Department of Environment

The article presents basic results of the anthropological evaluation of human skeletal remains from the burial ground from the Migration Period in Prague-Zličín, Hrozenkovská St. The site is dated to the 5th century A.D. and represents the largest population sample of the Vinařice Group in the Czech Republic. In spite of the fact that most of the graves were secondarily reopened, a high number of grave goods and jewellery (ceramic and glass vessels, silver and gold fibulae, amber, glass and metal beads, finger ring, torque, buckles, bone combs etc.) was discovered. Due to the fact that human skeletal remains were preserved mostly in a fragmentary state, total sample of 113 individuals (18 infants <15 yrs, 5 juvenils, 29 subadults 19 + yrs, 28 adult males, and 33 females) from 173 graves were possible to examine. Body stature was calculated for 9 males and 15 females. The mean value of body stature of males was 175.2 cm, of females was 167.3 cm.

The cemetery of the Vinařice Group in Prague-Zličín, Hrozenkovská St., belonging to the earlier phase of the Migration Period, represents with 173 documented inhumation graves the largest graveyard of this epoch in Bohemia and one of the largest in Central Europe. Its dating into the 5th century AD is grounded on brooches, buckles, glass vessels, ceramics, different fittings and other metal objects. A belt buckle, a brooch and some other objects indicate an end around 500 AD. The character of the finds suggests a supra-regional importance of the cemetery and cultural relations to Gaul, the Rhineland and the regions along the Danube as well as to the North Sea. Nearly all graves show traces of secondary openings in the same period. A special benefit of the excavation lies in the documentation of niches with ceramic and glass vessels, which are counted as typical of the Vinařice group. The analysis of the considerable material has just begun and will probably take a longer time. The metallographic as well as anthropological-biological, dendrological and chronological analyses and the establishment of a GIS model of the whole cemetery are planned.

Das Gräberfeld der Vinařicer-Gruppe aus der älteren Phase der Völkerwanderungszeit in Prag-Zličín, Hrozenkovská Straße, ist mit 173 erfassten Körpergräbern das größte Gräberfeld dieser Epoche in Böhmen und eines der größten in Mitteleuropa. Die Datierung der Fundstelle in das 5. Jahrhundert n. Chr. wurde anhand von Fibeln, Schnallen, Glasbechern, Keramik, verschiedenen Beschlägen und weiteren Kleinfunden aus Metall vorgenommen. Eine Gürtelschnalle, eine Fibel und einige andere Gegenstände deuten auf ein Ende um 500 n. Chr. Der Charakter der Funde belegt eine überregionale Bedeutung des Gräberfeldes und deutet auf Kulturbeziehungen zu Gallien, dem Rhein- und Donaugebiet sowie zum Nordseeraum hin. Fast alle Gräber weisen Spuren sekundärer Graböffnung in derselben Periode auf. Ein besonderes Verdienst der Ausgrabung liegt in der Dokumentation von Nischen mit Keramik- und Glasgefäßen, die als ein wichtiges Merkmal der Vinařicer-Gruppe gelten. Die Bearbeitung des umfangreichen Fundmaterials steht erst am Anfang und wird vorraussichtlich längere Zeit in Anspruch nehmen. Die metallographischen und andere technologische Analysen wie anthropologisch-biologische, dendrologisch- und chronologischen Untersuchungen sowie die Erstellung eines GIS-Modells für das gesamte Gräberfeld sind in Planung.

V souvislosti s výstavou vydalo Muzeum hl. města Prahy výpravnou a informacemi nabitou knihu “Hroby barbarů v Praze Zličíně. Svět živých a mrtvých doby stěhování národů” autorů Jaroslava Jiříka, Jiřího Vávry, Miroslavy Šmolíkové a Milana Kuchaříka.  Vedle nich svými texty přispěla řada dalších autorů: Karel Sklenář, Stanislav Doležal, Jiří Militký, Wilhelm Heizmann (Mnichov), Dieter Quast (Mohuč), Susanne Greiff (Mohuč), Kristýna Urbanová, Marcela Horáková, Ivana Jarošová.
Tématicky zaměřené a vzájemně provázané kapitoly mapují z různých úhlů pohledu dobu stěhování národů a zasazují tak do širšího kontextu kostrové pohřebiště z 5. století v Praze-Zličíně. Podstatnou součástí knihy jsou informace o zličínském výzkumu, druhotném narušování hrobů a jednotlivých skupinách nálezů, jejich výrobě, distribuci a vzájemných souvislostech. Knihu doprovází množství krásných a názorných fotografií, výtvarných rekonstrukcí Libora Baláka a jiného obrazového materiálu.

A new book "Barbarian Graves in Prague Zličín. The World of the Living and the Dead of the Migration Period" was published together with the exhibition "Barbarian Graves. The World of the Living and the Dead of the Migration Period" in the City of Prague Museum. The main authors are: Jaroslav Jiřík, Jiří Vávra, Miroslava Šmolíková, Milan Kuchařík. There are other authors who contributed: Karel Sklenář (Prague), Stanislav Doležal (České Budějovice), Jiří Militký (Prague), Wilhelm Heizmann (Munich), Dieter Quast, Susanne Greiff (both Mainz), Kristýna Urbanová, Marcela Horáková, Ivana Jarošová (all Prague).
The mutually interconnected chapters relate to the Great Migration Period from different points of view (history of archaeology of this period in Prague, archaeology of this period in Bohemia and Europe, Roman coins and minting, historical background, the structure of society, kinship, iconography of gold bracteates and Germanic religion. The second half of the book deals with the burial site in Prague-Zličín and many of its aspects (the excavation, secondary reopenings of graves and grave robbery from the point of view of Mediterranean historical sources and of archaeological record in Prague-Zličín, evaluation of metal, ceramic, glass and bone artefacts, technology of glass vessels, evidence of textile remnants and human bones).

Buccal dental microwear analysis was carried out on a sample of 46 individuals from the Prague-Zličín site, Czech Republic. The Prague-Zličín burial ground is dated to the Migration Period, 5th century AD. For each individual, molars or premolars were analyzed in secondary electrons of scanning electron microscope. The length, orientation and number of all observed striations were quantified using SigmaScan Pro 5.0, image analysis software. Subsequently, results obtained were compared with
published datasets acquired from studies of various modern hunter-gatherers, pastoral, and agricultural populations with different dietary habits (Lalueza et al. 1996). The analysis yielded a similar microwear
pattern within the Prague-Zličín population. The density and the length of microstriations showed no inter-group variability according to sex and age in adults; only an age-related variability, which might have resulted from different ratios of meat and vegetable intake, was observed between adults and subadults. The abrasiveness of food consumed in the Migration period was significantly higher than the other comparative Neolithic and Medieval samples in terms of striation density (NT) and length (XT). The observed amounts of abrasive particles in the diet might have originated from highly-abrasive food and/or food preparation technology. Migration period individuals were found to have a significantly higher number of vertical microwear features (NV), which were also found to be longer (XV) than other examined individuals from different periods. A possible high meat intake might be inferred in the
Prague-Zličín population using NH/NT and NV/NT ratios. When comparing social status with dietary habits, a softer diet was found in individuals with higher social status.

The study deals with the paleopathological analysis of human skeletal remains found in 173 Vinařice cultural-group graves at Prague-Zličín from the early stage of the Migration Period (5th century). Because the osteological collection was fragmentary, skeletal remains of only 113 individuals were analysed (26 men, 33 women, 19 children, and 6 adolescents; the sex of 29 adults remained unspecified). Paleopathological diagnoses were grounded in macroscopic and X-ray examinations.
Most frequently, skeletal remains showed progressive degenerative processes such as spondylosis (49.1%, evaluated cases n=53) and arthrosis (37.7%, evaluated cases n=69). Traces of healed traumas
were detected in 8.8% (n=113) of all the preserved individuals. Demonstrations of inflammatory symptoms were observed in 16.8%, (n=113) of the cases, out of which were two suspected cases of
tuberculosis. Regarding neoplastic diseases, only two benign tumours (skull osteomas) were diagnosed (3.9%, evaluated cases n=51). Internal frontal hyperostosis, biparietal thinning, and calcaneonavicular
coalition were detected only sporadically. Cribra orbitalia was detected in the eye sockets of 7.1% (n=28) of the evaluated cases. Trichological analyses dealt with 203 samples, most of them were of recent or animal origin; only in four cases ancient human hair was found. To date the samples from graves No. 4, 11, 100–173 have been analysed and results of this analysis are presented in this study. Destruction of historical hair shafts was manifested by ragged and cracked cuticle scales, absence of
cuticle scales, longitudinal loosened shafts and especially transversal fragmentation of hair shafts. Hair also showed marked damage owing to keratinophilic organisms. No human ectoparasites were found. Paleoparasitological analyses dealt with 30 samples from grave fillings; specifically from pelvic (n=16), head (n=1) and thoracic (n=13) area. Despite the very sensitive molecular methods we employed, no signs of parasitological DNA were found.

Buccal dental microwear analysis was carried out on a sample of 46 individuals from the Prague-Zličín
site, Czech Republic. The Prague-Zličín burial ground is dated to the Migration Period, 5th century
AD. For each individual, molars or premolars were analyzed in secondary electrons of scanning
electron microscope. The length, orientation and number of all observed striations were quantified
using SigmaScan Pro 5.0, image analysis software. Subsequently, results obtained were compared with
published datasets acquired from studies of various modern hunter-gatherers, pastoral, and agricultural
populations with different dietary habits (Lalueza et al. 1996). The analysis yielded a similar microwear
pattern within the Prague-Zličín population. The density and the length of microstriations showed no
inter-group variability according to sex and age in adults; only an age-related variability, which might
have resulted from different ratios of meat and vegetable intake, was observed between adults and
subadults. The abrasiveness of food consumed in the Migration period was significantly higher than the
other comparative Neolithic and Medieval samples in terms of striation density (NT) and length (XT).
The observed amounts of abrasive particles in the diet might have originated from highly-abrasive food
and/or food preparation technology. Migration period individuals were found to have a significantly
higher number of vertical microwear features (NV), which were also found to be longer (XV) than
other examined individuals from different periods. A possible high meat intake might be inferred in the
Prague-Zličín population using NH/NT and NV/NT ratios. When comparing social status with dietary
habits, a softer diet was found in individuals with higher social status.