The archaeological site of Březnice (Czechia) represents one of the large settlements of the Late Bronze Age (Ha A2/B1, 14C: 1124-976 BC) in Bohemia. The site became known mainly for a high number of so-called 'trenches', oblong pit features (breadth around 1 m, length 4-7 m), remarkable not only for their specific shape but also for their contents (unusual amounts of pottery, daub, loom weights and other finds, often with traces of a strong fire). In 2018-20, a research project focusing on the study of the site was realized. Magnetometer survey became an integral part of the project since it represented a way to obtain an overall image of the site. A 5-channel fluxgate gradiometer from Sensys (Germany) was used; the vertical gradient of the Z component of the Earth magnetic field was measured. In total, the survey covered an area of over 17 hectares and included over 1.8 million measurements. Profiles were orientated from east to west and data taken bidirectionally (alternate lines in opposite directions), in a 0.5 × 0.2 m grid. The site is extraordinary due to the fact that all archaeological features discovered so far belong to a single archaeological period (Late Bronze Age). This makes the acquired data set exceptional. It can be further used by archaeologists and geophysicists, both to create alternative models of the dynamics of prehistoric settlements and to better understand the nature and interpretive possibilities of the magnetometer data in archaeology as such.

Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Letenská 4 118 01 Praha 1 Czech Republic

Institute of Archaeology University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice Faculty of Arts Branišovská 31a 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

M. Kuna, R. Křivánek, O. Chvojka and T. Šálková, A quantitative approach to magnetometer survey data: the case of the late bronze age site of Březnice. J. Arch. Sci. 126 (2021) 105298. PubMed PMC

Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic)

The Late Bronze Age settlement site of Březnice: Magnetometer survey data