12 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists uncovered largest Bronze Age burial site of Nitra culture in Czech Republic

Archaeologists have uncovered the Nitra culture’s largest Bronze Age burial site near Olomouc in Central Moravia, during their rescue research on the future D35 motorway route between Krelov and Neredin.

Representatives of the Olomouc Archaeological Centre told the Czech News Agency (CTK) that the biggest discovery of the research was the large burial site of the Nitra culture, which inhabited eastern Moravia and southwestern Slovakia during the Middle Bronze Age (2100-1800 BC). Archaeologists found 130 graves, making the site the largest from this culture.

The Old Bronze Age in Moravia is represented by two cultural groups, the Únětice culture and the Nitra group.

Nitra Culture belongs to the oldest cultures of the Bronze Age in Moravia and its representatives are characterized by the gradual introduction of bronze production, an alloy of already used copper with tin, which resulted in a metal of better strength and hardness.

The graves contained skeletal remains and burial gifts, such as copper ornaments, bone beads, stone arrows, copper rings and bone awls, said archaeologist Vendula Vranova, the head of the research team.

Aerial view of the graves. Photo: Olomouc Archaeological Centre

Men and women were buried in different positions and were accompanied by different objects. Men, for example, were given boar tusks and hunting tools, while women had jewelry and antler beads in their graves, she added.

Additionally, a burial site of the Corded Ware culture (2600 BC) was discovered by archaeologists. It contained 17 skeletal graves, four of which appeared to be those of men who were interred with axes, flint tools, and ceramic vessels. Furthermore, the graves were surrounded by circular grooves that were most likely remnants of wooden structures that divided the surrounding area from the burial site’s sacred space.

The graves of the Nitra and Corded Ware cultures were intriguing, according to the experts, despite the wealth of discoveries, because they had not tampered with one another.

The archaeologists at the site in Krelov identified four different burial periods. “The area was used for burial purposes for more than 3,000 years, from the end of the Late Stone Age until the 9th century, when the Slavic population lived here on the territory of the Great Moravia state,” added Nikola Orlitova, spokeswoman for the center.

Germanic warrior's shield knop. Photo: Olomouc Archaeological Centre
Germanic warrior’s shield knop. Photo: Olomouc Archaeological Centre

Researchers also uncovered seven cremation graves at the burial site, where they found typical metal jewelry associated with the Celts. The grave of a Germanic warrior with a shield and an iron spear from the third century is also noteworthy, as it is the first of its kind in Central Moravia.

From August 2023 to April 2024, an archaeological rescue excavation was conducted along the D35 route in the area between Krelov and Slavonin. The skeletal remains and artifacts that were discovered will now be examined. As a result, experts will have more information about residents’ physical characteristics, health, nutrition, and genetic relationships.

Cover Image Credit: Olomouc Archaeological Centre

Related Articles

3,000-year-old Drill Bit Workshop Unearthed in Vietnam’s

13 May 2021

13 May 2021

According to the provincial museum, an ancient drill bit workshop dating back more than 3,000 years has been discovered at...

1500-year-old Elite tombs were discovered vicinity of the ancient seaport of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Polish archaeologists have discovered a tomb complex near the ancient port of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt. Archaeologists from the University...

Roman Mosaic found during rescue excavation in southeast Türkiye

13 December 2023

13 December 2023

Archaeologists discovered mosaics believed to be from the Roman era during a rescue excavation undertaken in a rural expanse in...

Mystery ax discovered off the coast of Arendal of Norway

26 July 2021

26 July 2021

Researchers have discovered a find that could be a first for Norwegian archeology. A hollow ax, which researchers believe dates...

A surprising discovery in Lublin countryside! Ancient figurines of Egyptian and Roman gods found

6 May 2023

6 May 2023

Two ancient figurines depicting the Egyptian god Osiris and a bust of the Roman god Bacchus were found in the...

5,000-Year-Old Burial of High-Status Woman with Feathered Mantle Unearthed in Ancient Caral

27 April 2025

27 April 2025

Archaeologists in Peru have announced the remarkable discovery of a 5,000-year-old burial of a woman of high social standing at...

Roman Canal and Road Uncovered in The Netherlands near UNESCO heritage sites

30 July 2021

30 July 2021

Dutch archaeologists that a canal and gravel road thought to have been built and used by the Roman military have...

Archaeologists discover rare Caanite inscription on ancient ivory comb

12 November 2022

12 November 2022

Israeli archaeologists discovered a rare inscription on an ivory comb that sheds new light on the Canaanite language’s use some...

4,000-year-old Rock Art From A Previously Unknown Ancient Culture uncovered in Venezuela

4 July 2024

4 July 2024

An archaeological team in Venezuela has uncovered 20 ancient rock art sites in Canaima National Park in the southeastern part...

A Baptismal Surprise: Triton Baths in Southeastern Rome Converted into Early Christian Church

7 May 2025

7 May 2025

Recent archaeological excavations within the monumental complex of the Villa di Sette Bassi, situated in the southeastern outskirts of Rome,...

Earliest Known Stone Mold for Coin Production in Roman Hispania Unearthed

27 March 2025

27 March 2025

Researchers from the University of Jaén have made a groundbreaking discovery at the archaeological site of Obulco, modern-day Porcuna, revealing...

The Ephesus Massacre: 80,000 Romans Slaughtered in a Single Night of Blood and Betrayal

29 May 2025

29 May 2025

The Ephesus Massacre saw 80,000 or more Romans killed overnight during the Asiatic Vespers — one of the deadliest uprisings...

An Anthropologist’s life work uncovers the first ancient DNA from the Swahili Civilization

2 April 2023

2 April 2023

Chapurukha Kusimba, an anthropologist at the University of South Florida, has uncovered the first ancient DNA from the Swahili Civilization,...

In a Wisconsin lake, archaeologists discover a 1,200-year-old dugout canoe

6 November 2021

6 November 2021

Maritime archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society have discovered a dugout wooden canoe in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, USA. Carbon analysis...

Spectacular Roman Mosaics Unearthed in Thalheim bei Wels: A Unique Discovery in Upper Austria

10 June 2025

10 June 2025

Archaeologists from the University of Salzburg uncovered three exceptionally preserved Roman mosaics during excavations A remarkable archaeological discovery has captivated...