Castle siege in East Bohemia: Archaeological finds and their spatial analysis using the examples of Mokřice, Potštejn and Rychmberk Castles

Abstract

This study focuses on medieval castle sieges. In addition to written reports and earthworks associated with the siege (e.g. camps, firing positions, trenches), archaeological finds are also an important source of knowledge.The high informative value of organized metal detecting can be evidenced from the example of three East Bohemian castles – Mokřice, Potštejn and Rychmberk. Analysing the accumulations of militaria within individual castlesenables us to identify the projectile targets of the defenders and partly also of the attackers. Furthermore, the spatial links between the castle and the distribution of finds can also be examined. Archaeological survey using a metaldetector can provide important information about the course of the siege even where earthworks associated with such an event are lacking. The prerequisites for a credible spatial analysis of militaria are the quantity of finds and the recorded circumstances of their discovery (location of the find).