Plasy Hillfort

Welcome to the place where time has stopped and where nature is trying with its strength to cover the tracks of ancient people. You're standing in front of the plasma archaeological site. Before you go any further, stop for a moment and observe the surroundings. Look at this narrow island you're standing on right now. Can you feel the energy of the place that was chosen for its unusual location? Three sides of this territory are surrounded by the River Shell, which acts here as a natural, impenetrable defensive wall. This water, which is now calmly flowing around, was once a key element that gave people security and protection. Feel the atmosphere of peace, but also the strategic importance that radiates this place. This narrow rock, which occupies about one hectare, has been home for thousands of years to those who have sought safe haven.

Now let's go back deep into the past together and understand why people chose this very place. This country has not always been as quiet and empty as you know it today. The first signs of human presence can be traced back to the period of eneolite, i.e. the period of copper, roughly between the years they are shaking thousands and 2,000 eighty years ago. Imagine the world back then, the world of the first farmers and people who started working with metals. This was the era of great change when mankind began to organize into larger groups. Later, at the time of the Halštats, that is, in the early iron age, this castle experienced its true bloom. Between the years of eight and four hundred fifty years before our current number of years, life was pulsing in full force. This era has brought new technologies and greater complexity of life. People here created a stable settlement that used every piece of this terrain to defend and live. The strategic position on this sharpness was not random; It was a choice between survival and extinction.

Now pay attention to what you can see right around you. Even though you will not find here today tall walls, stone towers or monumental gates, the trace of the construction works at the time is still present in the very face of the landscape. If you go towards the southern part of this site, notice the specific shape of the ground. There is a visible arch wall, which measures approximately 15 meters in length and its height is up to a meter and 20 centimeters. This wall was not only a random ridge of the earth, but an important part of the defense system, which was intended to protect the inhabitants of the castle from enemies. Even though this wall is now just a shadow of its past size, it still reminds us of the huge amount of work and effort that people had to make to secure this place. The total area of the castle, that is, this one hectare, had to be used with incredible precision to find room for homes, work and defence in this limited area.

Although we do not know the names of the particular leaders, kings or builders who built this castle, their stories are written to us in the country itself through the findings made by archaeologists here. Every such find is like a piece of lost mosaic. In the year of a thousand and nine hundred and eighty, an object was found here in the research, which enabled us to better understand the life of that time - a stone axe. Imagine the moment when someone used it to work, build or hunt thousands of years ago, and then left it here. The axe is a symbol of human art and an effort to manage the environment. Another important moment was the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, when shards of ceramics were found in the surface collection. These tiny fragments belong to the Hallatians and also to the Champ culture. Even if it's just small things, it's these shards that tell us what people ate, what containers they used to store supplies and what their daily rituals looked like. These unknown persons who lived here left us their presence through these tiny but extremely valuable clues.

If you want to think a little bit more, did you know that this place has another history related to his name? In the past, this castle was called the Upper Hradic. This name did not refer to the architecture itself, but to the village located on the opposite bank of the river. It is a fascinating example of how people in past times were oriented in the landscape and how their perception of the place was closely linked to the surrounding settlement and the course of the river. This transformation of names and looks at this place shows us how history is constantly burrowing and how new generations are trying to understand what was here before. This strategic position on a narrow sharpness has been used so perfectly for natural defence that even after thousands of years we still feel the power of this place, which has been able to become a solid fortress in the middle of flowing water.

However, we will no longer prevent you from further examination. Take a walk around, feel the rhythm of the River Shots and try to imagine the thousands of years that have taken place here. Every step of this soil is a step of history that was formed here in the time of copper and in the time of iron. Take a look at the details of the terrain, notice the shape of the waves and try to draw a picture of the settlers at the time in spirit. Thank you for choosing to make this journey in time with us. We wish you a pleasant rest of the tour and many interesting experiences in discovering the secrets of this place.