(Olomouc as a Sacral Centre of the 9th – 10th Century: New Evidence from Archaeological Research)

Abstract: Archaeological research conducted in Olomouc over the past two decades has yielded a wealth of new findings that not only contribute to a more accurate understanding of the historical development of the city itself but also demonstrate its supra-regional significance even before its location. Newly acquired sources indicate that Olomouc, where the Moravian bishopric was restored in 1063, functioned as a sacred centre as early as the 9th century. Significant archaeological finds from the Middle and Late Hillfort Period (9th –12th centuries) were also brought to light by research conducted in 2015 – 2017 on the premises of the building at 10 Křížkovského Street. This site is located on the so-called Petrské návrší (Peter‘s Hill), where the seat of the Bishop of Olomouc was located next to the Church of St. Peter in the 11th and 12th centuries and where traces of human activity from the 9th and 10th centuries had already been documented.
The subject of this article is the discovery of an engraving of a male figure on a stone slab, which the authors interpret as a depiction of a priest. The engraving may have been ritually buried after the destruction of the sacred building in the first half of the 10th century, probably as a cover for a sepulchre in the altar. The scene depicted on the plate could represent the ceremony of the blessing of water during the feast of Theophany. Stylistic and iconographic analogies of the engraving can be found in the Preslav literary school.

Author: Dehnerová, Hana – Šlézar, Pavel

DOI: 10.17846/CL.2025.18.2.32-44

Publication order reference:

Mgr. Hana Dehnerová; National Heritage Institute, Regional Office in Olomouc, Horní náměstí 25, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; ORCID: 0000-0002-4130-2545

PhDr. Pavel Šlézar, PhD.; National Heritage Institute, Regional Office in Olomouc, Horní náměstí 25, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; ORCID 0000-0001-5502-0701

Source: Konštantínove listy, 2025, vol.: 18, issue: 2, pages: 32-44 (PDF file)

Keywords: OLOMOUC, BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY, ARCHAEOLOGY, SACRED ARCHITECTURE, MIDDLE AGES, 9TH – 10TH CENTURY, ENGRAVING, SEPULCHRE, THEOPHANY, PRESLAV LITERARY SCHOOL, KŘÍŽKOVSKÉHO 10

Language: CZECH

Recommended Citation:

Dehnerová, Hana – Šlézar, Pavel. 2025. Olomouc jako sakrální centrum 9. – 10. století: nové poznatky archeologických výzkumů (Olomouc as a Sacral Centre of the 9th – 10th Century: New Evidence from Archaeological Research). In Konštantínove listy [Constantine’s Letters] 18/2, 32-44.