Moravičany, Šumperk distr., Olomouc Region

Prehistoric cemetery and medieval fortified settlement

(13th–5th cent. BC, 8th–13th cent.)

Moravičany, excavation of Lusatian graves in the Dílečky field in 1954.

Moravičany, excavation of Lusatian graves in the Dílečky field in 1954.

Photo Archieve of K. Faltýnek.

The area includes the largest cremation cemetery of the Lusatian Urnfield culture in Moravia and the multicultural fortified Na Soutoku ('at the confluence') settlement at St George’s Church, near a ford across the Morava River. Since the mid-20th century, archaeological excavations have uncovered 1,260 graves on a surface of 1,800 m2. In the oldest period, the graves were covered by large barrows with stone constructions; there were up to 80 cremation grounds brtween them. The Na Soutoku settlement surrounding St George’s Church contained around 31 skeletal graves from the 11th–13th centuries. Trial trenches have yielded, apart from material from various prehistoric periods, the remains of an early medieval earthwork and ditch (total breadth of up to 10 m). The area contained a large number of interesting finds (artefacts of bronze, iron, glass and amber from prehistory, S-shaped temple rings and a Roman coin used as Charon’s obol from the Late Hillfort period).

References: Lutovský 2001; Sklenář – Sklenářová – Slabina 2002; Nekvasil 2005; Šlézar 2013b.

Navigation point: N 49°45‘36.93“, E 16°57‘21.70“ (Dílečky).

Map notes: A – cremation cemetery of the Lusatian Urnfield culture; B – multicultural settlement; C – Great Moravian cemetery; D – ford over the Morava River; E – hollow ways; F – hillfort of Stavenice. Map symbols are available in the Downloads section.

Selected fulltext articles and reports for further reading. Complete bibliographical records are available in the Downloads section as the List of publications.

Sto zajímavých archeologických lokalit Moravy a Slezska – Moravičany