ARCHSTN007 Archeology of the Czech lands - early and high Middle Ages

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Winter 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Peter Kováčik, Ph.D. (lecturer)
PhDr. et PhDr. Markéta Tymonová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Peter Kováčik, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Peter Kováčik, Ph.D.
Institute of Historical Sciences – Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Timetable
Wed 12:15–13:50 H7
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
ARCHSTN007/A: Wed 13:55–14:40 H7, P. Kováčik
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the history of the early and high Middle Ages in the Czech lands and Europe.
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 content of the course will be to introduce students to the basic issues of early medieval and high medieval archeology in our countries with the necessary overlaps into neighboring areas. At the beginning, they will be familiar with the basic characteristics, chronology and periodization of the period, as well as with the basic terminology and methodology of the subject, as well as with a brief overview of the history of research and basic sources of information. Subsequently, the audience will be introduced to the development of settlements, to individual types and types of localities (settlements, exploitation and production areas, cemeteries and religious places, communication routes, etc.) and their sub-parts (e.g. dwellings, farm buildings, sacred buildings, fortifications) affecting their most important urban aspects. The subject of interest will naturally be mobile objects of material culture (incl. exploitation of raw materials, production and exchange), but also possibilities of reconstruction of spiritual culture based on archaeological findings from this period. The seminar will be focused on the active work of the students (research, reports, essays) using basic specialized literature and archival sources, namely on partial topics, limited chronologically, geographically, as needed or and a kind of material sources. At the same time, students' work should also reflect the broad interdisciplinary scope of archeology of the Middle Ages.
Learning outcomes
Identification of material sources from the given period. Use of written sources. Evaluation of scientific findings. Analysis of professional text.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction – definition, terminology, chronology and periodization, history of research and methodology. 2. The beginnings of the Slavs - origin and migration, early Slavic period, Avar and Frankish influences. 3. Great Moravian period 1. 4. Great Moravian period 2. 5. Youth period 1. 6. Youthful period 2. 7. Material culture of the early Middle Ages (incl. exploitation of raw materials, production and exchange). 8. Archeology of the colonization village. 9. Archeology of non-urban residences of elites. 10. Archeology of the first medieval cities. 11. Archeology of church architecture. 12. Archeology of high medieval exploitation, production and exchange. 13. Material culture of the High Middle Ages.
Literature
    required literature
  • Procházka, R.: Archeologie a poznání moravských a slezských měst. Archaeologia historica 32, 2007, 37-80.
  • Černý, E.: Výsledky výzkumu zaniklých středověkých osad a jejich plužin. Historicko – geografická studie v regionu Drahanské vrchoviny. Brno 1992.
  • Unger, J.: Archeologie středověku. Odraz života lidí v archeologických pramenech. Hradec Králové 2008.
    recommended literature
  • Nekuda, V. – Reichertová, K.: Středověká keramika v Čechách a na Moravě. Brno 1968.
  • LeGoff, J.: Kultura středověké Evropy. Praha 2005.
  • Smetánka, Z.: Legenda o Ostojovi. Archeologie obyčejného života v raně středověkých Čechách. Praha 1992.
  • Hoffmann, F.: Středověké město v Čechách a na Moravě. Praha 2009.
  • Wieczorek, A. – Hinz, H-M.: Europas Mitte um 1000. Beiträgezur Geschichte, Kunst und Archäologie 1-3, Stuttgart 2000. (česká mutace Střed. Evropy okolo roku 1000, svazky 1,2, katalog. Praha 2016).
  • Vařeka, P.: Archeologie středověkého domu. I. Proměny vesnického obydlí v Evropě v průběhu staletí. Plzeň 2004.
  • Lutovský, M.: Raně středověká archeologie v Čechách. Úvod do studia. Hradec Králové 2009.
  • Carver, M. – Klápště, J. (ed.): The Archaeology of Medieval Europe. Vol. 2. Twelfth to Sixteenth Centuries AD. Aarhus 2007.
  • Chropovský, B.: Slované. Historický, politický a kulturní vývoj a význam. Praha 1989.
  • Smetánka, Z.: Hledání zmizelého věku. Praha 1987.
  • Časopis Archaeologica historica.
  • Klápště, J.: Proměna českých zemí ve středověku. Praha 2005.
  • Klápště, J.: Das frühmittelalterliche Dorf in Böhmen und Mähren: Glanz und Elend des aktuellen Forschungsstandes. In: Jeute, G. H. - Schneeweiß, J. - Theune, C. (eds.): Aedificatio terrae. Beiträge zur Umwelt und Siedlungsarcheologie Mitteleuropas. Fests
  • Graham-Cambell, J. – Valor, M. (ed.): The Archaeology of Medieval Europe. Vol. 1. Eighth to Twelfth Centuries AD. Aarhus 2007.
  • Procházka, R.: Vývoj opevňovací techniky na Moravě a v českém Slezsku v raném středověku. Brno 2009.
Teaching methods
Lectures and seminars.
Assessment methods
Oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2023, Winter 2023.
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