Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 14th-century street beneath the modern surface of a city in eastern Czechia. The discovery was made in the city of Pardubice, about 100 kilometres east of Prague, during construction work near a historic gate known as the Green Gate (Zelená brána).
The excavation, carried out by the East Bohemian Museum in Pardubice, revealed a remarkably preserved layer of wooden reinforcement, known as hatě, used in the Middle Ages to stabilize streets over muddy ground. The remains were found about 1.5 metres below the current pavement on Zelenobranská Street.
Photo courtesy Regional Office of Pardubic
“According to the layering and the nature of the material finds, such as ceramic fragments, it’s clear we are in the 14th century—so Pardubice before the arrival of the Pernštejn family,” explained Tomáš Zavoral, head of the museum’s archaeological department. “It’s a find similar in age to those recorded during previous rescue excavations near the Komerční Bank building or in front of the belfry on Republic Square. However, those had a different character and did not preserve organic material.”
The ancient street reinforcement consisted of logs and branches laid crosswise, then covered with river gravel to create a more solid surface. “It was most likely a street, but due to the small exposed area we can’t rule out that the wooden surface might have been more extensive. Unfortunately, later construction activity has destroyed much of it,” Zavoral noted.
Photo courtesy Regional Office of Pardubic
Such techniques were common in medieval Europe to make urban streets passable through wetlands or unstable terrain.
“These finds are essentially the oldest material we can uncover in the city’s historic centre,” added Jan Musil, another archaeologist from the museum. “Only a few such discoveries have been made so far, which makes it difficult to precisely describe the city’s layout in the 14th century, when it was held by the Lords of Pardubice—Arnošt of Pardubice and his sons, especially his more famous son of the same name, who became the first Archbishop of Prague.”
The excavation also revealed traces of a massive defensive ditch that once surrounded the medieval city. “Under the Green Gate, we’ve found another intriguing feature, clearly showing that the medieval gate was constructed into an existing defensive ditch,” Zavoral said. “We’ve known about this ditch since 2013, when we documented it between the rear section of the library and the belfry. It continues north beneath the belfry and was also recorded beneath building no. 63 on the southern side of Pernštýnské Square.”
Photo courtesy Regional Office of Pardubic
Based on the findings, archaeologists believe that medieval Pardubice was surrounded by a ditch up to four metres deep and around 13 metres wide. However, the exact shape and structure of the city during this period remains uncertain.
The discovery sheds new light on Pardubice’s early medieval development and offers valuable insights into the city’s layout before it was transformed into a Renaissance residence by the powerful Pernštejn family. Archaeologists continue to study and document the site, which may provide further clues about the evolution of the medieval urban landscape.
Top Image: Photo courtesy Regional Office of Pardubic
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 14th-century street beneath the modern surface of a city in eastern Czechia. The discovery was made in the city of Pardubice, about 100 kilometres east of Prague, during construction work near a historic gate known as the Green Gate (Zelená brána).
The excavation, carried out by the East Bohemian Museum in Pardubice, revealed a remarkably preserved layer of wooden reinforcement, known as hatě, used in the Middle Ages to stabilize streets over muddy ground. The remains were found about 1.5 metres below the current pavement on Zelenobranská Street.
“According to the layering and the nature of the material finds, such as ceramic fragments, it’s clear we are in the 14th century—so Pardubice before the arrival of the Pernštejn family,” explained Tomáš Zavoral, head of the museum’s archaeological department. “It’s a find similar in age to those recorded during previous rescue excavations near the Komerční Bank building or in front of the belfry on Republic Square. However, those had a different character and did not preserve organic material.”
The ancient street reinforcement consisted of logs and branches laid crosswise, then covered with river gravel to create a more solid surface. “It was most likely a street, but due to the small exposed area we can’t rule out that the wooden surface might have been more extensive. Unfortunately, later construction activity has destroyed much of it,” Zavoral noted.
Such techniques were common in medieval Europe to make urban streets passable through wetlands or unstable terrain.
“These finds are essentially the oldest material we can uncover in the city’s historic centre,” added Jan Musil, another archaeologist from the museum. “Only a few such discoveries have been made so far, which makes it difficult to precisely describe the city’s layout in the 14th century, when it was held by the Lords of Pardubice—Arnošt of Pardubice and his sons, especially his more famous son of the same name, who became the first Archbishop of Prague.”
The excavation also revealed traces of a massive defensive ditch that once surrounded the medieval city. “Under the Green Gate, we’ve found another intriguing feature, clearly showing that the medieval gate was constructed into an existing defensive ditch,” Zavoral said. “We’ve known about this ditch since 2013, when we documented it between the rear section of the library and the belfry. It continues north beneath the belfry and was also recorded beneath building no. 63 on the southern side of Pernštýnské Square.”
Based on the findings, archaeologists believe that medieval Pardubice was surrounded by a ditch up to four metres deep and around 13 metres wide. However, the exact shape and structure of the city during this period remains uncertain.
The discovery sheds new light on Pardubice’s early medieval development and offers valuable insights into the city’s layout before it was transformed into a Renaissance residence by the powerful Pernštejn family. Archaeologists continue to study and document the site, which may provide further clues about the evolution of the medieval urban landscape.
Top Image: Photo courtesy Regional Office of Pardubic
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