A medieval settlement near Suchomasty in the Beroun district, Central Bohemia: on the transformation of settlement structures and non-ferrous metallurgy in the rural environment

Abstract

Surface surveys and a subsequent excavation west of the village of Suchomasty (Beroun district, Central Bohemia) documented a large medieval settlement occupied roughly from the late 9th – early 10th up until the late 15th century. A part of the surveyed area yielded numerous lumps and casting-spills of non-ferrous metals as well as several fragments of metallic artefacts, the most curious of which is a part of a small bell. These finds attest to the intense working of non-ferrous metals. Based on the results of an elemental composition analysis of selected finds as well as on the broader historical and settlement context, we date these activities hypothetically to the 12th or 13th century. The objective of the present study is to set the Suchomasty settlement into a broader context of regional settlement history; it will turn out to be a highly interesting case of the complex transformation of the rural settlement structure and functions during the Middle Ages.