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Fig. 34. HradiSt* by Stradonlca. Brooches and decorativa objada.

Fig. 35. HradiSt* by Stradonlca. Smali glass, bona and amber objada.

Fig. 36. HradiSti by Stradonlca. Waapons, parta of aquipment, houae furnishlngs

Fig. 37. HradiSt* by Stradonlca. Conatrudion componanta, houaa fumishings.

Fig. 38. HradiSt* by Stradonica. Tools and implamanta.

Fig. 39. HradiSt* by Stradonica. Evldenca of matal working and minting.

Fig. 40. HradiSt* by Stradonica. Ralativa chronology of tha brooches from tha collaction Museum at Prague.

Introductlon

This sludy deals with problems relaling to an oppidum which one hundred yeara ago ranked as amonget one o( the most well known sites within the Celtic world. Czech archaeologists even used tts name to describe the latest phase of Ceftic dvilizalion in Bohemia, cailing it the Stradonica culture. On the other hand, the dramatic fata of the sita during łts moro recent history has led to a situation where Hradiśtś (HWfort) by Stradonice represents one of the least excavated sites of aM Cełtic oppida present within the territory of Bohemia.

The 2nd August 1877 was a fata! day for the sita, sińce a large hoard of gołden coins was acddentaHy disoovered there. This subsequently resulted in the long-term devastation and plundering of antiąufOes from a large area of the sita, and even in the sale of them on the intemational market (Hochstetter 1879,143-144). Some 100,000 objects were probably obtained by such methods. Only a smali proporflon was saved by private collectors, later becoming the property of various European museums. The unexpected, sensational finds soon attracted the attention of archaeologists, leading to the first proper reconnaissance of the terrain. This was carried out by L Śnajdr, who aiso drew the first plan of the oppidum, as earty as 1881. The first large-scale excavalions at Hradiśtś by Stradonice were perfonmed in 1895 and 1902 by the ..Museum of the Kingdom of Bohemia" under the guidance of J.L Pić. Their resufts were published in a separata vofume of the „Antiquities of Bohemia" (Starożitnosti zemó Ćeske; Pfć 1903), which induded numerous assembiages from Berger^, and partły alsoof Gross'scollections from both Prague and Vienna museum. This werkprovfded convincing evidence of the unusual richness of the Stradonice oppidum. This pubficafion was translated Mo French by J. Dechelette (Pić - Dóchelette 1906) and gained a high repute throughout the whole of Europę both for the site and for the author. Dóchelette aiso setup a large comparathre study deafing with the sites of Stradonice and Gallic Bibracte (Dóchelette 1904,127-128). Beside these basie works, the greater part of the finds from Stradonice have remained as yet unpubłished. Morę recentiy, onfy selected categories of objects have been newly evaluated (Bfeń 1959, 1964, 1973*, 1973b; Svobodovś 1983, 1985; Vendovś 1990), together with smali assembiages (Holodńśk - Waldhauser 1977).

In 1929 an excavation was carried out re-examining the site of Hradiśte, conducted under the guidance of A. Stocky. This represents probably the first modem excavation of a Cełtic oppida h Bohemia. The excavation was concentrated on the bailey, the part of the site named „Na boku", where a number of sondages as wal as a trench was cut through the defenshre Circuit. The unexpected death of Stocky prevented subseąuent publication of the excavation results. In addition, later during the second world war, a major part of Stock^s documentation was tost. Only part of Stockys excavalion reports are presenred. together with a few sparse but nevertheless accurate measurement data¹, and the finds which are deposited in the National Museum in Prague. Thus, a number of fundamenta! problems deafing with the character of the setUement area and defences remained unsohred. One of the attempts to understand such problems was a brief characterisation of the excavated settlement structures, post buit houses and smaler sunken huts („GrubenhSuser") grven by J. Broń (1975,130-131). However the generał prevaifing opinion about the she, up untfi even recent limes, was that the damaged area of Hradiśtó was not worthy of any further archaeological acthrity (Bóbm 1935,4; Filip 1976.127; Sklenśr 1974,226-242). As a direct consequence of this, from the end of the 1940's onwards, numerous systematic excavations were canied out at all other known oppida within Bohemia and Morawa, whilst interest in the site of Stradonice was minimal.

In 1981, due to rescue excavations being undertaken by the Archaeological Institute of the Czechoslovafc Academy of Sciences - Prague. the authors were once agam provided with a rare opportunity to examine what was hidden beneath the surface of the oppidum. The aim of this rescue excavafion, however, was not simply to inerease the number of finds, but moreover to apply modem archaeological procedures to the stratigraphic exposures, in order to gain as much new Information as posstole. Due to the character and large extension of the rescue excavałions, it was possible to ex aminę in de taił this aspect at the oppidum for the first time. This enabled us to obtain a considerabie amount of evidence regarding the character and buiding development of the settlement area behind the main en tran ce, near to the central endosure, and in the baNey as well, and to prove the existence and form of communicafion fines, as weH as to compiete substantlafly -or even change - the hitherto conceptions formulated regarding the constructlon of the opprdum s defences. Another signlficant result was the ascertainment that large areas of the oppidum have remained untouched, and thus presen/ed for possible futurę large-scale excavabons. The fnds obtained during the rescue excavation, as a result of sampKng 300 recorded features, are mereiy of complementary character and are represented here in selection. The form and guantrftcabon of the data finds are Ksted in the catalogue. which

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