Iron Age site in Žehuň, Central Bohemia An open settlement with central functions

Abstract

The authors introduce the settlement in Žehuň (district Kolín, Central Bohemia), a La Tène period site that was investigated by surface prospections for four seasons between 2011 and 2014. The results of the chrono-typological analysis of the material assemblage show that Žehuň was an outstanding settlement in terms of exceptionally long-term occupation and concentration of metallic objects including the possibility of local coin production during the Late La Tène period. The site, occupied between the 6th and 1st century BC was located on a long-distance route connecting Central Bohemia with areas in Lower Silesia and through Moravia also Middle Danube. It is very likely that similar regional centres were more common in Bohemia and Moravia; however, we still have almost no information about them so far. The Žehuň settlement thus brings important information on the hierarchy of open settlements during both the Middle (‘pre-oppida phase’) and Late (‘oppida phase’) La Tène period.