Zprávy památkové péče 2015, 75(3):240-249

Archaeology of the Old Town Square. The issue of heritage values of the historic underground of a public space

Jan Havrda, Jaroslav Podliska

Prague's Old Town Square is a site with an extremely high historical value. In addition to the visible monuments, however, there are hidden monuments of an archaeological nature concealed beneath its tiles. Information from archeological research is nearly the sole source for their identification and evaluation.
With the exception of not very quality research on the site of a fire tank in 1943, no major surface archaeological research has taken place on the Old Town Square. Most of the archaeological data was obtained during the documentation of excavation walls for utilities. As of now, we have 60 registered archaeological documented points and lines on the Old Town Square.
After a preliminary evaluation, it is clear that the original georelief was considerably different from the current one. The oldest human activities identified in the square are of a funeral nature, with graves from the 9th-10th centuries. The graves are covered over by textured medieval layers from the remains of various buildings. The question of the character and appearance of the historic buildings on the square represents a hitherto unknown detailed topic. The historical situation existing below today's surface can be seen as the imaginary foundation of the city. These periods consist of a series of anthropogenic layers that contain a large number o f findings of both a movable and immovable nature. Generally, they may be viewed not only as a convolute of heritage sites, but they also represent a source of unique information necessary for understanding the history of the city in a broad context.
For a reconstruction of the thicknesses of the archaeological terrains of the Old Town Square and its immediate surroundings, a map has been drawn up of the thicknesses of its historic overlying layers which oscillate between 1.5 to 5 meters. The map is supplemented by clear and partial cross sections of the square.
The deepening of our knowledge about the Old Town Square is possible only through the systematic collection and assessment of archaeological data, possibly targeted probes, and interdisciplinary cooperation in the reconstruction of its historical appearance and development.

Keywords: Prague, public space, archaeological research, archaeological potential, heritage conservation

Published: September 1, 2015  Show citation