Morava (castle)
The castle Morava was a Slavic plant at Mikulčice-Valy in South Moravia . It is the largest of its kind in the Czech Republic and probably in the entire Slavic settlement area of the 9th century. Until about 871 it was the center of the Moravian Empire .
Settlement complex
The facility was on the banks of the March ( Morava ). Numerous other settlements with a total of 12 churches, 2500 graves and three wooden bridges stretched along the river. The total area of the area was approx. 50 ha. Since the river forms the border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the remains of the settlement are partly in the Czech Republic and partly in Slovakia.
The first traces of settlement date from the 7th century. The height of the settlement lies in the 2nd half of the 9th century. After that it becomes less important. The last traces of settlement can be found from the 12th century.
Morava Castle
The central facility comprised an area of approx. 10 ha. It was surrounded by an earth-wood wall. On the highest elevations of the site stood a stone palace and a three-aisled basilica . Both were surrounded by their own boundaries and formed their own districts. There were also two other settlements on the site, one of which was obviously used by craftsmen and the other by soldiers.
Settlements
Further settlements were found in the vicinity of the central castle complex:
- Štěpnice I , north and northwest, church with presbytery , 26 graves
- Kostelisko , south, rotunda with four conches, remains of a Roman mosaic
- Těšický les - Klášteřisko , east, rotunda with two apses, 200 graves
- Štepnice II near Trapikov , wooden rotunda with stone components, 16 graves
- Žabnik , 44 graves
- Panské , 9-11. century
- Trapikov , since the 9th century
- Kopčany , St. Margaret's Church , the only surviving church in the Moravian Empire, 3 graves
meaning
Soon after its discovery, the complex could be identified with the historic Morava Castle , the first center of the Moravian Empire.
The density and quality of the church buildings, which were unusual for the time, suggest that a center of the missionary activity of the Slav apostle Methodius may have been located here.
Archeologické muzeum
Today, the archaeological open-air museum of the National Monument Mikulčice-Valy is located on the site .
literature
- Lumír Poláček : Mikulčice. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 20, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2001, ISBN 3-11-017164-3 , pp. 12-17.
- Josef Poulik: Mikulčice. Sidlo a pevnost knižat velkomoravských. Prague 1975.
- Lubomír E. Havlík: Svatopluk Veliký, král Moravanů a Slovanů [Svatopluk the Great, King of the Moravians and Slavs.] Jota, Brno 1994, ISBN 80-85617-19-6 .
Web links
- Information on the excavation site, from the Masaryk Museum in Hodonín , accessed on July 29, 2016
Remarks
- ↑ Havlik, Svatopluk , pp. 34, 74-77
Coordinates: 48 ° 48 ′ 14 ″ N , 17 ° 5 ′ 12 ″ E