A rare Roman drawplate is found among 1,000 artefacts in the Czech Republic
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Archaeologists in Central Europe have discovered more than 1,000 ancient artefacts from before the construction of the railway, including a rare Roman-era tool used to make steel cables.
The news was announced in a press release in April from the Archaeological Center Olomouc (ACO), a research center in the Czech Republic.
The discovery was made along a nearly three-and-a-half-mile stretch of high-speed rail between Nezamyslice and Kojetín, two Czech towns in the Haná River valley.
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Finds from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman period. Excavation is being carried out between April and October 2025.
Nikola Jandová, a spokesperson for the ACO, said in a statement that the area is “among the richest residential areas in this part of the Haná region.”
Archaeologists in the Czech Republic found more than 1,000 artifacts that spanned many eras during the construction of the railroad. Seen on the right, a Roman drawplate. (Archaeological Center Olomouc, Andrea Šindlerová)
Relics from two Bronze Age cultures – the Věteřov and Urnfield cultures – were found, as well as evidence of the Iron Age La Tène culture.
The earliest days of settlement date back to the Věteřov culture, when archaeologists uncovered the remains of wooden houses. The Věteřov and Urnfield cultures occupied the area around 1800-1500 BC and 1300-800 BC, respectively.
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“Following the devastating fires, fragments of the concrete survived as red fire clay, known as daub,” the statement noted.
“Some pieces show smooth surfaces with remnants of external decoration, while others retain the appearance of wattle on the inner side.”
“This discovery … points to the existence of a special copper workshop.”
Archaeologist Pavel Moš said in a statement that details of the houses were preserved on the wall, and some traces are still visible.
Archaeologists also found two graves in Věteřov, including one containing an adult and a child, which will be analyzed.
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Among the Urnfield culture remains, archaeologists found four graves – and one with six human skulls “found side by side within the fill.”
They also found fragments of broken and molded stone used to make bronze objects, as well as a small collection of bronze objects, including axes, pins, a bracelet and a knife.
Excavations of a planned high-speed rail line revealed remains from the Bronze Age during the Roman period. (Archaeological Center Olomouc, Andrea Šindlerová)
“These finds date to the end of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age and indicate the presence of a specialized workshop for the use of bronze,” the statement read.
Archaeologists also discovered a lime kiln, which may have been used by Germanic tribes during the Roman period to finish a wall or decorate pottery in the first to fourth centuries AD.
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The rarest artifact was a Roman plate that was used to pull and cut steel wire, officials said.
Availability is considered rare in Central Europe.
Archaeologists found stone molds that were used to shape bronze objects, pointing to special metal works in the building. (Archaeological Center Olomouc, Andrea Šindlerová)
Although the drawplate is considered to be well-preserved, archaeologist Pavel Moš noted that “residues of corrosion are present where they were drilled, and traces of metal wires may be preserved.”
He added, “The drawplate will be analyzed by spectrometry to find the property of the phone.”
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Pull cord, he continued, “might be used, for example, in the production of chain mail.”
All artifacts will be analyzed and preserved by the lab, and the results are expected to be released later.
Archaeologists found graves connected to the Věteřov culture, including one burial containing both an adult and a child. (Archaeological Center Olomouc, Andrea Šindlerová)
Fox News Digital reached out to the ACO for more information.
The latest discovery follows a similar one made by ACO archaeologists in the Czech Republic.
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Last year, officials announced that they had discovered a number of military cemeteries during the construction of the highway, with the oldest one dating back to the Battle of Žďár in 1745 during the Second Silesian War.
