Archaeologists in the Czech Republic have uncovered more than 1,000 artifacts along a stretch of future high-speed railway, including a rare Roman-era tool used to draw metal wire. Experts say the find is exceptional for Central Europe.
The discovery came during a rescue excavation along a 1.2-kilometer (0.75-mile) section of the planned Nezamyslice-Kojetín railway line. The Archaeological Centre Olomouc led the fieldwork from April through October last year.
The site lies in the Haná River valley and reveals layers of settlement dating from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman period.
Rare Roman wire-drawing tool discovered in the Czech Republic
The most striking single find was a well-preserved “calibration plate” from the Roman era. The plate was used to thin and shape metal wire by drawing it through a series of holes. Rust and possible metal traces were found inside those holes.
Archaeologist Pavel Moš said the plate will undergo spectrometric analysis to identify what material was used. He added that a wire drawn through such a tool likely served in making chain mail armor.
Researchers say this Roman wire-drawing tool found in the Czech Republic ranks among the rarest of its kind in Central Europe.
The site also showed clear evidence of the Věteřov culture from the Early Bronze Age. Archaeologists found remains of post-frame houses with walls once woven with branches and coated with clay.
When these structures burned, the baked clay preserved construction details, including surface finishes and impressions of wooden rods. Finds from this period included ceramic vessels, spindle whorls, beads, and a bronze pin with a Cypriot-style head.
Two burial sites within the settlement were also uncovered. One held the remains of an adult buried alongside a child.
Six human skulls arranged side by side baffled experts
The Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age also left a strong mark on the site. Four separate features contained partial human remains. One held six human skulls placed side by side in the fill of a pit.
Lead archaeologist Arkadiusz Tajer noted that people of this culture typically cremated their dead. The presence of only partial remains points to a specific ritual practice, though further anthropological analysis is needed to confirm this.
Near the edge of the prehistoric settlement, researchers found stone casting molds and crucible fragments used for melting and shaping bronze. A collection of bronze objects, including small axes, pins, a bracelet, and a knife, was also recovered. Tajer said laboratory tests will confirm whether these items were produced on the site itself.
The excavation is part of a broader railway modernization project between Brno and Přerov, commissioned by the Czech Railway Administration. All recovered materials are now being cleaned, conserved, and analyzed at the Archaeological Centre Olomouc.
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