Mikulčice Archaeopark

Mikulčice
Museum and Archaeological Park
Exhibition pavilion built over 2nd Church
Country	Czech Republic
Region	South Moravian
District	Hodonín
Municipality	Mikulčice
Coordinates	48°48.15′N 17°05.54′E / 48.80250°N 17.09233°E / 48.80250; 17.09233Coordinates: 48°48.15′N 17°05.54′E / 48.80250°N 17.09233°E / 48.80250; 17.09233
Style	Fortified Settlement of the Great Moravian Empire
Date	9th Century AD
Easiest access	Via c3km roadway from Mikulčice
Location in the Czech Republic
Website: [1]

The Mikulčice Archaeopark is centred on the site of Valy or Na Valech, which is to the east of Mikulčice and immediately adjacent to the river Morava, which forms the boundary between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The site of the Acropolis would have been a low-lying island in the Morava, which has now been canalised. The Acropolis, was surrounded by a stone faced rampart, which would have been reached by a wooded bridge from the Outer bailey. The ramparts of the Acropolis enclosed an area of about 6 hectares. There are further extramural settlements surrounding the site. Settlement started possibly in the 8th century A. D. and continued until the demise of the Great Moravia Empire into the early part 10th century.)The excavations started 1955 and have progressed, almost continuously, until the present time. The Archaeopark is a branch of the Masaryk Museum in Hodonin and an archaeological research institute of Czech Academy of Science in Brno is also on the site. Mikulčice is currently being considered by Unesco for designation as a World Heritage Site.

The excavations commenced in 1954, when Joseph Poulík discovered the 2nd Church in the curve of the rampart close to the western entrance of the acropolis. The church was surrounded by a cemetery of about 200 graves, including three burials with swords (nos 90, 265 and 280) and rich grave goods in other burials including spurs, buttons and earrings and elaborately ornamented belt fitting. Excavations of the adjacent ramparts showed that they were built in two phases. To the East another stone building was found, originally thought to be a church, but this interpretation is not now accepted. In 2011 the new Exhibition Pavilion was opened which incorporates the foundations of Church 2.

In 1957 excavations moved to the 3rd or Basilica church. This doubled aisled church with an eastern apse and western atrium and narthex, is by far the largest church to have been found at Mikulčice. It may have served as a Cathedral. It was surrounded by a graveyard of about 550 burials, some of which were very rich and included five burials with swords (nos 341, 375, 425, 438, 500 and 580). 580 was a particularly rich burial, placed in the Nave of the church, and is likely to have been a member of the ruling elite. It contained a sword, an axe, a dagger with decorated hilt, a bucket, belt fittings and a golden button. The body had been placed in a coffin made from forged iron panels.