Přistoupim Hillfort

Welcome to the archaeological site Přistoupim. You have just entered the space where time has stopped and where nature is gradually trying to take control of traces of ancient human activity. You are standing in a place of enormous importance to our history, and although you may now seem to be looking at only a slight ripple of terrain and green surfaces, in fact you are directly above the remnants of a mighty castle. Let yourself be carried away by the atmosphere of this place for a while and try to imagine what this top, known as Little Chance, looked like over a thousand years ago.

Look around you at this strategically placed top. It was this position that gave him the strength and importance that made people settle here at the end of the eighth century. It is a fascinating idea that here, in the heart of today's Central Bohemia region, the foundations of later society were formed. However, the main era of this place, its greatest bloom, took place in the ninth century. This was a time of great transformation, a time when the fort became an important centre, which had to be not only inhabited, but above all well protected. Přistoupim, which is also called Svatoclava's chance, was not just an ordinary settlement, but a complex fortified space that had to face the sudden dangers of the time.

If you look around now, try to draw the scope of the complex in spirit. What you see is just a small part of something much bigger. The whole castle was situated on a large area of approximately seven and a half hectares. Imagine the vast area that people had to build and maintain in the ninth century. The architecture of this place was very thoughtful. The fort was not one enclosed space, but it was divided into two parts. One part was the main core, and the other part was the so-called frontline. At that time, this two-level defense was the cutting edge of engineering and provided a much higher level of safety for the population.

Now pay attention to the terrain itself. Even if you no longer see tall wooden palisades or massive castle walls, their tracks are still visible in the shape of the earth. Note in particular the east and south-east sides of this table. It is here that the fouls that once formed an impenetrable barrier for enemies are best preserved. These earth structures were a key element of defence, and even after many centuries of erosion and the action of elements, they still remind us how people fought back at the time. When you look at these shapes, you see essentially the geometry of ancient security.

In order to talk about this place today and know what happened here, people with incredible patience and passion for science had to get into work. Working with this history is not easy because most of the most important is hidden deep beneath the surface of the earth. The key figure for understanding Přistoupim was Jaroslav Kudrnáč. In the 1950s, he led extensive archaeological research here, which fundamentally changed our view of this castle. Thanks to his efforts and precise work with every piece of material found, we understood that there was a much more complex system than they originally thought.

Archaeology is like writing giant puzzles where most pieces are lost in time. To determine exactly when people lived in this castle, scientists needed something more than walls themselves. They needed factual evidence. And it's here that one of the greatest attractions of this place comes on stage. In the excavation, ceramic fragments were found, which archaeologists described as ceramics with the impact of the boy's horizon. It may sound like a complicated technical term, but it's actually an incredibly important key. It was thanks to these small, broken pieces of vessels that were found here that it was possible to give the entire castle an accurate date. These shards of glass, as small messengers from the past, tell us that the peak period of this place really falls into the ninth century. Without them, this place would remain an anonymous design without a clear story.

But science didn't stop at shovels and hookers. Modern technologies, such as geophysical measurements, were also used here at the end of the twentieth century. This method allowed us to look underground without the need to dig every meter. With these measurements, fortification lines were discovered, which would otherwise remain hidden beneath the layers of clay and grass. Thanks to this, we now know exactly what direction the wall line was going and how the whole area was organized. This combination of old craft and modern science allowed us to perceive this place throughout its width and depth.

It is fascinating to think that this place was officially declared a cultural monument in 1965. This is not only a formal recognition, but an expression of how valuable these traces of our ancestors are. Přistoupim is not just a pile of dirt, it is a living document of our roots.

Now, please, continue your walk and leave yourself to the field management. Try to find traces of those people who built their homes here over a thousand years ago, protected their families and formed the foundations of a future country. Take a look at the surrounding landscape and try to realize how important this position was to the people at the time.

Thank you for joining us on this short journey through time. We hope that this view of the history of the castle Přistoupim has helped you better understand the importance of this place. We wish you a pleasant continuation in exploring the surroundings and other attractions that this region can offer. Goodbye.