Exceptionally well-preserved Neolithic settlement found near Kutná Hora

Czech archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic settlement near the central Bohemian town of Kutná Hora. Built approximately 7,000 years ago, it has been exceptionally well-preserved, including the floor plans of four long houses. I discussed the details of the discovery with Daniel Pilař from the Czech Academy of Sciences’ Department of Prehistorical Archaeology.

Source: Archeologický ústav AV ČR

“This site was discovered early this spring as part of rescue excavations. We usually supervise construction work in our district and one day, in the middle of construction, we were surprised to find relics of a settlement that is not typical for this region. When we saw the house plans, we immediately knew we were dealing with a Neolithic settlement.”

Neolithic settlements have been discovered in Czechia before. What makes this one so unique?

“This site, called Dobřeň, named after a village nearby, is unique due to its state of preservation. It’s a miracle that this site was not overlaid or destroyed in later millennia. Prehistoric settlements are usually situated in the most fertile regions that are suitable for agriculture. That means that in one place there was usually a Neolithic settlement, and later also a Bronze Age or Iron Age settlement. So Neolithic settlements are very often destroyed or are harder to read from the archaeological point of view.

Photo: Daniel Pilař, Archeologický ústav AV ČR

“But with Dobřeň it’s different. We think it was only used for a short period of time, maybe by a few generations. And in the next millennia this place was never used, at least for living. So it offers us great insight into the Neolithic world.”

So what exactly have you found on the site of the settlement?

“I think the most distinct discovery are the ground plans of four houses. The houses themselves are not preserved because they were built from wood. These houses consist of five lines made of stones. They were about five metres wide and 10 to 20 metres long, so they were quite big for the time.

“Besides the houses we have found lots of pits there, which are very specific for prehistoric settlements, because these pits were used for extraction of clay that was used for the construction of houses. Later on, these pits where filled with waste. And this waste is very important for us because it offers a perfect insight into the everyday life of the Neolithic people.”

What do these objects that you have found reveal about the lives of the Neolithic people?

“We already knew that we were dealing with a settlement of the first agricultural societies that came to Central Europe from the Balkans. Based on the artefacts we can speak about the everyday activities of the people.

Photo: Daniel Pilař, Archeologický ústav AV ČR

“They used, for example, pottery for cooking and for storage. They used flint blades for hunting or harvesting grains. They used polished stone tools, such as stone axes, for carpentry or stone mills for milling the grains.

“But when we look beyond these artefacts, we can see a lot of different data that we can study thanks to modern scientific analyses. Based on them, we can make, for instance, very precise dating. They can provide information about the tools – how exactly they were used, or about the environment of the region 7,000 years ago.”

You said you assumed that this location wasn't used for a very long time. Why do you think those people settled in this particular location in the first place?

“This place looks like an ideal spot for a Neolithic settlement because it lies on a slight slow between two streams, so there is fresh water nearby. The people who settled there probably didn’t know that the soil wasn’t fertile enough. They probably lived there for several generations but in the end they left. So this area was empty until the High Medieval Era when people with absolutely different technology of agriculture came to this region and it has remained inhabited to this day.”