Archaeologists Uncover 600-Foot Prehistoric Monument Amid Highway Dig

By: Ben Campbell | Published: Jul 14, 2024

Archaeologists have made a rare and significant discovery, unearthing the remains of an enormous monument during excavations along the side of a highway route in the Czech Republic.

The team from the University of Hradec Králové has identified the structure as an ancient burial mound, a unique find that extends over 600 feet long. This discovery is expected to significantly enhance our understanding of the ancient inhabitants of the region.

Archaeologists Discover the Remains of An Ancient Burial Mound

During their dig near the villages of Dlouhé Dvory and Lípa in the eastern part of the Czech Republic’s Bohemia region, the archaeologists stumbled upon the remains of what appeared to be an ancient mound.

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A photograph of archaeologists digging at a site

Source: Wikimedia

Upon further investigation, the researchers surmised it was a burial mound that could date back to around 4,000 BCE, making it one of the earliest and most significant structures of its kind in Europe.

The Size of the Burial Mound

During the excavation, researchers estimated that the structure was around 620 feet long and up to 50 feet across at its greatest width.

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An image showcasing the extent of the long barrow

Source: Department of Archaeology UHK

On average, the structure, also known as a long barrow, is larger than similar burial mounds found throughout Europe. Some archaeologists suggest that it could be one of the longest ever unearthed on the continent, according to Newsweek.

The Significance of the Long Barrow

Petr Krištuf from UHK’s Department of Archeology at the Faculty of Arts shared a statement with the press highlighting the significance of the find.

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A photograph of an interview on the street

Source: Wikimedia

“Mounds of this type are found mainly in northwestern Bohemia. They have not yet been reliably documented in Eastern Bohemia. In addition, the examined specimen represents the longest prehistoric mound not only in our region but probably in the whole of Europe,” he said, per The Science Times.

Archaeologists Discover Long Barrow Tomb Ahead of Construction Work

The archaeologists, engaged in precautionary excavation work prior to the construction of the D35 highway between Sadová and Plotiště, made the discovery of the long barrow tomb.

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A photograph of a trench taken at the site

Source: Department of Archaeology UHK

During the excavation, the team managed to locate and excavate the entrance of the long barrow.

The Longest Barrow in Europe

Speaking on the history of long barrows and the most recent discovery in the Czech Republic, Ladislav Rytíř with the UHK Department of Archeology shared his thoughts.

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A photograph of a long barrow covered in grass located in Dorset, England

Source: Wikimedia

 “The long barrows are among the oldest and largest funerary monuments of European prehistory. And the barrow we’ve discovered is the longest long barrow yet excavated in Europe,” he said.

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Monumental Funerary Objects

The UHK later shared a detailed account of their excavation on their Facebook page, explaining that burial mounds like the one previously discussed are generally built as monumental funerary objects.

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A birdseye image of the large burial mound found in Czech Republic

Source: Department of Archaeology UHK

This suggests that researchers expected to find the remains of several ancient individuals within the long barrow, and they were not disappointed.

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The Burials Contained Within the Long Barrow

According to historians, the long barrows were constructed as the final resting place for individuals of high status, who are referred to as “central” burials.

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The first central burial discovered within the mound

Source: Department of Archaeology UHK

In the case of this particular long barrow, two teams discovered two central burials. One of them features the skeletal remains of an Indian on its left side facing north. It was accompanied by a ceramic vessel thought to be a grave offering.

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The Second Burial

The team also came across another centennial burial with another figure on its left side facing north.

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The second central burial found within the burial mound

Source: Department of Archaeology UHK

According to the UHK’s Facebook post, it was accompanied by “a collection of five objects of the stone chipped industry made of silicate glacigen sediments SGS, popularly known as the claw, is typically arrow tips and blades.”

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Smaller Grave Inserted into the Mound

The archaeologists revealed they came across another grave within the mound, which produced some fragments of a human skull.

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A photograph of another burial within the mound

Source: Department of Archaeology UHK

“Another grave in the mound was inserted into the mound casing. It was a grave with an inner construction, with ball holes in the corners and troughs. Only skull fragments were very poorly preserved from human remains,” wrote UHK

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27 Other Graves Discovered Within the Burial Mound

The UHK post details the discovery of several other graves within the long barrow.

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An archaeologist pictured working at a site

Source: Wikimedia

“There are 27 other graves in addition to the burial mound, some of which also had an internal construction, which can generally be dated to the Eneolithic period, but the exact dating will only be possible after the findings have been analyzed in the laboratory,” they wrote.

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The Significance of the Find

In a press release, Krištuf suggested that the find’s overall significance goes well beyond its enormous size.

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An image of another burial found in the vicinity of the long barrow within an internal construction

Source: Department of Archaeology UHK

“The first results show that the monumental burial mound stood here for many centuries, and funeral and ritual activities of the local people took place in its vicinity. It was thus an important ritual place and landmark in the landscape at that time,” Krištuf said.

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