Emily Chan
A prehistoric settlement once inhabited by early European farmers was recently uncovered by archaeologists.
The settlement dates back around 7,000 years ago. It was identified by a team from the Archaeological Institute of the Academy of Sciences in the Czech Republic.
The settlement was located near Kutná Hora, a town in the Central Bohemian region. The discovery has provided a glimpse into the lives of early European farming communities during the Neolithic period, also known as the New Stone Age.
“The find shows us how the settlements of the older Neolithic in Central Europe looked and functioned. Although many similar settlements are known, this one is very well-preserved…and at the same time, we can perform modern analyses on it, which will provide a lot of unique data,” said Daniel Pilař, an archaeologist at the institute.
The excellent preservation of the site is due to the fact that no other settlements had been built on top of it over the following thousands of years. According to Pilař, the remains of the site were found during construction work.
After the topsoil was removed for the construction of a barn, the foundational layouts of long houses, which were the typical dwellings of the time, were revealed.
The actual long houses have not survived, but the researchers detected large pits in the ground that indicated the structures used to be there.
“Regarding the use of houses, it must be noted that until recently, most daily activities took place outside the house, and people moved inside because of the cold or rain. In the summer, most activities took place outside, from food preparation to crafts. Not least because it was simply dark in the houses,” Pilař said.
In addition, pieces of prehistoric pottery were present. The shards were scattered within the surrounding pits, which were used to mine clay and then filled with waste afterward.
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