13. 4. 2011 Slavonic burial ground near the Blanka tunnel

An important Slavic burial ground was discovered by archaeologists ten years ago during the construction of the Blanka tunnel in Prague. There were dozens of graves in which, in addition to human remains, there were also jewelry. According to the first information, the remains belonged to people who lived at Prague Castle or its forecourt.

Archaeologists at the time announced that the cemetery probably fell into the late ninth to first half of the tenth century. Experts from the Archaeological Institute of the Academy of Sciences worked on site. "So far, the graves appear to be very important with rich grave equipment," said Jana Maříková - Kubková, a spokeswoman for the institute.

The graves were relatively well preserved. Archaeologists have even found the remains of wooden structures or coffins in them. There were the remains of people who in their time probably had the opportunity to meet famous Czech princes such as Spytihněv, Bořivoj or Václav.

The dead were buried with jewelry like silver earrings or amber pearls. He also had a bucket with gold buttons, knives and one of the dead. Archaeologists concluded that these were people who had a high position. Women, children and newborns were buried in most of the graves.

Four years later, archaeologists announced that it was an early medieval burial ground from the tenth century. A total of 89 people were found in it, in 84 graves. The research started in 2008 and took place in stages. Archaeological finds delayed the overall construction of the Blanka tunnel. It passes between the national cultural monument Prague Castle and territories with significant concentrations of prehistoric and medieval settlements in Dejvice, Bubeneč and Střešovice.

Experts worked around the clock, even in the winter. "The terrain froze, it was often very difficult. In the cold, in the rain, we covered the area, it even heated in tents, "recalled archaeologist Iva Herichová.

Archaeologists have also discovered twenty-four graves with skeletal remains from the 17th to 18th centuries in the section between Patočková and Na Hubálce streets in Prague 6. The graves were placed right next to each other in two rows about twenty meters long.

Until then, the largest burial ground of the inhabitants of Prague Castle was found between 1972 and 1987 behind the riding school. Archaeologists then found 141 graves with 148 dead. The oldest tomb was even from the end of the ninth century and the youngest ever from the first half of the tenth century. Inside was the denarius of Prince Jaromír.

Sources: www.irozhlas.cz, Archaeological Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, www.lidovky.cz, www.idnes.cz