Since 1925, a team from the Czech Academy of Science's Institute of Archaeology has been accompanying all building activities at Prague Castle with excavation work to find important objects and clues that point to the castle's historical development. Now, almost eighty years later, they have drawn a surprising conclusion from recent discoveries, which will soon require text books to be re-written. Dita Asiedu has the story:
Czech archaeologists at Prague Castle are re-writing history as their latest findings have shown that settlements on the castle grounds existed eighty to one hundred years earlier than scientists had believed. All textbooks and history books teach that settlements were developed on the area of today's castle grounds in 880, when Prince Borivoj, the first ever baptised member of the Premyslid family, had the Church of the Virgin Mary built on the rocky headland that rises above the Vltava River, bringing Christianity to Bohemia for the first time. For Czech scientists, this was a key moment as it marked the start of a civilisation in the area. But findings during excavation work on the castle grounds prove that a thriving Slavonic settlement, which had fortified the mountain above the river with a rampart or moat was already present in the year 800. Jan Frolik is the head of the archaeological research team at Prague Castle:
Prague Castle
"We found nice archaeological evidence, layers and features such as pottery fragments and animal bones, which are commonly showing a rich and intensive settlement. But of great importance are the jewellery that was found - a silver earring, a bronze trimming of a belt, and glass beads. These items do not originate from Bohemia and these new finds changed our understandings of some older finds, especially the so-called Grave of the Warrior - a man buried in the centre of the castle with a set of weapons including a sword. This was very important because the graves with the swords from early Medieval Bohemia have only been found on two or three sites."
According to Mr Frolik, the settlement not only led a rich agricultural life but also had members of a ruling dynasty living there:
"We suppose that all the settlements had the same area as the later Prague Castle. The grave and the mentioned jewellery are perfect evidence of the presence of the social elite, probably from a ruling family, although we do not known whether it is the Premyslid family or some unknown one."
So, how important is this discovery? Does this mean that we will have to re-write school history books?
"Yes, I believe that this change is important, which means a new chapter in school history books. During April, a long-term exhibition called the Story of Prague Castle will be opened in the Royal Palace at Prague Castle. All these finds will be exhibited there and all the others too, of course."
