Stone head from Mšecké Žehrovice
The stone head of Mšecké Žehrovice is from the third century BC. A figure from the La Tène period made from Pläner limestone . The 23.4 cm high head is the only find of a Celtic monumental sculpture from the Czech Republic and is now in the holdings of the Prague National Museum .
Find
The figure was found broken into several parts by Josef Šlajchrt on May 19, 1943 in a sand pit 500 meters south of the village of Mšecké Žehrovice . (Location: 50 ° 10 ′ 11.2 ″ N , 13 ° 55 ′ 16.8 ″ E ) During the German occupation , the head was initially hidden to prevent it from being confiscated. In 1952 Šlajchrt handed it over to the Prague National Museum. Subsequent intensive investigations of the site by the National Museum brought to light the remains of a fireplace, ceramics, bones, Gagat bracelets and a larger animal tooth. In the adjacent locality Libeň, finds were made that indicate a settlement since the Paleolithic. In addition, the remains of a Celtic square hill were found.
The original has only been presented publicly three times in the Czech Republic: in 1958 in the exhibition of the National Museum on the Early History of Czechoslovakia, in 2008 in the exhibition on the occasion of the 190th anniversary of the National Museum and in 2011 in an exhibition of the Museum Nové Strašecí on the history of the Celtic square hill Libeň and the Džbán's Gaga hoop manufacturers . It was also presented at international exhibitions in Venice (1991), Rosenheim (1993), Tokyo (1998), Avila (2001) and Bern (2009). Copies were made for further exhibitions.
In view of the tonsure and mustache , it is assumed that the person depicted was a druid or some other superior person.
