Together with the National Heritage Institute and 40 other organisations, the Brno and Prague Institutes of archaeology launched a nationwide project offering a series of guided tours for the general public, entitled The Archaeology Summer. Over 3,700 visitors were attracted to almost 250 guided tours at 73 archaeological sites. One of the objectives of this project was to link the discovery of often inconspicuous archaeological remains with the digital information presented by the Institutes at their website www.archeologickyatlas.cz/en. The guided tours covered all historical periods, from the Palaeolithic (obr. 1) to modernity, and the sites included nature preserves, current excavations and museum exhibitions. As expected, those most visited were the famous sites – the early medieval strongholds of Libice nad Cidlinou (obr. 2) and Stará Kouřim, the Palaeolithic settlement of Dolní Věstonice – Pavlov, the Roman fort at Hradisko near Mušov, the Býčí skála (Bull Rock) cave, the Sázava Monastery, the Prague-Vinoř stronghold and the Žuráň burial mound (obr. 3). Some visitors were able to visit two archaeological sites within a single guided tour and view the historical image of the sites using virtual reality.
Cílem této práce je přispět k debatě o existenci otroctví v minulosti a představit možnosti jeho archeologického poznání. Základní aplikovanou metodou je mezikulturní výzkum neboli srovnávací analýza etnografických dat, pro niž byl vybrán vzorek 186 světových kultur, tzv. Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. V principu jde o hledání korelací mezi otroctvím a specifickou skupinou kulturních indikátorů. Výsledky ukázaly jednak vazbu otroctví na očekávané a známé domény (např. válčení, polygynie, společenská a politická integrace), jednak jeho vztah k metalurgii, což je možné považovat za inovativní zjištění. V textu je učiněn pokus o validaci této souvislosti. Konečná interpretace pak vychází z prokázané skutečnosti využívání otroků v průběhu různých etap operačního řetězce výroby kovů, z nichž na prvním místě byla těžba surovin. and This article aims to contribute towards the discussion of the existence of slavery in the past and present possibilities of its archaeological recognition. The principal method applied is the cross-cultural research – comparative analysis of ethnographic data, for which a sample of 186 world cultures was selected (the so-called Standard Cross-Cultural Sample). Essentially, this method involves search for correlations between slavery and a specific group of cultural indicators. Results showed connection between slavery and anticipated and known domains (such as warfare, polygyny, social and political integration), but also its relationship with metallurgy, which may be considered an innovative discovery. The text attempts to validate this relationship. The final interpretation is based on the proven fact of slaves’ exploitation during different phases of metal production operational chain, above all raw material extraction.