Rescue excavations in Běchovice

Rescue excavations
Area: settlement
Culture: Hallstatt, LaTéne, Middle Ages
Year: 2008
Archaeologist: L. Varadzin

Description of photographs:

1. An bird's-eye view of the site. A ditch originally probably belonging to a farming court dating to the 12th-13th centrury can be seen in the rigth part of the picture. Field works were conducted in squares measuring 3x3 metres (right below). Foundations of a destroyed farming court dating to the 18th century are still visible in the left part of the picture.

2. View on one of building pit walls with relicts of archaeological features (dark colour) dug into light sandy subsoil. Rectangular pit with flat bottom visible immediately in front is a simple house with partly sunken floor dating to the Early Iron Age, next to it is a cylindrical storage pit for grain; and, finally, one of branches of the Early Medieval farming court moat (from the 12th-13th century) can be seen to the right.

3. Frontal view on one of branches of the Early Medeival farming court moat that was dug into the sandy subsoil.

4. Another two moats belonging to the farming court are visible on building pit wall. This section clearly illustrates that the right moat is later in date since it disturbs its predecessor.

5. View on not yet destroyed area of excavations. Remaining dark soil represents prehistorical and Early Medieval complex of strata that arose there during the last 2800 years. Each layer includes many movable (bones, pottery sherds, iron objects etc.) as well as immovable finds (post-holes, storage pits, silos etc.).

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