CELTS IN MORAVIA

Celtic history of the Moravian region

Celts in Moravia - Celts are the oldest documented ethnicity north of the Alps. The crystallization center of this population was the territory of southwestern Bohemia, Bavaria, eastern France and adjacent parts of Switzerland. From there, starting in the 5th century BC, they settled all of Western and Central Europe in several waves. They are thus the first known ethnic group that significantly influenced the fate of our territory, where they occupied the most fertile parts of the country. Bohemia was inhabited by the Bój tribe, while Moravia was inhabited by the Volková-Tektoság tribe.

The first wave of the Celtic influx hit the territory of Moravia during the 5th century, the second in the first half of the fourth century. The second wave of Celts is characterized by flat burial grounds, of which we record 250 in Moravia. The stratification of the graves shows the stratification of the society of that time.

In addition to the graves of warriors in full armor, we discover graves with only average equipment, but also graves completely poor with a minimum of alms or completely without them. They buried their dead in a stretched position on their backs, with their hands along their bodies, their heads to the north. Unlike the previous Hallstatt period, the graves were not covered by mounds, hence the designation flat burial grounds. Over time, however, the cremation of the deceased prevailed over skeletal burials, and cremation became the only form of burial rite for a time. However, we do not know burials at all from the late La Tène period (course of the 1st century BC), from all over the Celts occupied Central Europe. This is undoubtedly related to their beliefs, which resulted in a simplification of the funeral rite.

Undoubtedly, small metal sculptures, found in relatively large numbers in housing estates, are related to religion and cult. They depict various animals (boar, dog, goat, roe deer, but also birds) and, exceptionally, human figures. The Celtic Pantheon numbered over 400 gods. The most famous are Taranis - god of heaven and thunder, Teutates - god of the tribe (protecting the warriors and ensuring prosperity), Lug - god of trade and crafts, Epona - goddess of water. They worshiped their gods in sacred places — in groves, by springs, by wells, and in caves, where they offered incredibly rich sacrifices, except for gold and silver.

The mediators between the world of men and the gods were priests - druids. Caesar's "Notes on the Gallic War" states that there are only two states in Gaul (the land of the Celts) that mean anything; riders (important warriors) and druids. However, the role of the Druids was much broader. In addition to the necessary rituals, they made astronomical observations and were defenders of traditions and law.

Celts in Moravia - the fact that, for example, in the Prostějovsk Region we have 150 settlements of an agrarian nature speaks to the intensity of Celtic settlement. This number is certainly not complete.

Next to the town of Staré Hradisko, the most fortified locality of the 35-hectare area in Němčice nad Hanou can be considered the most important locality of the Prostějov region. there is a documented local metal smelter for casting bronze objects, the minting of the first Celtic coins (from the housing estate today we record more than 1000 pieces of various denominations) and the oldest documented glass workshop in Europe, which produced glass beads and probably bracelets. About 2,000 glasses were found here, of which 500 fragments of bracelets, which is the second largest number after the Bavarian oppidum in Manching. The biggest surprise is the extensive collection of imported coins, originating from almost the entire ancient world. Engravings from Greece, Rome, Carthage, Egypt, Sicily and Messalia are represented. They are a proof of long-distance trade and very lively contacts with the then known world.

Němčice - bronze sculptures

Important localities of Central Moravia

Thanks to the newly made findings, the well-presented Němčice nad Hanou is a key locality with a huge potential of information from all parts of the Celtic world.

Long before them, the findings of Starý Hradisko attracted the attention of the inhabitants of the wider area, which, thanks to archaeological research in the first decades of the 20th century, proved to be the first Moravian Celtic oppidum. The place has been known since the Middle Ages, and the findings of the aforementioned amber. The first mention of "mirrze" (amber) comes from land records from 1519 and in 1522 in the chronicle of the Bishop of Olomouc Dubravia. It is also marked on the map of J.A. Comenius from 1627. The first comprehensive archaeological research in Czechoslovakia took place in Starý Hradisko in the 1930s, at the instigation of J. Böhm from the Institute of Archeology in Prague, which J. Medun continued in the 1960s and 1990s. and M. Čižmář from the Archaeological Institute of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in Brno.

The excavations provided important insights into the structure of buildings, fortifications and the level of handicraft production, including evidence of contacts with the Mediterranean. Amber processing was one of the important specialties of local craftsmen. However, Staré Hradisko is not the only locality in the Prostějov region. This includes Hostýn and probably Kotouč u Štramberku, destroyed, unfortunately, by stone quarrying.

Němčice - golden stater

Klenovice - bronze sculpture