Rokytná: non-invasive research into the settlement structure of an early medieval centre

Abstract

Research into central places is one of the most attractive themes in archaeological investigation and includes early medieval strongholds that reflect the political and socio-economic changes of their time. Archaeological research within the territory of Moravia (the eastern half of the Czech Republic) has long tended to concentrate on resolving issues of the centres of power related to the existence of the Moravian principality in the 9th–10th century, while sites linked to the building of the Přemyslid domain in the 11th–12th century have been investigated to a lesser extent. This contribution presents the results of research into the hillfort of Rokytná, which falls within this period. The hillfort, which is also known from period written sources, governed its own administrative district and enjoyed a prominent position among Přemyslid centres in Moravia. New data on the characteristics and structure of settlement was acquired with the help of a combination of non-destructive survey methods. The principal method was a geophysical survey using the magnetometer, accompanied by archaeological fieldwalking. A comparison of the magnetometer prospection and the results of pedestrian survey indicated possible interpretational discrepancies. Despite these it was established that during the period of operation of this medieval centre the whole investigated area was densely inhabited. At the same time, it was established that the site had been disturbed by deep ploughing and the effects of erosion which heavily influenced the data.