Seminar held by Renáta Přichystalová, Masaryk University, Czechia.

 

Early mediaeval stronghold Pohansko near Břeclav (the State of research)
The early mediaeval stronghold Pohansko is situated about 3 km southern of the town Břeclav (South Moravia) and about 12 km northern of the confluence of the Morava and Thaya rivers. Archaeological research has been going on here for more than 60 years.
Pohansko is defined as a lowland fortified central agglomeration dating from the 9th century.  The site was abandoned sometime during the second half of the 10th century, that is after the collapse of the historical geopolitical formation, which we call today Great Moravia.
The site consists of a central heavily fortified area and two suburbs - on the south and northeast side. Inside the massive stone and wooden fortification, a so-called magnate's manor was discovered, which was surrounded by a wooden palisade. Within the courtyard, residential buildings, a single-nave stone church with a semicircular apsis and a churchyard were uncovered. The second church – a rotunda – was discovered in N-E suburb of Pohansko. Rotunda was also surrounded by a cemetery.
The huge fortification probably had 4 gates leading into the stronghold, but only the gate in the eastern part of the rampart is archaeologically documented. A network of separate economic units (farmsteads) has been discovered inside the fortifications and in the area of the suburbs, which formed certain regular structures, most likely indicating a planned development of the stronghold. The settlement structures complemented dispersed burial grounds placed in between the settlement structures.
Pohansko was one of the most important centres in Great Moravia, and we can assume that it was the seat of an elite close to the ruling Mojmir dynasty.