BOHEMIA & MORAVIA IN THE 11TH CENTURY. A SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATION OR A MERE END OF A DEVELOPMENT
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 23/02/2021

On the historical territory of Bohemia and Moravia, the eleventh century is considered the final phase of the Early Medieval period. Above all, this period is characterised by structural changes, which can be seen as the culmination of previous developments. In the course of the eleventh century, the ruling Přemyslid family laid the foundations of the country’s administration relying on a network of strongholds – so-called castellan castles. New functions of these fortified settlements significantly influenced their appearance and ground-plans. This transformation can also be seen in changes of the settlement structure, and even new types of settlements emerged. Another distinct feature of the eleventh century represents the dissemination of Christianity from the elites into the lower social strata. Archaeological sources clearly corroborate that starting from the second half of the tenth century, the number of individual items in the burial equipment significantly declined. The dramatic decline, previously emphasised by archaeologists, in minor objects of material culture has been considerably compensated over the last decade due to the massive use of metal detectors. Entirely new types of archaeological finds have opened up areas for research in the field of technologies in the processing of non-ferrous metals, trade and economy.


Author(s): Marik, Jan (ARU - Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)