AEB_A15c The Bronze Age in Central Europe – tutorial

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Klára Šabatová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Klára Šabatová, 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 (in Czech)
AEB_A14c Bronze Age in Central Europe || NOW( AEB_A14c Bronze Age in Central Europe )
Předpokladem je absolvování nebo současný zápis předmětu AEB_A14c Bronze Age in Central Europe. Schopnost přinejmenším pasivně zvládnout odborný archeologický text v anglickém a německém jazyce (po domluvě v jiné cizí řeči).
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 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The seminar addresses selected topics extending the teaching in individual lectures AEB_A14c Bronze Age in Central Europe. The topics are primarily focused on methodological issues of the discipline, significant sites, important comprehensive works interlinking the archaeological sources and their analysis, specifics of terrain contexts and data from auxiliary natural sciences, comparison between traditional and current interpretation schemes.
Students elaborate presentations on selected topics for their colleagues. At the end they work out written theses on the selected topic.
Learning outcomes
After completion of the course, student will be able to:
- formulate the knowledge acquired by studying the recommended literature on selected topic and set the results of this study into wider context
- introduce the selected topic to colleagues in the form of a pictorial presentation
- compare scientific opinions on selected problems of the Bronze Age
- lead a well-founded discussion about a special problem of the Bronze Age
- offer to the colleagues a short writing about the selected topic (basic search output, theses) including bibliographic references.
Syllabus
  • Topics are updated each year based on current literature. The topics of the Bronze Age research to be regularly discussed in the seminar:
  • - climatic changes in the Bronze Age and the Hallstatt Period
  • - burial rites; re-opened graves; exceptional and non-ritual handling of mortal remains
  • - burials – a missing archaeological component?
  • - social structure, demography; reflection of the society in burial rites
  • - utilization of caves
  • - lowland and hilltop settlements, fortifications
  • - house and its reconstruction
  • - sunken features in settlements; their interpretation, post-depositional processes
  • - pottery kilns and pyraunoi
  • - Bronze Age cult and so-called cultic features; circular architecture
  • - flint mining and its interpretation
  • - copper mining, evidence of bronze production
  • - analyses of bronze material and organic imprints on bronze artefacts
  • - bronze and ceramic hoards, context of their deposition
  • - measuring systems, pantheon of Urnfield cultures
  • - contact directions, trade, imports and raw materials
  • - nomadism; Cimmerians
Literature
    required literature
  • SOSNA, Daniel. Social differentation in the late Copper Age and early Bronze Age in South Moravia (Czech Republic). Oxford: Archaeopress, 2009, viii, 230. ISBN 9781407305288. info
  • HARDING, A. F. European societies in the Bronze Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, 552 s. ISBN 0521367298. info
  • KUNA, Martin, Andrea NĚMCOVÁ and Anne-Lyse GENTIZON HALLER. Evidence of settlement discard :finds from the final bronze age at Roztoky and the depositional analysis of archaeological context. Vyd. 1. Praha: Archeologický ústav AV ČR, 2012, 358 s. ISBN 9788087365502. info
  • METZNER-NEBELSICK, Carola. Der "Thrako-Kimmerische" Formenkreis aus der Sicht der Urnenfelder- und Hallstattzeit im südöstlichen Pannonien. Rahden/Westf.: Marie Leidorf, 2002, 542 s. ISBN 3896465058. info
    recommended literature
  • ERNÉE, Michal. Prag-Miškovice : archäologische un naturwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zu Grabbau, Bestattungssitten und Inventaren einer frühbronzezeitlichen Nekropole. Edited by Jaroslav Frána - Pieter M. Grootes - Martin Hájek - Bärbel Heußner. Darmstadt: Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 2015, ix, 319. ISBN 9783805349697. info
  • HRALA, Jiří, Radka ŠUMBEROVÁ and Miloš VÁVRA. Velim :a Bronze Age fortified site in Bohemia. Edited by Anthony F. Harding. Praha: Institute of Archaeology, 2000, 348 s. ISBN 80-86124-20-7. info
  • BOUZEK, Jan and Zdeněk KRATOCHVÍL. Od mýtu k logu [2-8649]. V Praze: Herrmann & synové, 1994. info
  • VACHTA, Tilmann. Bronzezeitliche Hortfunde und ihre Fundorte in Böhmen. First published. Berlin: Edition Topoi, 2016, 337 stran. ISBN 9783981675122. info
  • FRÁNA, Jaroslav. Artifacts of copper and copper alloys in prehistoric Bohemia from the viewpoint of analyses of element composition II. Prague: Institute of Archeology, 1997, 220 s. ISBN 80-86124-04-5. info
  • IVANČIK, Askol'd Igorevič. Kimmerijcy i Skifykulturno-istoričeskije i chronologičeskije problemy archeologiji vostočnoevropejskich Stepej i Kavkaza pred- i ranneskifskogo vremeni. Moskau: Deutsches archäologisches Institut Eurasien-Abteilung, 2001, 323 s. ISBN 589526008X. info
Teaching methods
interactive teaching, papers with presentations, active student work
Assessment methods
Choose a topic!
Elaboration of papers requires thinking! The length is not important but the conciseness is the main thing. Do not describe the material! Generalize!
How to write a paper:
1. you will address a topic based on a given monograph/article (the work that is required for the topic assignment) 2. look up older literature 3. reflect on how the new publication differs from older works, what are its benefits 4. prepare a question about the topic for your colleagues
The report must have:
- logical structure
- conclusion
- literature references
To obtain the credit, I require:
- presentation: expected time approx. 20 minutes, in case of absence on the date of your presentation you are not eligible for a credit
- the paper, maximum 2 pages with literature!!, submitted to the delivery room by 21 May, 2020
- in the case of errors or shortcomings I will require correction of the paper
- the final version of the paper will be available to your colleagues in the study materials
- active participation in the seminar.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Information on completion of the course: Ke získání kolokvia je třeba dostatečná a aktivní účast a splnění zadaných referátů.
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AEB_A15c