded artifacts with figurative motifs can be divided into three groups: 1. Objects from Italy, probably from Northern Etruria, exhibiting art typical of the ‘Amber Road’ : (e,g, a copper plaque of Doloplazy); 2. Objects from northern Italy, the Eastern Alps or regions north of the Danube, made in the so-called Alpine toreutic style (e.g, the bronze vessel from the cave of Býčí skála or the funeral bed of Hochdorf); 3. Objects from the area north or south of the Danube, featuring Central European reflections of the Este culture or Situla Art (e.g., bone, antler, ceramic and bronze objects fromPusté Úľany, Rovná, Libkovice, Kanín, Matzhausen, Dürrnberg, Hallstatt, Herzogenburg-Ossarn, and Glauberg).
The distribution of these figuratively decorated objects indicates that there is an over-arching cultural network covering the wider region and, in future, new discoveries are likely from other areas north of the Danube, as well as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Furthermore, the dating of the finds discussed in this paper indicates that they were a feature of society over a considerable time span. The copper plate of Doloplazy, both stylistically and according to its parallels, belongs to the art of the Orientalizing period of the 7th century BC (Ha C),a period which predates Situla Art. The bone plate of Pusté Úľany is dated to the Ha D1 phase; the bronze vessel from the cave of Býčí skála is dated to the Ha D1-D2 phases and the mortuary table from Hochdorf to the Ha D2 phase. The anthropomorphic antlers of the portable wagon from Rovná were added in the Ha D3 phase. The ceramic vessels with animal representations found in Libkovice, Kanín, and Matzhausen are dated in the LTA phase. Stylistically, the early La Tène figural representations of Hallstatt, Dürrnberg, Herzogenburg-Ossarn, and Glauberg are closely related to the Este culture Art or Situla Art. Undoubtedly, the Venetian circle of eastern Upper Italy and the Southeast Alps was one source of inspiration for early La Tène craftsmanship. The examples of Hallstatt figural art presented here illustrate how a central European elite iconography of the 6th-5th century BC was formed and help to understand the process. The artifacts and their particular attributes were chosen by the elite both to reference the legitimacy of their pathway to political power and social status and to be the insignia of that power and status. The Iron Age figural images from the North Alpen and central European regions represent a new medium for the formation of local elites borrowed from the Mediterranean. These artifacts also provide an idea of how the Central European up-and-coming elite perceived their counterparts south of the Alps.

This study offers an assessment of a minor archaeological excavation which was undertaken in connection with building a new house estate in locality Šelešovice – ‘Pod rozdíly’. In the framework of several stages of rescue excavations, in addition to features from several later periods, also a small part of Lengyel Culture settlement was surveyed. Included in
this exploration are three recessed settlement pits with no detailed classification as to their purpose. We cannot exclude exploratory function for mining subsurface loess or their function as objects of storage and economic character. It is not possible to establish the total area of the settlement site, due to the limited zone of the excavation; it can, however, be presumed, that the settlement takes up a large part of the left bank tract of the brook Kotojedky between the villages Šelešovice and Jarohněvice. A collection of features found in the archaeological excavation includes fragments of ceramic vessels, wall filling-up, animal
bones as well as as chipped, polished and other macrolithic stone industry. The set of ceramics finds, which was analysed, is sufficiently large as well as representative from the point of view of the chronologically significant characteristics. Taking into account relative
chronology, all three objects can be dated to the beginning of the upper stage of the Moravian Painted Ware culture (phase MPWC IIa).

In 2015 Mr. Jan Neradílek discovered, rather by accident, using a metal detector, an iron lugged axe at the western edge of Hostýnské vrchy (cadastral district of Lukoveček, Zlín county). This axe represents the very first item of this type in SE Moravia. The text describes the circumstances of the discovery and the typology and the relation to the archaeological topography of the surrounding areas. The text ends with a brief speculation as to the interpretation of similar isolated finds in areas with no long-term settlement during the prehistoric era.

V roce 2015 se náhodně podařilo při západním okraji Hostýnských vrchů (k. ú. Lukoveček, okr. Zlín) objevit panu Ing. Janu Neradílkovi s pomocí detektoru kovů železnou sekeru s raménky, která představuje první předmět tohoto typu z území jihovýchodní Moravy. Předložená stať přibližuje její nálezové okolnosti, typologii a též vztah k archeologické topografii bližšího okolí místa nálezu. Závěrem je krátká úvaha nad interpretačními možnostmi podobných solitérních předmětů nalézaných ve zdánlivě souvisleji a trvaleji „neosídlené“ pravěké krajině.

Článek pojednává o nálezech římsko-provinciální kolínkovité spony s polokruhovitou záhlavní destičkou a rukojeti římského nástroje (pravděpodobně lékařské jehly/nožíku) v podobě Herkulova kyje. Oba artefakty byly nalezeny v roce 2013 při rozhrání katastrálních území Pravčice a Hulín, okr. Kroměříž. hodnocené předměty zajištěné v areálu římského tzv. krátkodobého tábora dovolují hypotetické spojení s přítomností římského vojska v průběhu markomanských válek. – The article deals with the discovery of Roman province attire fibulae with a semicircular plate and a Roman instrument handle styled as a Hercules’ club (probably medical needle/knife). Both artefacts were discovered in 2013 near the border between the cadastral districts of Pravčice and Hulín, Kroměříž County. The items discovered at the site of a former Roman short-term camp suggest the presence of Roman military during the Marcomannic Wars.

In 2014 a part-time employee of the Hulín branch of Institute of Archaeological Heritage Brno submitted two metal objects found in the previous year in a ploughed field at the border of two adjacent cadastral districts – Pravčice and Hulín, respectively, in the Kroměříž county.
No analogies to the needle/knife handle with definite dating have been found. However, the Roman Province military attire fibula with the semicircular plate suggests possible links to Roman military environment. In Moravia, the discovery of the Hercules’ club handle is the first find of this kind, whereas the fibula (type Jobst 13D) is among more frequent finds thanks to, among other things, surface survey at Germanic settlements.

The work addresses a recently discovered hoard of fragments of bronze artefacts in Kostelec na Hané, in the Prostějov district, from the period of the Lusatian Urnfield culture. The hoard contained twenty-eight items with a total weight of 3.214 kg. In addition to a presentation of the acquired assemblage, the work also deals with its chronological and cultural affiliation and attempts to outline the relationship between the artefacts and contemporary settlement around the find site and the broader Prostějov region.

Late Bronze Age – Lusatian culture – hoard – settlement structure – cultural contacts

Práce se zabývá nedávným nálezem zlomkového depotu bronzů z k. ú. Kostelec na Hané, okr. Prostějov, čítajícím celkem 28 položek o úhrnné hmotnosti 3,214 kg. Vedle podrobné prezentace získaného souboru se dotýká též otázek jeho chronologické a kulturní příslušnosti, a to spolu s pokusem o nastínění konkrétnějšího vztahu k soudobému osídlení blízkého okolí místa nálezu i regionu Prostějovska samotného, což autory vede až k vlastní interpretaci vzniku této, v kulturním prostředí lužických popelnicových polí značně specifické, archeologické památky.

mladší doba bronzová – lužická kultura – bronzový depot – sídlištní struktura – kulturní kontakty

Research on the Hallstatt and La Tène Periods in Bohemia and Moravia covers a number of important
topics. So far out of the main interest is the increasing quantity of foreign artefacts which generally
belong to the Vekerzug culture (or through its spreading objects of other Eastern cultures). The
authors of this paper believe that their systematic evaluation is essential for progress in this area of
research. The volume of individual artefacts and associated contexts is constantly increasing. This
is due to systematic research conducted by archaeological institutions, extensive development-led
excavations (construction of highways, expansion of industrial zones, etc.), and detector survey carried
out by amateurs, which has been monitored with partial success. Systematic scientific research
by specialists, however, still lags behind. This paper attempts to partly fill this gap.

The paper deals with the previous knowledge about the prehistoric and historical settlement of the town Holesov and its integrated parts. It is essentially a chronological summary of individual historical periods from the early Stone Age to the early Middle Ages. This is a popular article aimed at the wider public, yet it contains an exhaustive list of literature on the subject.

The four quadratic sunken-floored features, two contained remains of the internal construction, were excavated at the settlement of the Linear Pottery culture at Zlín-Malenovice Zadní mezicestí in 2015. The article presents their finding situation in the context of spatial and chronological structures of the settlement. Based on a search of typological analogies, a functional interpretation of rectangular
sunken-floored features and associated hypothetical socioeconomic aspects is presented in the form of a discussion.

A part of a newly discovered Neolithic settlement was examined in 2019 during a rescue archaeological excavation. In total six dug out features were studied. These are consistent with standard structures found in the settlements of Neolithic Age. Based on the pottery analysis, it is possible to date the settlement to the upper stage of the Linear Band Pottery
culture (LBK II). The objective of this contribution is to expand so far rare documentation base of the region, which would, in the future, allow reconstruction of Neolithic settlement in the middle part of the Morava river region with more accuracy.

Aplikace moderních nedestruktivních metod (geofyzikální průzkum, letecká archeologie a LiDAR) tvoří již několik desetiletí nedílnou součást archeologického výzkumu a jejich prostřednictvím je možné získávat zajímavá a důležitá zjištění bez narušení zkoumaných situací. Použitím výše zmíněných metod na moravském oppidu Staré Hradisko (okr. Prostějov) byly upřesněny a doplněny stávající poznatky o osídlení na ploše západně od opevnění. Významný je objev dosud neznámé klešťovité brány ve východní části opevnění spolu s navazujícím fortifikačním systémem obepínajícím severní část oppida.

The paper brings new and surprising findings on funeral practices in the immediate vicinity of the most important Moravian oppidum – Staré Hradisko. The finds are the result of activities of modern treasure hunters without which however this information would never be obtained. There are probably at least two grave complexes consisting of ensembles of iron Late La Tène militaria one of which could be documented and verified in terrain. Since the excavations by J. Böhm at Staré Hradisko they are the first provably Late La Tène graves not only in the hinterland of the oppidum but in the whole of Moravia.

Relikty pravěkých opevnění a ohrazení představují jednu z domněle nejlépe známých kategorií pravěkých památek na našem území. K dispozici je řada katalogů a jsou obvykle i nedílnou součástí širších interpretačních konceptů příslušných období, nezřídka se objevují názory o minimální pravděpodobnosti objevu nových lokalit. Na vzorku případů z neolitu a eneolitu z jediného moravského regionu je představen skutečný potenciál nových digitálních terénních modelů, umožňující v kombinaci s terénní prospekcí při jasném zacílení identifikovat zcela nové kategorie pravěkých ohrazení. Jejich evidence má primárně význam v rovině památkové péče, druhotně pak nepochybně i jako podnět pro
nové syntetické práce.

Hrad Křídlo. Historie, stavební vývoj a archeologie zříceniny šlechtického sídla v Hostýnských vrších [Castle Křídlo. History, building development, and archaeology of a ruined noble house in the Hostýnské vrchy hills; 2021] (co-authors Radim Vrla, Dalibor Janiš, Jana Janišová, Zdeněk Schenk, Lenka Bartíková, Petr Žákovský, Adam Fojtík, Miroslav Popelka, Zdeněk Štaffen, Pavel Fojtík, Samuel Španihel)