Highway construction projects in the Central Moravia region of the Czech Republic have brought to light the mysterious world of Europe's earliest agricultural societies. During excavations along the route of the D55 motorway between Kokory and Prerov, 16 'longhouse' structures dating back approximately 7,000 years were discovered. These structures provide invaluable insights into the social and economic lives of the region's first sedentary communities [1].
Traces of Massive Timber Structures
Although the timber components of these buildings constructed millennia ago have not survived, archaeologists revealed the settlement plans by tracing the structural imprints left deep within the soil. These massive structures, some reaching 36 meters in length, belong to the Linear Pottery culture (LBK), the pioneers of agricultural expansion across Central Europe. These houses served not merely as shelters but as communal hubs where extended families lived and engaged in collective production.
Research in the area indicates that these settlements consisted of more than just residential dwellings. Numerous remains of daily life, such as storage pits for food preservation and cooking ovens, were found surrounding the houses. Similar findings across the Czech Republic demonstrate how densely populated the settlement network was during the Neolithic period [2]. Discoveries near Prague, in particular, show that these early farmers deliberately selected fertile lands in close proximity to water sources [3].
Burials and Cultural Continuity
The excavations, conducted by the Archaeological Center Olomouc, documented not only residential dwellings but also 65 cremation and inhumation burials. These graves indicate that the site was utilized by various cultures over thousands of years. For instance, a grave associated with the Corded Ware culture found in the Dluhonice area yielded prestigious finds, including copper ornaments and stone tools.
Artifacts recovered from the completed excavation site are currently undergoing conservation and analysis at the Olomouc Regional Museum. Researchers are continuing detailed investigations to determine whether these 16 houses were occupied simultaneously or built sequentially over time. This discovery rewrites the narrative of how the Central European wilderness was transformed into agricultural landscapes and permanent villages.
Sources and further reading
- [1] Sixteen 7,000-Year-Old Houses Emerge Along a Czech Highway Route
- [2] Czech archaeologists discover 7,000-year-old Neolithic settlement east of Prague - Anatolian Archaeology
- [3] Archaeologists uncover 7,000-year-old settlement near Prague during road construction | Archaeology News Online Magazine
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