Dobroslava Menclová : Zubštejn / Castle Zubštejn

On one of the highest rocky ledges above the Reka River, just a few kilometers from Famlje Village and near Škocjan Caves, Školj Castle is today one of the less known castles in Slovenia. For more than a century the castle is abandoned. Until the 19th century it was among the most interesting castles in Carniola because of its picturesque location and architectural design. In this article we present the results of the last architectural history research, based on study of written archive sources, literature, image sources and castle ruins. The results show the castle’s importance, that it could be possible and would be necessary to preserve and to restore his remains. Keywords: Školj, Neukhoffell, Neukofell, Noviscoglio, castle, Rauber, Ravbar, Neuhaus, Rossetti, Dekleva, Johann Weichard Valvasor, Louis François Cassas, Park Škocjanske jame, Architectural conservation, architectural history

Castrum Bene 16: Castle and Economy, Proceedings of The 16th International Castellological Conference, 2021

The inner economics and economy of any castle are always very hard to piece back together to create a whole picture of a life long gone. Especially from an archaeological perspective. Long-term excavation can reveal many important details, which may have not been previously thought of. Rokštejn Castle (Czech Republic, Jihlava district) has been excavated for over 40 years, and its many outbuildings, blacksmith’s forge, kitchens with ovens, stables, and other utility buildings can shed light into the life of the castle, and its inhabitants. Archaeological field prospection of the Castle’s hinterland made it possible to compare the Castle and its hinterland from the economical view. These economic ties are based on archaeological data and written sources. The economic situation of the hinterland brings new details, when compared with Castle’s dispositional evolution and changes during individual building phases from the late 13th century to 1467.

Present-day Pavlov is a living, wine-producing, and expanding South Moravian village (Figs. 1-2). Given the municipal and private building activities anticipated by the regional development plan, our strategy was to reserve selected zones for protection and others for construction under archaeological supervision. The sector northwest of the village of Pavlov with the most important site Pavlov I had been proposed for protection as a National Cultural Monument in 2004, and claimed by the government in 2010, with the perspective of creating an archaeopark there in the future. Private house construction has been approved and is supervised archaeologically in the sectors southeast of the village.

The Piast castle on Ostrów Tumski island in Wrocław, 2020

The article briefly presents the author's hypothesis of architectural changes in the ducal castle on Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław, which was developed based on the results of architectural studies of the relics of the castle walls uncovered in excavations in 2011-2012 and 2014, in combination with the results of laboratory tests such as petrographic and mineralogical analysis of mortars, 14 C analysis of charcoal contained in mortars and extensive analysis of brick dimensions using statistical methods. As a result, a chronological stratification into eight phases from the 12 th to 15 th centuries is proposed. Absolute dating was addressed through radiocarbon analyses and historical context.

2015

Modern science started studying the Smlednik Castle over a century and a half ago. However, what might be even more important is the fact that more or less intense conservation works have been carried out at this location for over half a century. Regardless of this there is almost no expert literature on the castle to be found: short papers can be counted on the fingers of one hand, while monograph publications are sought in vain. The situation regarding contributions that promotes cultural heritage is somewhat better. The purpose of the book in front of you is thus clear: to present the history of the research and conservation efforts as well as the findings gained from the latest research in one book. This is the English translation of the original publication in Slovenian Grad Smlednik. Raziskave 2011-2012 published in 2013. The translation differs from the original in two ways. First, it omits the appendices. Secondly, a chapter on 3D scanning of the Smlednik Castle in 2007 including interactive 3D model is added.

2011

Th e results of test excavations conducted at the medieval Dubovac Castle near Karlovac are presented in this work. Emphasis is placed on analysis of the prehistoric material, which largely dates to the fi rst half of the fi rst millennium BC and, to a lesser extent, from the fourth millennium BC. Th e stratigraphy of the site is presented together with typological and statistical analysis of the pottery. Th e researched portion of the site is situated on a conical, naturally formed mound that was also considerably shaped by human activity. Th e structures from the prehistoric period are mostly traces of habitats. An older, stone-built phase of the castle was also discovered which has not been reliably dated. Among the ceramic material, stylistic analogies were ascertained with the wider sphere of sites of the fi nal phase of the Bronze Age and the onset of the Iron Age, particularly in the Danube and Drava River zones. Based on the statistical analysis, certain technological traditions of pottery production have been distinguished. Particular attention was dedicated to the problem of the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age in the Kupa river zone, given the discovered artefacts.

In proceedings of the 12th International Conference of Archaeological Prospection, B. Jennings, Ch. Gaffney, T. Sparrow and S. Gaffney (eds.). Bradford, 2017

Castrum Bene 12, 12th International Castellological Conference: The Castle as social Space, 28.09.-2.10.2011, 2014

The castle of Vrbovec, by virtue of its position on a prominent, steep, conical hill that surmounts by around 45 m the valley of the Sutla river on its northern side, occupied a particularly advantageous geostrategic position on the border of the Kingdom of Hungary and Croatia and the German Empire. In the Middle Ages, the narrow river valleys and ravines connected the settlements and castles in the hilly landscape of the Hrvatsko Zagorje region. The examinations of stratigraphic relationships of the cultural contexts, features and structures, confirmed also by the typological-chronological analysis of archaeological finds from the pertinent layers and by the radiocarbon analyses, indicate that the life in the (stone) castle started sometime between the end of the 12th century and the third decade of the 13th century, i.e. before the Mongol invasion of 1241. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the first, wooden castle was built on that site already in the first half of the 12th century. The life in the castle continued until the end of the 15th century when it suffered a fire and mostly came into ruins. Perhaps in the very beginning of the 16th century a timber tower was erected on its ruins and life went on for several decades until the timber tower also suffered a great fire and was demolished.

Quo vadis? Status and Future Perspectives of Long-Term Excavation in Europe, Schriften des archäologischen Landesmuseums 10 (ed. by Claus von Carnap-Bornheim), 2014

For more than eleven centuries, Prague Castle has been the centre of the Bohemian state and of the most important representatives of the secular and sacred power. During the by now 140-years-lasting archaeological research a wide range of movable and immovable monuments has been studies, including churches, palaces, settlement features, burial grounds, fortifications, as well as all possible components of material culture from the period between 9th century and post-medieval times. Our aim will be in the first place to maintain the continuity of the research and in case of favourable circumstances to foster a transition from the excavation part to the processing and interpretation of the ever growing source material. This processing will lead not only to the development of archaeological recognition but the results will represent an important contribution to the discussion of the cultural identity on a local as well as national and European level.

Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2023

The castle in Nová Horka used to be the cultural centre of the Moravian-Silesian Region; it used to be called “Little Vienna”. Despite the fact there is little known about the structural development of the residence. The building archaeology survey in 2021/2022 helped to discover facilities that enabled to increase the comfort of noble people dwelling. These were parts of a heating system, system of lighting and waste disposal, and location of the castle in the landscape as well. The aim of this article is to describe and interpret these facilities in the context of development of Central-European castles. Another aim is to propose a presentation of these facilities to visitors which raises the tourist attractiveness of the castle and its neighbourhood. An educational presentation of this cultural heritage might contribute to sustainable development of this region.