AES_605 General Practise of Medieval Warfare

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jana Mazáčková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Petr Žaža (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Mazáčková, Ph.D.
Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Šibíčková
Supplier department: Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
It is advisable to pass and AEB_A14g Archeology of the Middle Ages in Central Europe At the same time, it is advisable to complete or simultaneously enrol the subject AES_803 Application of Existing and Modern Methods of Architectural and historical Survey
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 7 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/7, only registered: 0/7
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 14 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Main objectives:
understanding the principles of medieval warfare - individual cases;
development of war technology from Early to Late Middle Ages with accent on Central Europe;
reflection of warfare in archaeology;
reconstruction of the structure of men at arms as components of medieval armies from Early to Late Middle Ages and their weaponry;
siege of fortifications and their identification in terrain;
skeletal injuries and their interpretation;
mass graves;
iconography as a source of information about the use of weapons - archaeology of warfare.
Learning outcomes
Student will be able to:
- describe the key issues of current military research in archaeology, primarily of the medieval warfare in Central Europe
- define the main questions of medieval warfare and its importance in historical society on the basis of archaeological evidence: forts, mass graves, weapons,
- compare the differences between historical and archaeological interpretations;
- formulate the knowledge gained from the study of recommended literature on special problems and set the results of this study into broader context;
- compare scientific opinions on selected problems of medieval warfare in Europe.
Syllabus
  • 1. War in the Middle Ages, medieval warfare
  • 2. Warrior graves
  • 3. Arms and weapons
  • 4. Defence of settlements and fortified sites, destruction (fire, attack) horizon
  • 5. Invasion of foreign armies, raid, attack
  • 6. Structure of armies, men at arms, robber barons
  • 7. Siege of fortifications
  • 8. Siege machines
  • 9. Firearms, guns
  • 10. Skeletal injuries
  • 11. Mass graves
  • 12. Iconography
Literature
    required literature
  • ŽÁKOVSKÝ, Petr. Zbraně a zbroj z první poloviny 14. století ve střední Evropě a katalog militarií. (Weapons and armor from the first half of the 14th century in Central Europe.). In Majer, D. Král, který létal. Moravsko-slezské pomezí v kontextu středoevropského prostoru doby Jana Lucemburského. Ostrava: Ostravské muzeum, 2011, p. 841-879. ISBN 978-80-904316-1-4. info
  • SKLENKA, Vladimír. Chladné zbrane a zbroj zo zbierok Stredoslovenského múzea v Banskej Bystrici. Banská Bystrica: Štúdio Harmony, 2006, 135 s. ISBN 9788089151141. info
  • ŠEBELA, Radek. Zbraně a zbroj v ikonografickém materiálu od roku 1000 do 1350 na území České republiky. Edited by Libor Jan. 2002, 211 s. URL info
  • KLUČINA, Petr, Richard MARSINA and Andrej ROMAŇÁK. Vojenské dějiny Československa. 1. vyd. Praha: Naše vojsko, 1985, 363 s. info
  • DROBNÁ, Zoroslava. Kroje, zbroj a zbraně doby předhusitské a husitské. Edited by Eduard Wagner - Jan Durdík. Vyd. 1. Praha: Naše vojsko, 1956, 101 s. URL info
    recommended literature
  • UNGER, Josef. Mstěnice - válečná epizoda z druhé husitské války roku 1468 (Mstěnice - episode ftom the second Hussite War). Acta historica Neosoliensia. 2013, vol. 15, 1-2, p. 176-189. ISSN 1336-9148. info
  • MAZÁČKOVÁ, Jana. Obléhací postavení u hradu Rokštejna (Besieged Emplacements by Rokštejn Castle). Archaeologia historica. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2011, roč. 36, č. 1, p. 61-85. ISSN 0231-5823. Digitální knihovna FF MU info
  • KLUČINA, Petr. Zbroj a zbraně : Evropa 6.-17. století. Vyd. 1. Praha: Paseka, 2004, 683 s. ISBN 8071856614. info
  • KLUČINA, Petr, Karel ROMAŇÁK and Karel RICHTER. Člověk, zbraň a zbroj v obraze doby. D. 2, 17.-20. stol. [23980]. Praha: Naše vojsko, 1984. info
  • KLUČINA, Petr and Andrej ROMAŇÁK. Člověk, zbraň a zbroj v obraze doby. Vyd. 1. Praha: Naše vojsko, 1983, 282 s. info
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
written test attendance at practical workshop in Panská Lhota (26.-29.3.2020)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in three years.
The course is taught: in blocks.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: blokově.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Spring 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AES_605