Archaeologists in Prague and the surrounding area are investigating the remains of hillforts and battlefields
Participation in tours is required book via the web, some are even virtual. In central Bohemia, there are still tours to 13 locations during the holidays, there are five to choose from in the capital.
Archaeologists will introduce those interested, for example, to the history of Stará Kouři in the Kolín region, where there are remains of an early medieval fortress. According to researchers, local rulers resided there before the Přemyslovs ruled Bohemia in the 10th century. Hradiště also belonged to the largest fortified centers in Central Europe. You can choose from seven dates of walks on the website.
The five walks will also be at one of the most famous domestic archaeological sites – Libici nad Cidlinou. Hradiště with Labe Cidliny will join and will probably be the Slavníkov family, which was murdered in Libica in 9955. Libice is one of the best-researched medieval settlements in the Czech Republic.
On the other hand, the hillfort Na Dřevíč near Rakovník awaits a more extensive archaeological survey. You can go on a guided tour there on July 20 and August 3. “The importance of the fort for a wider area than Rakovnicko and neighboring Lounsko is shown by older, as well as the latest finds, which prove the continuous settlement of the site from the Early Stone Age to the High Middle Ages. The early medieval stage with evidence of the presence of elites is particularly significant,” the researchers described on the website. On Dřevíč, the Baroque chapel of St. Wenceslas has also been repaired, in places where, according to archaeologists, a sanctuary probably stood even in the Middle Ages.
Hundreds of years after the clash between estate troops and the imperial-ligist army, the remains of earthen fortifications in the Olešen Forests are still visible near Rakovník. The battle, which took place at the turn of October 1620, ended without a winner. The soldiers then headed for Bíla Hora, where the estate troops were defeated on November 8. People can see the traces of the battle near Rakovník during walks on July 27 and August 31.
In Prague, on July 16 and 30 and August 27, archaeologists will conduct a tour of the Letná district, where the crusaders camped in 1420, and which will be joined by other attractions. The remains of the Hussite siege camp are then at the ruins of the New Castle near Kunratic, where the walk will take place on July 22.
On August 13, you can look into the past of Vinoře, where the castle stood. It was in Vinoř that a few years ago archaeologists discovered the rich grave of a young girl, the so-called Vinoř princess, who died in the ninth century. There will also be four more walks through the valley of the Vinořské stream to Jenštejn Castle, and on August 27th there will be a walk to the Celtic village of Závist.
The archaeological summer is organized by the archaeological institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (AV) in Prague and Brno in cooperation with other domestic archaeological workplaces. It has been held since 2020.