The Medieval Building Offering from Telč: The Church of the Holy Spirit as Evidence of Surviving Pagan Ideas at the Turn of the Early and High Middle Ages (Experimental Verification and Considerations)

Pavel Macků

Archeologia technica, vol. 36 (2025)
Pages: 101–113
Language: Czech
Type of article: scientific article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61574/AT.2025.101

Abstract:
In 1989, a building burnt offering from the second quarter of the 13th century was discovered in the foundations of the late Romanesque tower of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Telč, among other things. Although it has already been given attention in the past, the following work attempts to understand it more deeply and compare it with offerings from other localities in the Czech Republic of the same era, while at the same time reconsidering the interpretation of the individual elements contained in it. The sacrificial vessel was also experimentally manufactured, and above all, the possibility of its intentional damage was verified. According to published data, plant and fleshy elements, including building materials and artifacts, were also collected and their visualization created, demonstrating the diversity of the offering, which now carries mostly hidden meanings.