Czech Archaeology

The identification of deviant burials as those of ‘vampires’ is a feature of excavated skeletons from sites across Eastern, Central and Southern Europe as well as the Balkans. Based on a close reading of historic and folkloric sources researchers have sought to match features of excavated sites with narrative descriptions drawn from vampire legend and myth. This study critically reviews the recent claims based on sites in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland and Slovakia. Whilst it is found that there was a widespread belief in vampires across Europe, it is argued that it is difficult to make absolute claims for ‘vampire’ burials on archaeological grounds as in most cases there are alternate and equally compelling interpretations of the data.

KEYWORDS
ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY, SIXTEENTH CENTURY, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, VAMPIRE, DEVIANT BURIAL, PLAGUE, BLACK DEATH, FOLKLORE, PAGAN, BURIAL, WITCH, BALKANS, EASTERN EUROPE, CENTRAL EUROPE, SOUTHERN EUROPE, BULGARIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, POLAND, GREECE, ITALY, SLOVAKIA, LESBOS, VENICE, APOTROPAIC, VAMPIRIDZHIJA, PERPERIKON, SOZOPOL, PROSTEJOV, CELAKOVICE, DRAWSKO, GLIWICI, SOUTHWELL, KILTEASHEEN, LAZZARETTO NUOVO, NACHTZEHRER, KAMIEN POMORSKI

This book is an abridged version of my Ph.D. thesis. It aims to explore and evaluate the present potential of aerial and satellite imagery for archaeological research. Given the enormous volume of information collected by aerial survey during the past decades and the recent introduction of new powerful sensors (both airborne and spaceborne), the incoming impact of this approach on the academic research and cultural heritage management is inevitably immense. It is argued that the cumulative process of data gathering and synthesis should result in the production of interpretative maps that may serve different purposes, in accordance with the pre-set rules governing their preparation. Two landscape transects from the Czech Republic are treated in the book and their archaeological potential inferred from the interpretation of aerial photographs is mapped in GIS and published as web map services.

Tento článek se zabývá vznikem Chlumce nad Cidlinou a jeho následujícím vývojem do 1. čtvrtiny 16. sto-letí. Soustředí se zejména na vztah Chlumce nad Cidlinou a Nového Města, ale přihlíží také k okolním katastrálním územím ve vymezené oblasti pro bližší pochopení možných souvislostí středověkého vývoje osídlení Chlumecka. Výsledky práce vycházejí z rozboru archeologických a písemných pramenů. Pro období středověku ve sledované oblasti je zpracován soupis archeologických pramenů po jednotlivých akcích, resp. lokalitách. Ve výsledcích práce je předložena hypotéza o vývoji Chlumce nad Cidlinou a Nového Města v rámci sledovaného území a období.

This paper deals with the emergence of the town of Chlumec nad Cidlinou and its later development until the first quarter of the 16th century. It especially focuses on the relationship between Chlumec nad Cidlinou and Nové Město, but it also considers neighbouring cadastral areas in the selected territory, in order to understand the context of development of medieval settlement in the Chlumec region. The results are based on analysis of archaeological and written sources. The medieval situation is illustrated by a list of archaeological sources arranged according to individual excavations, or more precisely sites. The results of this work also include a hypothesis about the development of Chumec and Cidlinou and Nové Město within the given territory and period of time.

The contribution gives the results of palaeolithic and mesolithic chipped stone industry processing which is stored at the Regional Museum at Chrudim. Processing includes primarily typological, metrical and material analysis. In the paper have been outlined some aspects, in particular related to settlement strategy and use of stone raw materials, which will be necessary to extend with new information, obtained mainly from repetitively carried out surface collections at the already identified sites. At the same time, there is potential for discovery of new positions, not only through surface collections, but also during archaeological excavations.

About 4000 amber artefacts from the Bohemian Aunjetitz culture are known from a total of 112 sites, mainly burial grounds (90 sites / 312 graves). We date nearly all of the finds to the classical Aunjetitz culture (ca. 2050/2000–1750 B. C.). The amber comes from 15–20 % of all graves of this period. Analyses have confirmed the Baltic origin of the amber. Bohemia is far richer in amber than all of the surrounding regions and was the main target area for trade with amber in the central European region. If we can speak at all about an “Amber Road” for this period, it leads from
the Polish Baltic coast to Bohemia. Amber was then redistributed from Bohemia to further regions
(Moravia, the Danube Valley, central Germany).

On the area of east-western Bohemia (with an overlap to north-western Bohemia) an areal distribution of concrete technologically-morphological groups of kitchen ceramics will be tracked, with the emphasis on development over time as well as in synchronous perspective. With the help of similarly solved cases in the Bohemia and in foreign countries, author tried to reconstruct the distributional sectors of ceramics and suggested their socially-economical interpretation.

The possibilities for making a social-economic interpretation of comprehensively documented late medieval and early modern village layouts are clear. However, the social-economic interpretations in existing Czech publications either merely suggest or, without more detailed evidence, directly equate
the physical categories of yard size with the defined property categories of homesteads known from written sources. All of these speculations are based on a model concept that assumes a direct link between the extent of the economic production of peasant homesteads and the size of their yards. The aims of this article are (1) to analyze and justify the assumption of the relationship between the extent of the agricultural operations of peasant homesteads and the minimum size of their yards, (2) to discuss the relationship between the extent of agricultural operations and the social-economic type of peasant homestead, (3) to discuss the significance of social-economic types of peasant homesteads, (4) to test the model concept in various ways using the examples of Early Modern period peasant homesteads, (5) to apply the acquired information to a specific archaeologically documented situation.
A key feature of the article, one that concerns the main conference subject, is a discussion of the testimonial value of Early Modern period iconographic and cartographic sources for interpreting archaeological situations.

Karlín Cemetery. About the archaeological excavation of military and Protestant burial ground from 18th and 19th century

Public lecture organized by The Czech Society of Antiquaries in The City of Prague Museum, 12 May 2014

Prezentace přednášky pořádané Společností přátel starožitností v Muzeu hlavního města Prahy 12. května 2014

Diplomová práca sa zameriava právne a praktické aspekty využívania detektoru kovov na hľadanie archeologických nálezov. Všeobecná časť analyzuje medzinárodnú, českú a slovenskú právnu úpravu, najväčšia pozornosť sa upriamuje na pamiatkové zákony oboch krajín, primerane sú zmienené aj ďalšie zákony a systém správnych orgánov. Zvláštna časť sa venuje prevažne činnosti správnych orgánov a vzťahom medzi hľadačmi nálezov a archeológmi. Ako príklad sú uvedené vybrané zahraničné prístupy k problematike. V poslednej časti sú prezentované úvahy o možnom smerovaní českej právnej úpravy v budúcnosti.

This thesis deals with legal and practical aspects of using metal detectors to search for archaeological finds. The theoretical part analyzes the international, Czech and Slovak legal regulations. The special attention is paid to the Monument Act of both countries, as well as other acts and the system of administrative bodies are mentioned. The empirical part mainly focuses on activities of administrative bodies and the relationship between detectorists and archaeologists. Selected foreign studies and approaches to this issue are given as an example. The last part discusses the possible trends and directions of the Czech legislation in the future.

Článek popisuje sbírku broušené industrie uložené v Městském muzeu Nový Bydžov a její zařazení do kontextu osídlení okolí Nového Bydžova. Doklady osídlení Novobydžovska máme z dob neolitu, kdy vznikala první archeologicky doložená sídliště vázaná na poříčí Cidliny.  Součástí je i popis polotovarů kamenných broušených nástrojů uložených v městském muzeu, které byly nalezeny ve zkoumané oblasti. Mezi polotovary se nachází také depot broušené industrie pocházející z Chudonic, proto není opomenuta ani problematika depotů datovaných do kultury s vypíchanou keramikou.

The investigation of children and childhood in the past, swiftly developing as a new subfield of study around the world for almost 30 years under the term “archaeology of childhood“, has not been yet sufficiently incorporated in Czech archaeology. The aim of this paper is to introduce this topic, give an overview of research development both home and abroad, outline the available literature, summarise the actual fundamental knowledge and starting points in order to energise the progress in this field of study in our country. The article presents areas of material culture where traces of children can be identified. In the absence of any interest in childhood and children in the past or the integration of these subjects into the archaeological discourse, the testimony of archaeology on prehistoric life remains as a result, incomplete and distorted.

Research at a multicultural site locally known as “Sad u nádraží” (“Orchard by the train station”) in the village of Dyje, Znojmo County, yielded valuable information about the settlement of the area, particularly during the Early Bronze Age (settlement structures and above-ground building attributed to the Věteřov Group). Furthermore, research was conducted on one structure attributed to the Funnelbeaker Culture which yielded, in addition to a collection of Early Eneolithic pottery items, a fragment of a foundry vessel with clearly identifiable and analysable traces of “pure” cop- per. It is one of the few direct pieces of evidence of copper metallurgy on the territory of the present-day Czech Republic. e processing technology (oxidising firing, spotty surface) combined with the  prominent triple segmentation of the profile of three vessels allows for the synchronisation of the set with the first sub-stage of the Baalberg group of the early stage of the Funnelbeaker Culture (FBC)

This article is focus on an endscraper made from quartzite of Tušimice type, which was found in 2009 at the bank of Seč dam (Seč district). The endscraper dated to the Mesolithic period is a linking element of a fictional story, by which are described different aspects of life of Middle Stone Age hunter-gatherers societies. Described situations are supported by the concrete archaeological and ethnoarchaeological observation, environmental data or by the results of archaeological experiments. Firstly, outcomes of environmental analyses have served for reconstruction of past landscape (fauna and flora composition). Secondly, ethnoarchaeological studies have used to explain obtaining of stone raw material, spatial arrangement of settlement and human subsistence strategy. Finally, results of archaeological experiments have suggested a way of production and use of artifacts, in this case of stone endscrapers. The article shows one of existence variants of selected stone artifact, circumstances of its creation, use and extinction. Chosen written form represents an effort to see beyond the "dead" artifacts a living human of past.

Rozhovor byl proveden s doc. Františkem Gabrielem a doc. Vladimírem Salačem, dále žáky prof.
Neustupného, konkrétně dr. Ladislavem Čapkem, dr. Lubošem Chroustovským, dr. Davidem
Novákem, Mgr. Janem Pařezem a Mgr. Filipem Prekopem. Všem zmiňovaným byly položeny
stejné otázky.

The paper contains a complex evaluation of archaeological material recovered during a rescue excavation in the village of Libišany (Pardubice District, Eastern Bohemia, Czech Republic) in 2017. Only one of the four excavated features could be more precisely classified on the basis of ceramic finds – it was feature no. 1. Therefore, all analyzed material originates from this feature.

The very first time that the idea of Eastern Partnership came up at all was May 2008. At the time it was a joint initiative presented by Poland and Sweden. The project, which was outlined as the Eastern dimension of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and which also included ambitions to exceed its original scope, was rendered possible thanks to the change in policy of France, which during her EU Presidency in 2008 sought, through the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean, to reinvigorate the so-called Southern dimension of the ENP. The Eastern Partnership (EaP) program also resulted from the pressure exerted by some of the new EU Member States, including in the first place the V4 countries and the Baltic States. These EU Member States referred to the need for a specific approach to the EU’s Eastern neighbors i.e. the states situated between the Eastern border of the EU and the Russian Federation. During her EU Presidency in the first half of 2007 Germany, just like the V4 countries, also adverted to the need to differentiate between ‘Europe’s neighbors’ and ‘the European neighbors’. This was reflected in the European Commission’s report of December 2006 on ‘strengthening the European Neighborhood Policy’, also referred to as the ENP Plus.

During a rescue excavation in Prague-Řeporyje, three sunken features of the Funnel Beaker culture were investigated. The remaining features belonged to the Stroked Pottery culture or could not be dated. It is a remnant of a farm or village whose inhabitants farmed highly fertile black soil on loess subsoil. The primary purpose of one pit was to serve as a grain silo, the remaining two pits cannot be interpreted more precisely than settlement features. Finds of fragments of ceramic vessels are classifiable as the Salzmünde phase. In addition, daub fragments, animal bones, bone tools, waste arising from the manufacture of chipped stone industry, a semi-finished tool made of unspecified metamorphic rock (jade?), fragments of grinding slabs, and whetstones were also retrieved from the pits’ fills. Fragments of one ceramic cup correspond to the Boleráz style of the Baden culture, both with their shape and type of decoration.

Článek přináší přehled správného zápisu souřadnic bodů v nejpoužívanějších systémech v rámci archeologie na našem území. Každý z těchto systémů vyžaduje vlastní, svým způsobem jedinečný styl uvádění souřadnic, což je potřeba vždy akceptovat. Zároveň jsou uvedeny i možnosti převádění mezi jednotlivými systémy a také nejčastější chyby, kterých je potřeba se vyvarovat.

This article regards a recently found saber from the north-east Black Sea region and introduces a new uncharacteristic type of pommel ending which was previously only known from artefacts from Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. The new discovery allows to extend the area of occurence of such pommel endings and to assume their Byzantine origin.

Prehistoric strata and settlement features were discovered in Prague-Bubeneč. The reported situations date to the Early Aeneolithic, the Early and Final Bronze Age, the Late Hallstatt period and the transitional phase between the Early and Late Roman period.

The following text aims to present a group of eye-fibulae recovered through detector survey in the Hradec Králové region and considers their importance for the settlement of eastern Bohemia in phase B1.

Keywords
Eye-fibulae, early Roman period, eastern Bohemia, Hradec Králové region

This study attempts to recapitulate the basic developments in, and describe the present state of, archaeological research in the areas of medieval ore extraction and processing in Bohemia. It aims to draw attention to the major problems and issues linked to this specialised research area, both in terms of the collection and analysis of data and at the level of theory and interpretation. Czech archaeology should systematically develop the opportunities for analysis and interpretation provided by its sources to emphasize their contribution to the resolution of the technological, socio–economic, settlement, cultural and environmental questions associated with the medieval exploitation of raw materials.

The article is based on the results of a rescue survey project carried out on a polycultural site wi-thin the cadastre of the village of Dyje (Znojmo County). The author offers a report on two Únětice Culture graves which show the signs of secondary intervention (grave robbery). In spite of this fact several entire vessels were recovered, as well as a set of two hair pins made from a double wire made  from a copper sticks plated with electron sheet.

Shield fittings from roman period in east Bohemia

Although few in numbersshield fittings found in Eastern Bohemia are very variable. Early finds from Nepolisy are main source of the artifacts (Koudelka 1904 – 1905, 137 – 140; Jílek 2009, fig. 7:1, 6),Plotištěnad Labem (Rybová 1980) and Sendražice (Rybová 1972, 499, fig.1:6, 7, 2:7, 3). One shield boss of uncertain origin is registered in the collections of the town museum and galery in Hlinsko (Hornik – Jílek 2010, fig. 1, 2).
Shiled boss found in Plotištěnad Labem (grave 189) is characterized by 3 cm long symmetrically shaped spike which is ended by indistinctive flat ring (tab. 2:1). N. Zieling has assigned this shiled boss to type A1a which is typical for its short and gradually widening distant end of the spike (Zieling 1989, 30, 685, Tab. 1:A1a). The Shield boss is more resembling types A1b or B1b because of its overall shape. Shield boss type Zieling A1b differs from the mentioned artifact by the broader edge, which is usually very wide. In additionis this type of the shield boss dated to the younger iron age (Zieling 1989, 30, Taf.1:A1b). Contrary the Eastern Bohemian burial site and grave number 189 - where the artifact was found are dated to the period of the Marcommanic wars (Rybová 1980, 153, 163 – 164). Shield boss can be probably associated with theZieling B1b type rather than A1a type. Zieling B1b is typical for its narrow edge, higher collar and spikefinished by flat knob. This type of shield fitting is dated to the start of the younger roman period (Zieling 1989, 42, 44), this fact corresponds with dating of the Plotiště burial site.
Grave excavated in Nepolisy contained remains of the warrior. Remains wasput in to the late variant of the östland bucket type Eggers 41, in the container was also found shield boss type Jahn 7a and handle type 9 (Koudelka 1904 – 1905, 137 – 140;Jílek 2009, 257, obr. 7:1, 6; same 2012, 31, fig. 35). J. jílek re-examined this grave recently and pointed out przeworsk features among the grave goods (iron belt buckle type AG 16 and the iron bucket shaped pendant). He didn’t forget to remind the fact that the cremation burials in the bronze vessels are present amongElbe Germanic tribes since late phase of the younger iron age(Jílek 2009, 257). Burial isdated to the phase B2/C1 or C1a.
Amongthe items in collections of the town museum and gallery in Hlinsko is shield boss with half sphered dome type Jahn 8 (tab. 2:4) (Hornik-Jílek 2010). Artifact was obtained from place called BíláHora (Frolík 1989, 19, fig. 9) but in the Eastern Bohemia is not place with this name. We can’t exclude that some artifacts from other regions might have been added to the museum collections. We cannot exclude that the shield boss was brought to the museum after devastating fire which occurred in October 1874. Also the museum building was damaged by raging fire, so shield boss may be a proof of solidarity which was received from the other museum institutionsto help renew damaged collections (Hornik – Jílek 2010, 597). In the terms of chronology is commonly accepted that the oldest specimens are dated to the beginning of the younger roman period (phase C1) and usage of these items is on the highest level during beginning of the phase C1b (Zieling 1989, 143 – 146;Ilkjær 1990, 318, 330, Abb. 199), in the Baltic region is this type commonly used throughout the phase C2 (Godłowski 1974, 69, Tab. VI:26; same. 1994, 170 – 171, Abb. 1:43, 2:8).
Most interesting assemblage of shield components in the Eastern Bohemia was provided by “bundle of weapons” found in Sendražice. Presently mixed assemblage contained shield boss with half sphered dome and two iron handle fittings(Rybová 1972, 499, fig. 1:6, 7; fig. 2:3, 7). Fist shield boss (tab. 3:1) was identified as type Zieling S2 (Zieling 1989, Tab. 18: S2) and second is Zieling S4 (Zieling 1989, Taf. 18:S4). S4 type shield bosses are exclusively Scandinavian artifacts (Zieling 1989, 151; Ilkjær 2001, 294, 299, Abb. 290) and they are associated with theVannolum group of weapons (Bemmann 1994, 183, Abb. 4). On the other hand occurrence of the Zieling S2 is linked with the Przeworsk settlement area. This typeis also rarely present in the region of wesbatlic culture (Zieling 1989, 151;Godłowski 1992a 74, 83, Ryc. 3:8, same 1994, 171) and in the Black Sea region (Kazanski 1994, 437, Fig, 2:3-4). N. Zielingregard type S2 as exclusively Przeworsk and findings outside of its settlement region as imports or imitations (Zieling 1989, 151). Assemblage also contained the iron spur type Ginalsky F1 (Ginalski 1991, 64, Ryc. 13:1-6). Spur of this type are similar to the spurs from V group according to K. Godłowsky (1970, 8, Fig. 2:f), in the region of Przeworsk culture is believed to be the origin of this group. However the evidence of the S4 type shield bosses in its settlement area is missing. Coiled sword type Vimose-Illerup, subtype 4 (Biborski – Ilkjaer 2006, 228). North Europe is considered as main occurrence area for this type of weapons. In the Przeworsk culture is its presence very rare. So far is sword from Sendražice only one of its kind from the upper Elbe region which means that further south finding of these type (Biborski – Ilkjaer 2006, 236). Remaining findings didn’t show any precise area of distribution. Iron fitting of the scabbard which is decorated by inlayed metal was identified as type IIIB 2 its origin is considered Roman (Carnap-Bornheim, C. v. 1991, 32 – 33).Fragments of pan and bucket which formed bundle are also Roman. Knife, scissors, fragments of the three layered comb and 4 spear points have not typical area of presence which means that we cannot consider them as typically Nordic or Przeworsk. Shield handle fitting which is made from iron and ended by trapezium shaped plates (tab. 3:2) belong to the type Zieling V1 and it is lost nowadays. Among the Germanic tribes is this shape very popular and is common since the end of the second and beginning of the third century (Jahn 1916, 192 – 193). Often is found in Przeworsk culture and Elbe Germanic settlement area (Zieling 189, 219). Second handle fitting is far more interesting because of its longer handle ended with one rivet hole on each side. Rivet holes are connected with paddle shaped lug plates also with rivet loops (tab. 3:4). From the structural point of view there are present two different technological procedures. First of them is represented by the circle shaped rivet loop and combination of rivet hole on each side of the handle  which are common in the older Roman period. Paddle shaped plate is example of younger and more advanced shield handle fitting which was used in the end of the second century and in the following period (Rybová 1972, 514 – 515).The handle itself represents connecting link in the transition between older and younger construction types and because of that we can label it as “transitional type of handle”. Decorative rivets which are composed of perforated hollow half-sphere part are part of the handle. Double conical rivet is stick through the hole(tab. 3:5). Because of the striking resemblance between shield boss type S4 and decorative rivets is possible that items could belong together (Rybová 1972, 515). This opinion can lead to conclusion that both the handle and the shield boss can share same origin in the region of northern Europe.
Mentioned shield components discovered in the Eastern Bohemia are chronologically connected with the Marcommanic wars and subsequent C1 period, when weapon deposition in the funeral context is on its peak. In the younger part of the younger Roman period is this behavior gradually abandoned.It is obvious that this process affected even the Eastern Bohemia region where shield fittings and weapons in general are very rare. This condition can be caused by low number of excavations conducted on burial sites in this area.
With overall low number of the sites and with total five shield bosses and three shield fittings we cannot consider Eastern Bohemia as rich. On the other hand in the comparison with other regions (except the Middle Bohemia) we can regard them as average.

Communities and knowledge production in archaeology, edited by Julia Roberts, Kathleen Sheppard, Ulf R. Hansson, and Jonathan Trigg is both a theoretical and informational advance in the History of Archaeology. With the perspectives of Fleck's thought collectives, Latour's actor-network theory, and Livingstone's geographies of knowledge, the contributions of Antonin Salac,  19th century amateur American archaeologists, Hanna Rydh, 16th century physician Robert Toope, Wolfgang Helbig, Rodolfo Lanciani, Carel Claudius van Essen, Maarten Vermaseren, Oscar Montelius, Adolf Furtwangler, James Henry Breasted,  and Kelix Kanitz are examined.

The paper focuses on the interpretation of the sources of the Hallstatt culture in Moravia (CZ) – Horákov (HS) and Platěnice groups (PS) of the Eastern Hallstatt culture in Ha C1–D1 (800–550 BC) and the Late Hallstatt Period identical culture in Ha D2–D3 (550–450 BC). It deals with social (elite) structures: 1 – monitors their spatial distribution; 2 – monitors their relationship to longdistance communications. Uneven distribution of elite identifiers in the Brno and Prostějov regions and Habrůvka – “Býčí Skála” area is understood as a recognition of social centres with political and economic significance. Long-distance communications fully correspond with them. The resulting intersection of both sources made it possible to determine sixteen traffic junctions linked to the mentioned centres. These centres can be understood as an archaeological materialisation of the “communication network of centres”. The connection among these nodes can be comprehended as the main long-distance connections in Hallstatt Moravia.