RESEARCH OF THE EARLY MEDIEVAL AGGLOMERATION BOJNá IN 2018. Bojná (Topoľčany district), Valy (Boj... more RESEARCH OF THE EARLY MEDIEVAL AGGLOMERATION BOJNá IN 2018. Bojná (Topoľčany district), Valy (Bojná I) and Žihľavník (Bojná III) sites, hillforts, excavation for scientific and documentation purposes, rescue excavation, Early Middle Age (8th – 10th centuries). Finds deposited at: Institute of Archaeology of SAS, Nitra. During the 12th season, research at the Valy hillfort focused on the examination of the western forecourt and rescue research of the eastern gate, in conjunction with the supervision of its reconstruction. In the area of the gateway, a fragment of the newly uncovered northern profile was excavated and documented. This complemented the documentation of the gate wing profiles from 2012 and 2013. The findings from previous seasons, when regular exploration was focused on the gate, were confirmed. An interesting finding was the discovery of the original walking horizon – a humus layer beneath the base, levelling layer of the front chamber. In the northern part of the western forecourt (area 4) in trench LI, a rectangular feature 47 (Fig. 66: 1), measuring 250 × 110 cm and 110–130 cm deep, was explored. A pit, probably a cellar, was cut into the bedrock. It included perpendicular walls and charred slabs, probably from the floor or a collapsed cover, laying on the flat bottom. A knife was found in the backfill of the feature, along with a stone triangular whetstone (Fig. 66: 2, 3). From Feature 47 samples were collected for radiocarbon dating. A date of 1165 ±30 BP (carbon from the backfill near the grinding stone) can be accepted as reliable however 950 ±30 BP (the collapsed cover) will need to be verified by the analysis of other samples. At the Bojná III Žihľavník hillfort on the Obora site in the vicinity of the mounds, trenches 8 and 9 from 2010, which intersected the double line of a very low mound, were recovered and extended to verify LiDAR images. The rampart on this site consisted of a simple soil embankment with no obvious layering, held on either side by some sort of spillway or another wall, of which only the troughs and stake pits alongside the foundations survive. In trenches 8 and 9 a layer of stones survived below the surface, which may have originally served as the lining of the bank. In the trenches on the more easily accessible opposite side of the hillfort, in the Vartovka site, the fortification proved to be more robust, with a more complex course. Also at these points, the rampart is a simple embankment with a ditch, but weakly visible layers of embankments could be observed. No structural elements were found. Similarly, no organic relics, necessary for samples for chronological analyses, could be identified. The embankments of the mounds contained no finds. However, early medieval pottery was found in the backfill of the ditches. The fortification of the Žihľavník thus remains undated. Based on the findings so far, the early medieval settlement from the inner area of the hillfort can be dated back to the 7th – 9th centuries.
The Early Latène Hillfort in Horné Orešany, West Slovakia. Preliminary report. This study is a pr... more The Early Latène Hillfort in Horné Orešany, West Slovakia. Preliminary report. This study is a preliminary report about the fortified settlement on the Hill Slepý vrch (544 m) in the Little Carpathian Mountains. The double rampart ring of the hillfort with the area of 2 ha was discovered by seekers with metal detectors and greatly damaged by illegal excavations. An important part of the finds was however won for the purposes of the research. On the site was made a surface prospection and sounding, through which a large collection of pottery and more than 1450 metal artefacts has been won. Except of a few pieces from the Hallstatt Age and the Middle Latène Age a great majority of the finds belongs to the Early Latène Period (LTA), that means to her older as well as younger phase. These two horizons were also stratigraphically documented. From the internal area of the hillfort we know many evidences of smith and jewellery production as pieces of raw stock, semi products and a big volume of smith and jewellery tools. They come from craft workshops, which were concentrated on terraces placed along the ramparts. Among the found ornaments are also 11 animal- and human-headed brooches, 10 bird-headed brooches and a few tenths box-shaped belt hooks. Iron processing is probably connected with the ancient iron ore mining,
which was proved on the hill slope. Within and also outside the ramparts at least 3 hoards of iron artefacts and two depots of bronze ornaments were found. Also weapons were often uncovered. According to some information at least 8 swords
and 60-80 spearheads were found here in the past. The explanation of the depots and the big amount of weapons is a question of another examination. As the finds of Horné Orešany and other surrounding sites have proved, west Slovakia in the
surrounding of the Little Carpathian Mountains was an important, easternmost standing region of the Celtic settlement inthe oldest phase of its expansion within the second halve of the 5. Century BC. Key words: West Slovakia, Hillfort, Early Latène Age, Crafts, Hoards, Weapons, Mask- and Animal-brooches
The Early Migration Period Hill-top Settlement in Dolná Súča, West Slovakia. The Site with a Long... more The Early Migration Period Hill-top Settlement in Dolná Súča, West Slovakia. The Site with a Long-time Tradition of Hoard Depositing. At the foot of a rock with prehistoric and early historical settlements and a medieval castle ruin, two hoards from the migration period have been found. Six hoards from the Late Bronze Age, Middle Latène Age and Early Middle Ages were also discovered here. At the end of the 4 th and the beginning of the 5 th c. the mountains in the Western Carpathians were used as refuges. The hill-top settlements are concentrated in the northern periphery of the Danubian-Suebian settlement, mostly in the Middle Váh Valley, Upper Nitra Valley and Upper Gran Valley. Their number has increased significantly due to the field surveys in recent years. One of the reasons for the settlement of mountain areas is the turbulent times during the ethnic movements of the time. Also the climatic changes cannot be excluded. The article also deals with the problem of the long-term tradition of depositing the mass finds and offers several examples of the accumulation of hoards from different eras on the 'holy mountains'.
Študijné zvesti Archeologického ústavu Slovenskej akadémie vied, May 30, 2019
The LaTène Hillfort in Stupné Find contexts of two hoards of golden coins from the end of the LaT... more The LaTène Hillfort in Stupné Find contexts of two hoards of golden coins from the end of the LaTène period were expertly documented at the hillfort in the densely populated Váh river region in northwestern Slovakia and knowldege of topography and settlement at the site was obtained. A ritual axe is evidence of activities in the Early LaTène period.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Aug 1, 1996
V članku so sežeto obravnavani predmeti južnega izvora, zlasti italski in noriški, ki so na ozeml... more V članku so sežeto obravnavani predmeti južnega izvora, zlasti italski in noriški, ki so na ozemlje Slovaške prihajali v latenski dobi. V zgodnje- in srednjelatenskem obdobju so bili uvoženi izdelki tukaj zelo redki. V poznolatenskem obdobju (v stopnjah LT D1 in D2) pa so se z blagom, uvoženim z juga, oskrbovali opidumi ob Donavi in osrednja naselja puchovske kulture na severnokarpatskem območju. V glavnem je šlo za pivske servise, sestavljene iz bronastih posod, in nakit. Precejšnja količina odlomkov italskih amfor in tere sigilate na Devinu blizu Bratislave je morda povezana z neposredno navzočnostjo Rimljanov na tem strateško pomembnem najdišču ob sotočju Morave in Donave. V opidumih so izdelovali tudi posnetke italskih izdelkov. Pomemben je bil tudi uvoz iz Norika. ki je dosegel vrhunec na začetku rimske dobe v dačanskem okolju vzhodne Slovaške in na območju puchovske kulture.This article offers concise data about southern, especially Italic and Norican, imports to the present-day Slovakian territory in the La Tene period. Foreign products were very rare in the early and middle La Tene periods. Oppida on the Danube, as well as the central settlements of the Puchov Culture in the north Carpathian region, imported various goods in the late La Tene period. The main material from the LT D1 and LT D2 stages is jewellery and fragments of bronze vessels from drinking services. The remarkable amount of Italic amphorae and sigillata fragments at Devi'n can be related to a direct Roman presence at this strategically important site at the confluence of the Morava and Danube Rivers. Many Italic products were also imitated in the oppida. The amount of imports from Noricum is also important, reaching a culmination at the beginning of the Roman period in the Dacian environment of eastern Slovakia and in the region of the Puchov Culture
Great Moravia was a minor empire in central Europe that lasted some seven decades in the ninth ce... more Great Moravia was a minor empire in central Europe that lasted some seven decades in the ninth century.Vessel glass, flat glass, and small objects were neglected for a considerable period. At present, such objects are known from the five most important localities in Moravia. Although all existing collections of finds have not yet been studied,the current state of our knowledge covers a wide range in terms of vessel types and compositions.
This paper presents chronometric research at three Iron Age extreme upland sites (EUS) in the Wes... more This paper presents chronometric research at three Iron Age extreme upland sites (EUS) in the Western Carpathians,
ruttkay m., pieta K., robak Z. 2018. reconstruction and making archaeological sites available to ... more ruttkay m., pieta K., robak Z. 2018. reconstruction and making archaeological sites available to the public-example of the early medieval sites in nitra and Bojná. Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 13, 171-186 Great moravian monuments have attracted special attention of both professionals and laypeople for a long time. in this paper we focus on only two of the Great moravian sites studied at the institute of archaeology, slovak academy of sciences (ia sas). one of the locations is nitra, the former seat of Great moravian dukes and hungarian kings founded in 828. in the 9 th century, the town was a large political and cultural centre. relics from this period (such as remains of fortifications and sacral buildings) can be found on the castle hill and in the area of old military barracks situated in the foothills of Zobor. unfortunately, some of the relics have been irreversibly lost due to the intense growth of the city and related construction activities. the second site is Bojná, with an agglomeration of five earth fortifications. the most significant of these is a twelve-hectare hillfort of valy, where we have reconstructed or marked the most interesting historical constructions in situ. here, visitors can see reconstructions of one of the gates, fragments of the impressive fortifications, and dwellings located inside the hillfort. in the village centre, they can also visit an archaeological museum. each year, thanks to successful cooperation with local communities and representatives of municipalities, the sites and their history are revived during nitra days or the st. cyril and methodius day.
The material content of the Púchov culture reflects complicated cultural relations in the Carpath... more The material content of the Púchov culture reflects complicated cultural relations in the Carpathian area. In the Early Roman Period, southern regions of the Púchov culture inclined towards Suebian cultural environment, whereas northern areas to the Przeworsk culture. Contacts between regions located north and south of the Carpathians, in the mountainous area of northern Slovakia, have been evident from the Late La Tène Period. They have been the most intensive since the 2 nd century, especially in the Roman phases B2 and B2/C1. This is particularly noticeable on the metal findings and ceramic artefacts of the Przeworsk culture in the milieu of the Púchov culture, where they influenced local production.
The objective of this article is to evaluate the results of the excavation at the site of Al-Khid... more The objective of this article is to evaluate the results of the excavation at the site of Al-Khidr on Failaka Island that was probably a port or a fishermen's settlement in the past. A very large number of stone architectural remains and artifacts have been discovered there. Al-Khidr is a typical Dilmun culture site and the settlement was probably contemporary with the known sites F3 and F6 located on the southwest coast of the island. Based on the pottery that has been processed, we preliminarily dated the site to a period between the beginning of the second millenium and approximately 1500 BC, although older settlement may have occurred, beginning at the end of the third millennium.
The study presents and analyses materials from two hillforts located in NorthWestern Slovakia, wh... more The study presents and analyses materials from two hillforts located in NorthWestern Slovakia, where the Early Roman Age skeletal graves were discovered. At that time, Púchov culture hillforts disappeared abruptly. Significant changes in ethnical composition as well as in power structure led to the modification of settlement structure in the Western Carpathians. Numerous pieces of weaponry, inventories and hoards show that both hillforts analysed in this paper were destroyed in the first decades of the Current Era. Inventories of graves containing Noric-Pannonian attire can be attributed to the same period. So far, we do not know any cemeteries or graves of members of the culture dated back to the younger La Tène and Early Roman Periods. There are only sacrificial sites with dominating cremation rituals. Female burials found on the slopes below the fortifications in Bytča-Hrabové and in Mikušovce belong-together with the older finds from Púchov-to unique finds attributed to the culture. Judging by the position of the deceased and detected fatal injuries, we can assume that these burials reflect some previously unknown ritual practices. The question of whether the deceased were members of the local culture or rather new colonisers-presumably coming from the Noricum milieu-will be answered by prepared DNA and Isotope analyses.
Študijné zvesti Archeologického ústavu Slovenskej akadémie vied, Nov 30, 2019
The early la Tène belt hook from Prašník the accidentally found iron belt hook from Prašník in we... more The early la Tène belt hook from Prašník the accidentally found iron belt hook from Prašník in western slovakia ranks among exceptional artifacts of the early Celtic art. together with the nearby centre of production and power in Horné Orešany and with the burial grounds in stupava and Bučany, it confirms that this territory belonged to the core of the oldest Celtic settlement in the Central Danube region.
RESEARCH OF THE EARLY MEDIEVAL AGGLOMERATION BOJNá IN 2018. Bojná (Topoľčany district), Valy (Boj... more RESEARCH OF THE EARLY MEDIEVAL AGGLOMERATION BOJNá IN 2018. Bojná (Topoľčany district), Valy (Bojná I) and Žihľavník (Bojná III) sites, hillforts, excavation for scientific and documentation purposes, rescue excavation, Early Middle Age (8th – 10th centuries). Finds deposited at: Institute of Archaeology of SAS, Nitra. During the 12th season, research at the Valy hillfort focused on the examination of the western forecourt and rescue research of the eastern gate, in conjunction with the supervision of its reconstruction. In the area of the gateway, a fragment of the newly uncovered northern profile was excavated and documented. This complemented the documentation of the gate wing profiles from 2012 and 2013. The findings from previous seasons, when regular exploration was focused on the gate, were confirmed. An interesting finding was the discovery of the original walking horizon – a humus layer beneath the base, levelling layer of the front chamber. In the northern part of the western forecourt (area 4) in trench LI, a rectangular feature 47 (Fig. 66: 1), measuring 250 × 110 cm and 110–130 cm deep, was explored. A pit, probably a cellar, was cut into the bedrock. It included perpendicular walls and charred slabs, probably from the floor or a collapsed cover, laying on the flat bottom. A knife was found in the backfill of the feature, along with a stone triangular whetstone (Fig. 66: 2, 3). From Feature 47 samples were collected for radiocarbon dating. A date of 1165 ±30 BP (carbon from the backfill near the grinding stone) can be accepted as reliable however 950 ±30 BP (the collapsed cover) will need to be verified by the analysis of other samples. At the Bojná III Žihľavník hillfort on the Obora site in the vicinity of the mounds, trenches 8 and 9 from 2010, which intersected the double line of a very low mound, were recovered and extended to verify LiDAR images. The rampart on this site consisted of a simple soil embankment with no obvious layering, held on either side by some sort of spillway or another wall, of which only the troughs and stake pits alongside the foundations survive. In trenches 8 and 9 a layer of stones survived below the surface, which may have originally served as the lining of the bank. In the trenches on the more easily accessible opposite side of the hillfort, in the Vartovka site, the fortification proved to be more robust, with a more complex course. Also at these points, the rampart is a simple embankment with a ditch, but weakly visible layers of embankments could be observed. No structural elements were found. Similarly, no organic relics, necessary for samples for chronological analyses, could be identified. The embankments of the mounds contained no finds. However, early medieval pottery was found in the backfill of the ditches. The fortification of the Žihľavník thus remains undated. Based on the findings so far, the early medieval settlement from the inner area of the hillfort can be dated back to the 7th – 9th centuries.
The Early Latène Hillfort in Horné Orešany, West Slovakia. Preliminary report. This study is a pr... more The Early Latène Hillfort in Horné Orešany, West Slovakia. Preliminary report. This study is a preliminary report about the fortified settlement on the Hill Slepý vrch (544 m) in the Little Carpathian Mountains. The double rampart ring of the hillfort with the area of 2 ha was discovered by seekers with metal detectors and greatly damaged by illegal excavations. An important part of the finds was however won for the purposes of the research. On the site was made a surface prospection and sounding, through which a large collection of pottery and more than 1450 metal artefacts has been won. Except of a few pieces from the Hallstatt Age and the Middle Latène Age a great majority of the finds belongs to the Early Latène Period (LTA), that means to her older as well as younger phase. These two horizons were also stratigraphically documented. From the internal area of the hillfort we know many evidences of smith and jewellery production as pieces of raw stock, semi products and a big volume of smith and jewellery tools. They come from craft workshops, which were concentrated on terraces placed along the ramparts. Among the found ornaments are also 11 animal- and human-headed brooches, 10 bird-headed brooches and a few tenths box-shaped belt hooks. Iron processing is probably connected with the ancient iron ore mining,
which was proved on the hill slope. Within and also outside the ramparts at least 3 hoards of iron artefacts and two depots of bronze ornaments were found. Also weapons were often uncovered. According to some information at least 8 swords
and 60-80 spearheads were found here in the past. The explanation of the depots and the big amount of weapons is a question of another examination. As the finds of Horné Orešany and other surrounding sites have proved, west Slovakia in the
surrounding of the Little Carpathian Mountains was an important, easternmost standing region of the Celtic settlement inthe oldest phase of its expansion within the second halve of the 5. Century BC. Key words: West Slovakia, Hillfort, Early Latène Age, Crafts, Hoards, Weapons, Mask- and Animal-brooches
The Early Migration Period Hill-top Settlement in Dolná Súča, West Slovakia. The Site with a Long... more The Early Migration Period Hill-top Settlement in Dolná Súča, West Slovakia. The Site with a Long-time Tradition of Hoard Depositing. At the foot of a rock with prehistoric and early historical settlements and a medieval castle ruin, two hoards from the migration period have been found. Six hoards from the Late Bronze Age, Middle Latène Age and Early Middle Ages were also discovered here. At the end of the 4 th and the beginning of the 5 th c. the mountains in the Western Carpathians were used as refuges. The hill-top settlements are concentrated in the northern periphery of the Danubian-Suebian settlement, mostly in the Middle Váh Valley, Upper Nitra Valley and Upper Gran Valley. Their number has increased significantly due to the field surveys in recent years. One of the reasons for the settlement of mountain areas is the turbulent times during the ethnic movements of the time. Also the climatic changes cannot be excluded. The article also deals with the problem of the long-term tradition of depositing the mass finds and offers several examples of the accumulation of hoards from different eras on the 'holy mountains'.
Študijné zvesti Archeologického ústavu Slovenskej akadémie vied, May 30, 2019
The LaTène Hillfort in Stupné Find contexts of two hoards of golden coins from the end of the LaT... more The LaTène Hillfort in Stupné Find contexts of two hoards of golden coins from the end of the LaTène period were expertly documented at the hillfort in the densely populated Váh river region in northwestern Slovakia and knowldege of topography and settlement at the site was obtained. A ritual axe is evidence of activities in the Early LaTène period.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Aug 1, 1996
V članku so sežeto obravnavani predmeti južnega izvora, zlasti italski in noriški, ki so na ozeml... more V članku so sežeto obravnavani predmeti južnega izvora, zlasti italski in noriški, ki so na ozemlje Slovaške prihajali v latenski dobi. V zgodnje- in srednjelatenskem obdobju so bili uvoženi izdelki tukaj zelo redki. V poznolatenskem obdobju (v stopnjah LT D1 in D2) pa so se z blagom, uvoženim z juga, oskrbovali opidumi ob Donavi in osrednja naselja puchovske kulture na severnokarpatskem območju. V glavnem je šlo za pivske servise, sestavljene iz bronastih posod, in nakit. Precejšnja količina odlomkov italskih amfor in tere sigilate na Devinu blizu Bratislave je morda povezana z neposredno navzočnostjo Rimljanov na tem strateško pomembnem najdišču ob sotočju Morave in Donave. V opidumih so izdelovali tudi posnetke italskih izdelkov. Pomemben je bil tudi uvoz iz Norika. ki je dosegel vrhunec na začetku rimske dobe v dačanskem okolju vzhodne Slovaške in na območju puchovske kulture.This article offers concise data about southern, especially Italic and Norican, imports to the present-day Slovakian territory in the La Tene period. Foreign products were very rare in the early and middle La Tene periods. Oppida on the Danube, as well as the central settlements of the Puchov Culture in the north Carpathian region, imported various goods in the late La Tene period. The main material from the LT D1 and LT D2 stages is jewellery and fragments of bronze vessels from drinking services. The remarkable amount of Italic amphorae and sigillata fragments at Devi'n can be related to a direct Roman presence at this strategically important site at the confluence of the Morava and Danube Rivers. Many Italic products were also imitated in the oppida. The amount of imports from Noricum is also important, reaching a culmination at the beginning of the Roman period in the Dacian environment of eastern Slovakia and in the region of the Puchov Culture
Great Moravia was a minor empire in central Europe that lasted some seven decades in the ninth ce... more Great Moravia was a minor empire in central Europe that lasted some seven decades in the ninth century.Vessel glass, flat glass, and small objects were neglected for a considerable period. At present, such objects are known from the five most important localities in Moravia. Although all existing collections of finds have not yet been studied,the current state of our knowledge covers a wide range in terms of vessel types and compositions.
This paper presents chronometric research at three Iron Age extreme upland sites (EUS) in the Wes... more This paper presents chronometric research at three Iron Age extreme upland sites (EUS) in the Western Carpathians,
ruttkay m., pieta K., robak Z. 2018. reconstruction and making archaeological sites available to ... more ruttkay m., pieta K., robak Z. 2018. reconstruction and making archaeological sites available to the public-example of the early medieval sites in nitra and Bojná. Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 13, 171-186 Great moravian monuments have attracted special attention of both professionals and laypeople for a long time. in this paper we focus on only two of the Great moravian sites studied at the institute of archaeology, slovak academy of sciences (ia sas). one of the locations is nitra, the former seat of Great moravian dukes and hungarian kings founded in 828. in the 9 th century, the town was a large political and cultural centre. relics from this period (such as remains of fortifications and sacral buildings) can be found on the castle hill and in the area of old military barracks situated in the foothills of Zobor. unfortunately, some of the relics have been irreversibly lost due to the intense growth of the city and related construction activities. the second site is Bojná, with an agglomeration of five earth fortifications. the most significant of these is a twelve-hectare hillfort of valy, where we have reconstructed or marked the most interesting historical constructions in situ. here, visitors can see reconstructions of one of the gates, fragments of the impressive fortifications, and dwellings located inside the hillfort. in the village centre, they can also visit an archaeological museum. each year, thanks to successful cooperation with local communities and representatives of municipalities, the sites and their history are revived during nitra days or the st. cyril and methodius day.
The material content of the Púchov culture reflects complicated cultural relations in the Carpath... more The material content of the Púchov culture reflects complicated cultural relations in the Carpathian area. In the Early Roman Period, southern regions of the Púchov culture inclined towards Suebian cultural environment, whereas northern areas to the Przeworsk culture. Contacts between regions located north and south of the Carpathians, in the mountainous area of northern Slovakia, have been evident from the Late La Tène Period. They have been the most intensive since the 2 nd century, especially in the Roman phases B2 and B2/C1. This is particularly noticeable on the metal findings and ceramic artefacts of the Przeworsk culture in the milieu of the Púchov culture, where they influenced local production.
The objective of this article is to evaluate the results of the excavation at the site of Al-Khid... more The objective of this article is to evaluate the results of the excavation at the site of Al-Khidr on Failaka Island that was probably a port or a fishermen's settlement in the past. A very large number of stone architectural remains and artifacts have been discovered there. Al-Khidr is a typical Dilmun culture site and the settlement was probably contemporary with the known sites F3 and F6 located on the southwest coast of the island. Based on the pottery that has been processed, we preliminarily dated the site to a period between the beginning of the second millenium and approximately 1500 BC, although older settlement may have occurred, beginning at the end of the third millennium.
The study presents and analyses materials from two hillforts located in NorthWestern Slovakia, wh... more The study presents and analyses materials from two hillforts located in NorthWestern Slovakia, where the Early Roman Age skeletal graves were discovered. At that time, Púchov culture hillforts disappeared abruptly. Significant changes in ethnical composition as well as in power structure led to the modification of settlement structure in the Western Carpathians. Numerous pieces of weaponry, inventories and hoards show that both hillforts analysed in this paper were destroyed in the first decades of the Current Era. Inventories of graves containing Noric-Pannonian attire can be attributed to the same period. So far, we do not know any cemeteries or graves of members of the culture dated back to the younger La Tène and Early Roman Periods. There are only sacrificial sites with dominating cremation rituals. Female burials found on the slopes below the fortifications in Bytča-Hrabové and in Mikušovce belong-together with the older finds from Púchov-to unique finds attributed to the culture. Judging by the position of the deceased and detected fatal injuries, we can assume that these burials reflect some previously unknown ritual practices. The question of whether the deceased were members of the local culture or rather new colonisers-presumably coming from the Noricum milieu-will be answered by prepared DNA and Isotope analyses.
Študijné zvesti Archeologického ústavu Slovenskej akadémie vied, Nov 30, 2019
The early la Tène belt hook from Prašník the accidentally found iron belt hook from Prašník in we... more The early la Tène belt hook from Prašník the accidentally found iron belt hook from Prašník in western slovakia ranks among exceptional artifacts of the early Celtic art. together with the nearby centre of production and power in Horné Orešany and with the burial grounds in stupava and Bučany, it confirms that this territory belonged to the core of the oldest Celtic settlement in the Central Danube region.
BOJNÁ 3. POĽNOHOSPODÁRSKE NÁRADIE Z HRADISKA VALY A JEHO ZÁZEMIA, 2020
The archaeological project of systematic research of early medieval fortifications in Bojná and t... more The archaeological project of systematic research of early medieval fortifications in Bojná and their hinterland is unique with its extent, the amount of obtained sources and achieved results. The system of five fortifications and the central hillfort of Bojná I – Valy in particular, have provided exceptionally precious information exceeding the local or regional frame in many aspects. The field works organized by a work-group of the Institute of Archaeology of SAS have been carried out since 2007 and they have been published several times. The beginnings of the agglomeration reach back to the 7th century and it reached its greatest extent and power importance in the Great Moravian period. It was undoubtedly associated with the control of the local sources of gold and iron ore as well as with the location on the border of intensely settled regions of the Nitra and Váh rivers. One of the unsolved topics is still absent economic hinterland of the centre of power, which is directly associated with the question of supplying the local community with food and is in contrast with the number of agricultural tools discovered in features, settlement layers and hoards at the hillfort of Bojná I – Valy. The aim of the presented publication is categorization (textual and graphic), spatial and typological analysis and evaluation of the farm tools from the hillfort of Bojná I – Valy and its hinterland.
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Papers by Karol Pieta
During the 12th season, research at the Valy hillfort focused on the examination of the western forecourt and rescue research of the eastern gate, in conjunction with the supervision of its reconstruction. In the area of the gateway, a fragment of the newly uncovered northern profile was excavated and documented. This complemented the documentation of the gate wing profiles from 2012 and 2013. The findings from previous seasons, when regular exploration was focused on the gate, were confirmed. An interesting finding was the discovery of the original walking horizon – a humus layer beneath the base, levelling layer of the front chamber. In the northern part of the western forecourt (area 4) in trench LI, a rectangular feature 47 (Fig. 66: 1), measuring 250 × 110 cm and 110–130 cm deep, was explored. A pit, probably a cellar, was cut into the bedrock. It included perpendicular walls and charred slabs, probably from the floor or a collapsed cover, laying on the flat bottom. A knife was found in the backfill of the feature, along with a stone triangular whetstone (Fig. 66: 2, 3). From Feature 47 samples were collected for radiocarbon dating. A date of 1165 ±30 BP (carbon from the backfill near the grinding stone) can be accepted as reliable however 950 ±30 BP (the collapsed cover) will need to be verified by the analysis of other samples. At the Bojná III Žihľavník hillfort on the Obora site in the vicinity of the mounds, trenches 8 and 9 from 2010, which intersected the double line of a very low mound, were recovered and extended to verify LiDAR images. The rampart on this site consisted of a simple soil embankment with no obvious layering, held on either side by some sort of spillway or another wall, of which only the troughs and stake pits alongside the foundations survive. In trenches 8 and 9 a layer of stones survived below the surface, which may have originally served as the lining of the bank. In the trenches
on the more easily accessible opposite side of the hillfort, in the Vartovka site, the fortification proved to be more robust, with a more complex course. Also at these points, the rampart is a simple embankment with a ditch, but weakly visible layers of embankments could be observed. No structural elements were found. Similarly, no organic relics, necessary for samples for chronological analyses, could be identified. The embankments of the mounds contained no finds. However, early medieval pottery was found in the backfill of the ditches. The fortification of the Žihľavník thus remains undated. Based on the findings so far, the early medieval settlement from the inner area of the hillfort can be dated back to the 7th – 9th centuries.
which was proved on the hill slope. Within and also outside the ramparts at least 3 hoards of iron artefacts and two depots of bronze ornaments were found. Also weapons were often uncovered. According to some information at least 8 swords
and 60-80 spearheads were found here in the past. The explanation of the depots and the big amount of weapons is a question of another examination. As the finds of Horné Orešany and other surrounding sites have proved, west Slovakia in the
surrounding of the Little Carpathian Mountains was an important, easternmost standing region of the Celtic settlement inthe oldest phase of its expansion within the second halve of the 5. Century BC. Key words: West Slovakia, Hillfort, Early Latène Age, Crafts, Hoards, Weapons, Mask- and Animal-brooches
During the 12th season, research at the Valy hillfort focused on the examination of the western forecourt and rescue research of the eastern gate, in conjunction with the supervision of its reconstruction. In the area of the gateway, a fragment of the newly uncovered northern profile was excavated and documented. This complemented the documentation of the gate wing profiles from 2012 and 2013. The findings from previous seasons, when regular exploration was focused on the gate, were confirmed. An interesting finding was the discovery of the original walking horizon – a humus layer beneath the base, levelling layer of the front chamber. In the northern part of the western forecourt (area 4) in trench LI, a rectangular feature 47 (Fig. 66: 1), measuring 250 × 110 cm and 110–130 cm deep, was explored. A pit, probably a cellar, was cut into the bedrock. It included perpendicular walls and charred slabs, probably from the floor or a collapsed cover, laying on the flat bottom. A knife was found in the backfill of the feature, along with a stone triangular whetstone (Fig. 66: 2, 3). From Feature 47 samples were collected for radiocarbon dating. A date of 1165 ±30 BP (carbon from the backfill near the grinding stone) can be accepted as reliable however 950 ±30 BP (the collapsed cover) will need to be verified by the analysis of other samples. At the Bojná III Žihľavník hillfort on the Obora site in the vicinity of the mounds, trenches 8 and 9 from 2010, which intersected the double line of a very low mound, were recovered and extended to verify LiDAR images. The rampart on this site consisted of a simple soil embankment with no obvious layering, held on either side by some sort of spillway or another wall, of which only the troughs and stake pits alongside the foundations survive. In trenches 8 and 9 a layer of stones survived below the surface, which may have originally served as the lining of the bank. In the trenches
on the more easily accessible opposite side of the hillfort, in the Vartovka site, the fortification proved to be more robust, with a more complex course. Also at these points, the rampart is a simple embankment with a ditch, but weakly visible layers of embankments could be observed. No structural elements were found. Similarly, no organic relics, necessary for samples for chronological analyses, could be identified. The embankments of the mounds contained no finds. However, early medieval pottery was found in the backfill of the ditches. The fortification of the Žihľavník thus remains undated. Based on the findings so far, the early medieval settlement from the inner area of the hillfort can be dated back to the 7th – 9th centuries.
which was proved on the hill slope. Within and also outside the ramparts at least 3 hoards of iron artefacts and two depots of bronze ornaments were found. Also weapons were often uncovered. According to some information at least 8 swords
and 60-80 spearheads were found here in the past. The explanation of the depots and the big amount of weapons is a question of another examination. As the finds of Horné Orešany and other surrounding sites have proved, west Slovakia in the
surrounding of the Little Carpathian Mountains was an important, easternmost standing region of the Celtic settlement inthe oldest phase of its expansion within the second halve of the 5. Century BC. Key words: West Slovakia, Hillfort, Early Latène Age, Crafts, Hoards, Weapons, Mask- and Animal-brooches
with its extent, the amount of obtained sources and achieved results. The system of five fortifications and the central hillfort
of Bojná I – Valy in particular, have provided exceptionally precious information exceeding the local or regional frame in
many aspects. The field works organized by a work-group of the Institute of Archaeology of SAS have been carried out since
2007 and they have been published several times. The beginnings of the agglomeration reach back to the 7th century and
it reached its greatest extent and power importance in the Great Moravian period. It was undoubtedly associated with the
control of the local sources of gold and iron ore as well as with the location on the border of intensely settled regions of the
Nitra and Váh rivers. One of the unsolved topics is still absent economic hinterland of the centre of power, which is directly
associated with the question of supplying the local community with food and is in contrast with the number of agricultural
tools discovered in features, settlement layers and hoards at the hillfort of Bojná I – Valy. The aim of the presented publication is categorization (textual and graphic), spatial and typological analysis and evaluation of the farm tools from the hillfort
of Bojná I – Valy and its hinterland.