Moravian Painted Ware Culture

Trąbska J., Kocańda P., Trybalska B. 2019. Modern Semi-Majolica and Glazed Ceramics from Rzeszów – Research on the Findings from the Archaeological Sites on 3 Maja Street. Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 14, 109–136 Steadily growing collection of modern ceramics of the present Podkarpackie Voivodeship, has not yet been fully documented. Historical research demonstrates that Rzeszów, located on the communication route with Russia, occupied a very important position in trade relations with the East and West. The archaeometric study was performed on two fragments of semi-majolica plates and six fragments of glazed jugs, pots and tripod vessels. Vessels were made of fine-grained paste of smectite/illite, kaolinite/illite and kaolinite/illite/smectite clay. The richness of colours and shades is surprising. In the case of semi-majolica, the underglaze paintings were made with the use of frit pigments, while the overglaze ornament was made with the use of Pb-P-Ca-Si paste. ‘Slip-painting’ technique was also used. Glazes were coloured with iron, copper and cobalt compounds of various  combinations and concentrations which provided different shades. In the case of semi-maiolica quartz-argillaceous primer with a potassium-bearing substance was applied, surfaces under glazes were covered with flux-bearing substances. Key words: Podkarpackie, Rzeszów, semi-maiolica, glazed pottery, SEM/EDS

Stránská skála represents an important geological and archaeological site. It is also known for its rich deposits of Jurassic cherts that were utilized in various ways during different stages of Moravian prehistory. The substantial Early Upper Paleolithic occupation events are of great significance and have been subject to several international research projects. Archaeological excavations targeting mining and workshop areas were resumed in the last years with a focus on Late Neolithic and Early Eneolithic activities. This paper introduces this project and summarizes recent results. Trends in the chipped industry within the Stránská skála workshop area are outlined, focusing on raw material variability, technology-typology, chronology, and socioeconomic aspects. The first indicators of the location and other aspects of post-Paleolithic mining activities in the field of Stránská skála III are introduced and discussed in the context of mining and workshop activities of similar contemporary features in the Czech Republic and neighboring regions.

The examined skeletal series was recovered from various Moravian Neolithic settlements. The sample is comprised of 41 (51.9%) subadults (0–19-year-old), 10 (12.7 %) adult males, 20 (25.3%) adult females, and of 8 (10.1 %) adults of undetermined sex. From the archaeological point of view, there are three periods of Neolithic cultures based on different ornaments on ceramics, thus sample of 79 examined individuals with present dentitions was divided subsequently according to
this criterion as well: 52 individuals belonged to the Linear Pottery Culture (LPC, 5700–5000 BC), 10 to the Stroked Pottery Culture (SPC, 5000–4700 BC), and 17 to the Moravian Painted Pottery Culture (MPPC, 4700–4500 BC). In this study all these
individuals were scored for dental caries, dental wear, and the prevalence of dental enamel hypoplasia (DEH). Dental caries and dental wear was scored in order to find out basic characteristics of eaten food, and DEH was scored in order to find out
extent of non-specific stressors (i.e. indicators of metabolic and nutritional disruptions) within Neolithic period. There was no dental caries found out within subadult (0–19 yrs) individuals in examined Neolithic sample. In comparison to the later Neolithic periods, the highest values of caries intensity and frequency were found out in the LPC. In
the oldest LPC period of Moravian Neolithic the highest values of dental wear were found out as well. It is highly probable that composition of food of individuals during Linear Pottery Culture period was rich in the carbohydrates and contained higher
number of abrasive particles in comparison to the subsequent Neolithic periods (i.e. SPC and MPPC). Among the three periods, the greatest frequency of the enamel hypoplastic lesions was found out within individuals from the Linear Pottery culture (17.1 %), whereas individuals from the SCP displayed lower values (12.5 %), and individuals from MPPC period even the lowest prevalence (8.3%) of DEH. It is possible that individuals in Moravia increased the ability to cope with later insults of non-specific stressors during Neolithic period, i.e. 5700–4500 BC.

We made an anthropological analysis of 95 individuals buried in Neolithic settlement objects in Moravia, 58 of them belonged to the Linear Pottery Culture (LPC, 5700–5000 BC), 13 to the Stroked Pottery Culture (SPC, 5000–4700 BC), and 24 to the Moravian Painted Pottery Culture (MPPC, 4700–4500 BC). To determine sex and age, standard anthropological methods were used. In the LPC, there are more children than adults, and more women than men. The SPC skeletons are often in bad state of preservation, on that account more than a third of the skeletons couldn’t be determined anthropologically; in the rest, proportions of both sexes are equal. Individuals of the MPPC buried in settlements are more frequently adults than children, more women than men were found in this group. Metric evaluation of skulls didn’t found out any significant differences among cultures and sexes, but it’s not possible to generalise this suggestion because of the bad state of preservation of the osteological material. Postcranial measurements showed that body height of both men and women fell – men and women of LPC were the tallest and of MPPC the smallest group.

The Moravian Painted Ware Culture settlement in Slavíkovice “Ostánce“ represents one of the most elaborately
excavated sites in the peripheral area of western Moravia. The microregion is situated in the foothills of the
Czech-Moravian Highlands at a relatively high altitude. More than forty MPW Culture sites have been recorded, mostly
corresponding to its younger phase. The current study presents the results of recent surface surveys as well as minor
detective and rescue probing. Apart from the large number of finds, a radiocarbon date has assisted in placing the site
within the absolute chronology framework of the Moravian MPW Culture (Kuča et al. 2012). A detailed analysis of the
archaeological findings allowed comparisons to other similarly dated sites in the area of interest and with the other
peripheral regions in south-western Moravia (Bartík 2014a, 22, fig. 6). An attempt at reconstructing the paleoclimate
forms an integral part of this study.

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).

Metabasic rocks of the Želešice type were one of the most intensively utilized raw materials used for
the manufacture of Neolithic polished industry in the Middle Danube region. Primary sources are located
in the Ophiolite Belt (formerly Metabasite Zone) of the Brno Batholith, approximately 5 km SW of Brno.
All sites represent secondary workshops that are not located at the outcrops. Quarrying at the outcrops has
not been directly confirmed for this period. The focus of this work is a complex description of a unique
primary workshop recently discovered nearby primary outcrops. Recently obtained data has revealed new
information about the lithic operational stages, morphology, dimensions and procurement of the raw material.
Petrographic analysis reveals several subvarieties of metabasic rocks which were utilized to different
degrees. Another goal of this work is to add to the debate regarding terminology of workshop sites.

4. Zpracovali jsme nový nálezový soubor moravsko-východorakouské skupiny (MOG) fáze Ia kultury mladoneolitické malované keramiky ze zemnice č. 97/08 a kultury Malice z hliníku 118/08 společně s nálezy mladší fáze kultury s vypíchanou keramikou (SBK) ze sídliště u Předměřic nad Labem nedaleko Hradce Králové, z polní trati „Polder u areálu Zemědělského družstva“. Keramický soubor ze zemnice 97/08 fáze MOG Ia doprovází nálezy saubfáze SBK IVa. Štípané nástroje, většinou čepele, byly zhotoveny z (částečně prosvítajícícho) rohovce krakovsko-čenstochovské jury a jedna čepel z radiolaritu Szentgál z Bakoňského lesa. Nálezy fáze MOG Ia jsou dalším dokladem pronikání MOG z jiřní Moravy (nebo z Dolního Rakouska, Weinviertel) přes Českomoravskou vysočinu do východních Čech osídlených SBK (fáze IVa). Poněkud mladší nálezy MOG a hrnce se zesíleným límcem na hrdle kultury Malice v doprovodu subfáze KVK IVb, štípané industrie a částí zrnotěrek (mlecích kamenů) se našly v hliníku 118/08. Přítomnost nálezů kultury Malice ve východních Čechách se spojuje s (etapovým) transportem jakostních silicitů z Malopolska. Přítomnost nálezů MOG a malické kultury ve východních Čechách byla patrně již způsobena postupným rozšiřováním oikumeny MOG a byla ovlivněna „polabskou gravitací“. S trochou nadsázky lze říci, že šlo o neolitické spojení „střední Dunaj – Labe – horní Visla (a Odra)“ se všemi kulturními projevy. Autoři zjistili, že na soutocích Labe se rovněž nacházely mladoneolitické rondely jako důležitá sociokultovní centra. / We analyse the new finds of the Moravian – East-Austrian Group  (or the Moravian Painted Pottery ), the Phase Ia, from the sunken floored hut No. 97/08 and from the clay pit No.118/08 of the Malice Culture, together with the finds of the young stages of the Stroked Pottery Culture (SBK) of the settlement Předměřice nad Labem near Hradec Králové. Ceramic collection from the sunken floored hut No. 97/08 of the early stage MOG Ia accompanies finds of the phase SBK IVa. Most of chipped artefacts (blades) were made of the Kraków-Częstochowa Jurassic silices (Poland) and one blade of the radiolarite Szentgál from Bakony (Hungary). MOG finds are probably further evidence of penetration of the Moravian - East-Austrian Group from southern Moravia (or Lower Austria, Weinviertel) across the Czech-Moravian Highlands in eastern Bohemia region populated of the SBK (phase IVa). Somewhat younger finds of the MOG and pots with a reinforced collar on the neck of the Malice Culture accompanied by the phase SBK IVb, chipped industry and millstones were found in the clay pit No. 118/08. Finds of the Malice Culture in eastern Bohemia is associated with (advancing) transport of silicites of high quality from the Lesser Poland. The presence findings of the MOG the late Neolithic Painteted Pottery Culture and of the Malice Culture in eastern Bohemia was thus caused by the expansion of settlements of MOG and was affected by the "attractive force" of the Elbe River. With a little exaggeration is possible to say that was a Neolithic connection "middle Danube –Elbe – upper Vistula and Oder" with all cultural manifestations. We found out that on confluences of the Elbe River were situated also rondels as important social and cultic centres from the late Neolithic.

The site of Mohelno-Plevovce is located on a small plateau near the bottom of a deeply incised Jihlava
River canyon. While this concealed position is protected by rocky slopes from the east, north and west, it is
exposed to insolation from the south. The site is affected by erosional forces of fluctuating water levels caused
by Dalešice pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant since the 1970‘s. The site was intermittently occupied
by humans from the Late Upper Paleolithic to recent times as documented by repeated salvage excavations
since 2013. Lengyel Culture occupation has already been identified in surface surveys, but corresponding
cultural features were not excavated until the last two years. The excavation yielded characteristic material
including pottery and stone industry, as well as charcoal which allowed dating and a detailed anthracological
analysis. Relative chronology suggests the MMK-Ib phase, while radiocarbon dating places the occupation
at the end of MMK-I / beginning of MMK-II phase. Anthracology analyses suggest an open canopy woodland
forest as the dominant biome.

This article presents a Moravian Painted Ware culture site Březník in the Czech-Moravian Highlands.
The emphasis is on evaluation of surface finds in the „Střední hon“ field and assessing the archaeological
material and geographical aspects. The new findings are placed in a regional context with regard to
the area between Oslava and Chvojnice rivers as well as in the wider context (southwest Moravia). We
also compared it to a nearby Moravian Painted Ware site located in the „Zadní hon“ field. Interestingly,
although Březník is located on the periphery of the known Neolithic occupation zone, the peripheral
effect is not apparent at this site (as it is at other sites considered to be located on the periphery). One
particularity of this region is a high concentration of muscovite (obtained from local schist outcrops) in
the ceramic matter. The lithic sources are mostly local and regional (Brno Massif, Boskovice Furrow and
Krumlovský Les cherts). There are also some raw materials imported from great distances (metabazite of
the Jizerské hory type, obsidian, erratic chert and Polish cherts). Based on the chronology, material culture
and geographical position, Březník – „Střední hon“ can be placed into the early phase Ib (Lengyel I) of
the Moravian Painted ware culture.

Unpublished part of the archaeological record excavated from Lelekovice Castle near Brno (Land of Moravia, Czech Republic) during 1984-1990 and 2002-2004 by Josef Unger represent the Neolithic settlement. Excavation in the area of the Castle and the Bailey yielded a collection of Neolithic pottery, related chipped industry and polished industry together with osteological material. Subject of this paper are the analyses of the ceramic forms, the raw material and the animal bones. According to these results the Neolithic settlement is from the Moravian Painted Ware Culture (Phase II).

This article presents the Moravian Painted Ware Culture site of Šebkovice on the Czech-Moravian Highland. Although the main aim is the analysis of stratified collection excavated in 2007, the most important finds from the surface collection are included in analysis. The well excavated and wet-sieved sunken settlement feature yielded a collection of earlier Moravian Painted Ware Culture pottery fragments supplemented by a collection of stone industry, both knapped, polished, and osteological material. The charcoal sample from filling of settlement sunken feature yielded an absolute date, which allows a comparison with other sites from the same time-span within the Middle Danube Region.