The graves of prehistoric warriors also reveal the past of the region near Prague
/ PHOTO GALLERY / Directly in the places where the new settlers will live a short distance outside Prague, people lived in the Stone Age. This was confirmed to the daily by the director of the Institute of Archaeological Conservation of Central Bohemia, Irena Benková, with reference to research conducted by members of her team in Velké Přílepy in Prague-West.
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Archaeological finds in Velké Přílepy.
| Photo: Paths of archeology
At the turn of summer and autumn, they paid attention to the location intended for the construction of engineering networks and the new streets in the place where family houses will be built. That the finds will be rich is expected in advance: the village is known as an archaeologically significant site. Most recently, archaeologists have excavated monuments to the settlement in the Neolithic, Eneolithic – and Celtic graves. The settlement confirmed thousands of years ago, among other things, the remains of more than eighty discovered objects. Prehistoric pits predominate, but there have also been discoveries that can probably be considered the remains of cottages or possible aluminum.
Journey to the afterlife with a spear and a sword
But archaeologists are stricter with an accurate assessment of what they actually dug up. For now, it speaks of a rich locality where different cultures alternated – and it is clear that many finds date to the Neolithic period (which in our conditions means the period from about the sixth millennium BC) and the following Eneolithic. The researchers also discovered two graves, probably La Tène, one of which contained an iron bracelet and the other even more iron elements: next to the point of the spear, there was also a partially preserved iron sword stored in its scabbard.
An accurate evaluation of the findings and estimates of what stories they may be telling, but will still have to wait. “There is really a lot of material and it will take some time to examine everything carefully,” said Director Benková. Archaeologists have removed fragments of pottery, bones, as well as chipped and cut tools from a large number of archaeologists. Weaving weights, whorls and some metals were also found.
The grave of an important warrior. Or women?
A find from the neighboring village of Statenice is also currently being processed, where archaeologists have discovered an exceptional tomb from the Early Iron Age, which dates back to the so-called Bylan culture (approximately between the 8th and 6th centuries BC). So far, it is certain that according to the rich equipment in the form of numerous alms, the buried person must have been extremely important. Only further research will suggest more; it is not yet clear whether it was a woman (this would seem to suggest a preliminary examination of skeletal remains by an anthropologist) or a man (grave equipment is typically male). If it was confirmed that she was a woman (according to the remains of the spear, perhaps a warrior?), The finding would be even rarer. The found bones of the animal are also waiting to be clarified: was it a sheep, as the initial estimate suggested, or rather a calf? If there was an iron knife originally placed on his body, it is almost certain that it was a fleshy charity.
Almost thirty ceramic vessels testify to the significance of the buried person. The tomb also contained an iron horse bit, surrounded by bronze ornaments; they were probably originally hung on a bridle that had completely faded. Archaeologists have also found iron rings – four smaller ones are perceived as a probable part of the yoke – the iron spear, bronze needles and amber bead.
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