ARCHKRA039 Archeology of the prehistoric landscape

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Summer 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Peter Kováčik, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Peter Kováčik, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jakub Novák, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Peter Kováčik, Ph.D.
Institute of Historical Sciences – Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Prerequisites
Exam
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to familiarize with the issues of archaeological research of the prehistoric landscape, understood as a variable complex of interacting natural factors and anthropogenic activities. The course will focus on learning about the structure and sub-entities and the development of the cultural landscape and for a brief overview of traditional and new methods of its research.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student will be familiar with the issues of archaeological research of the prehistoric landscape.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction – terminology, history of research, development of natural conditions in prehistoric times. 2. The landscape as a complex of residential and natural areas and the interaction of natural forces and anthropogenic activities. 3. Old residential area vs. periphery, forest, waterways, communication. 4. Paleolithic and Mesolithic - the beginnings of humanity on the "natural stage". 5. Neolithic revolution – the beginning of anthropogenic influence on the landscape. 6. Eneolithic – the time of the first hillforts and sudden fundamental changes. 7. Older and Middle Bronze Age – stabilization of the settlement structure. 8. The era of garbage fields - the demographic peak of the prehistoric period and its imprint on the landscape. 9. Protohistoric period: Celtic civilization and its influence on the landscape. The Roman era - reflections of the empire in barbarism. 10. Migration of peoples and the situation at the beginning of the Middle Ages. 11. Character and development of the influence of natural factors on prehistoric settlement 12. Prediction of prehistoric settlement based on natural factors 1 13. Prediction of prehistoric settlement based on natural factors 2
Literature
    required literature
  • Neustupný (ed.): Space in prehistoric Bohemia. Praha 1998.
  • Gojda, M.: Archeologie krajiny. Vývoj archetypů kulturní krajiny. Praha 2000.
  • Dreslerová, D. – Kočár, P. – Chuman, T.: Pravěké osídlení, půdy a zemědělské strategie. Archeologické rozhledy 68, 2016, 19-46.
    recommended literature
  • David, B. – Thomas, J. (eds.): Handbook of Landscape Archaeology. New York 2008.
  • Kováčik, P. et al.: Archeologický výzkum krajiny a aplikace ICT. Opava 2014.
  • Dreslerová, D.: Les v pravěké krajině. Archeologické rozhledy 64, 2012 199-236.
  • Kováčik, P. – Janák, V. – Śčučka, J. (eds.): Interdisciplinární výzkum krajiny na pomezí Slezska a Moravy. Opava – Ostrava – Olomouc 2020.
  • Brůna, V. – Beneš, J. (eds.): Archeologie a krajinná ekologie. Most 1994.
  • Demján, P. – Dreslerová, D.: Modeling distribution of archaeological settlement evidence based on heteregeneous spatial and temporal data. Journal of Archaological Sciences 69, May, 2016,100-109.
Teaching methods
Lecture, seminar
Assessment methods
Oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2023, Summer 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fpf/summer2025/ARCHKRA039