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Papers by Roman Brejcha
Archeologia technica , 2021
Charcoal burning represents one of the most significant forest crafts, with the early modern peri... more Charcoal burning represents one of the most significant forest crafts, with the early modern period in particular seeing the activity developing significantly with the spread of blast furnaces. To the present day, artificial charcoal burning platforms are evidence of the activity. Our woodland contains a large number of these platforms, but until recently they were little investigated from an archaeological perspective. In our study, we endeavour to summarise some results and observations related to the research of charcoal burning platforms which we have obtained in work on an interdisciplinary project focused on charcoal burning platforms and their influence on the landscape.
Zprávy památkové péče , 2017
Matoušek, V. – Brejcha, R. 2017: Milířiště – drobné památky na pálení dřevěného uhlí v našich les... more Matoušek, V. – Brejcha, R. 2017: Milířiště – drobné památky na pálení dřevěného uhlí v našich lesích. Tři příklady z Brdské oblasti. Zprávy památkové péče 77/5, 572-580.
![Research paper thumbnail of Wroniecki P., Sikora J., Brejcha R. 2017. [LINK to PDF] Knowing Without Digging? Non-invasive Research of the Krzczonów Earthwork and its Surroundings. Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 12, 177–198](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/57032555/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Wroniecki P., Sikora J., Brejcha R. 2017. Knowing Without Digging? Non-invasive Research of the K... more Wroniecki P., Sikora J., Brejcha R. 2017. Knowing Without Digging? Non-invasive Research of the Krzczonów Earthwork and its Surroundings. Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 12, 177–198The topic of this paper is a non-invasive research case study of a protected monument mound in Krzczonów, Świętokrzyskie voivodeship in Lesser Poland. It explores the possibilities of non-invasive methodological approaches in the recognition of archaeological sources by asking whether it is possible to procure relevant information without conducting excavations. A new interpretation of the mound’s function and chronology is based on data derived from multi-method field surveys including remote sensing (satellite imagery, UAV, light aircraft, ALS),
geophysical (magnetic gradiometry, earth resistance), total station measurements and analytical field walking prospection along with comparison of archival field-walking data. We would like to hypothesize that, contrary to the protected monument list, the Krzczonów earthwork
is not a prehistoric feature but could be related to the end of 14
th up to the beginning of the 16th century. In this case it could be understood as a remnant of a motte-type castle.
The site 2 in Marchocice in Little Poland has been already known to archaeologists for more than ... more The site 2 in Marchocice in Little Poland has been already known to archaeologists for more than one hundred years. Recent application of different approaches and research tools helped acquire a new, startling picture confirming the unique cognitive potential of this spectacular areal of ancient to activities. The initial impulse to study presented site by field-walking and the successive non-destructive surveys were the promising results of archive aerial and satellite images analysis. This paper presents the results of large-scale spatial approach with the use of magnetic gradiometry as the fastest and the most cost effective geophysical technique capable of detecting a wide variety of anthropogenic transformations. The Marchocice research project can be an example of how in a relatively short time important data which has the potential to be a firm basis or starting point for further, detailed studies may be acquired and mutualy complemented.
Práce se zabývá rondelem z lokality Vchynice (severozáp. Čechy), který je datovaný do mladšího ne... more Práce se zabývá rondelem z lokality Vchynice (severozáp. Čechy), který je datovaný do mladšího neolitu. Cílem je prozkoumat vztah mezi nálezy ve výplni příkopu, dobou jeho zaplňování, funkcí a původní podobou mladoneolitických kruhových areálů. Byla provedena kvalitativní, kvantitativní a prostorová analýza nálezů z výplně příkopu rondelu. Sledovány byly zejména ty vlastnosti různých kategorií nálezů, které by mohly postihnout významné tendence spojené s formativními procesy. Výsledky jednotlivých analýz byly srovnány s jinými soubory z období neolitu. Na základě sumarizace dílčích výsledků byla pak formulována interpretace vzniku výplně příkopu. Pouze malý zlomek nálezů lze spojit s obdobím funkce rondelu. Výplň příkopu obsahovala některé nálezy, které dovolují diskutovat původní podobu objektu, nicméně samotnou funkci rondelu nelze z nálezů dešifrovat. Aplikovaný metodologický postup lze využít také na jiných objektech, které byly v minulosti zkoumány po tzv. mechanických vrstvách.
"The main goal of this paper is to present four recently discovered archeological components (si... more "The main goal of this paper is to present four recently discovered
archeological components (sites) situated in southwestern
(Marchocice, Krzczonów) and south-eastern (Popowice,
Wrocław-Wojszyce) Poland whose identification
was carried out just due to analyzing free satellite images and
vertical aerial photographs available from Google Earth and
Polish Geoportal. Processing the images in GIS detailed cartographic
base for subsequent field prospection, within the
projects of Department of Archaeology, University of Warszaw,
was carried out. The capability of these non-commercial
data was evaluated in process of identification, classification
and interpretation of archaeological remains hidden below
the surface. These free archival vertical images – be they air
photos or high-resolution satellite images – have not been
made for archaeological purposes and that is the reason why
they are often made in unfavorable season for presentation of
crop marks, possibly soil marks. Another limitation of using
satellite images from Google Earth is the unequal coverage of
the high resolution strips (mainly QuickBird ones). In case of
Poland, the majority of territory is covered by the images
from SPOT or Landsat satellites which are – because of lower
spatial resolution – less applicable for archaeological analysis.
Despite these limitations, freely available and widespread
vertical images are important source of a huge number of potential
archaeological sites waiting to be discovered. Only by
timeous recognition of the site, proper heritage management
can be effectively put into practice."
The aim of this contribution is to show in practice the possibilities of – still quite omitted – ... more The aim of this contribution is to show in practice the possibilities of – still quite omitted – non-destructive archaeological methods.
We would like to show their contribution not only as auxiliary,
predictive methods consequently followed by excavation, but accentuate their independency in solving own issues by specific proceedings. We will show the results which are possible to achieve as in systematical researches as in researches of sites liable to destruction. The main attention will be paid to the non-destructive research in Krzczonów, where both of the authors participated in.
The subject of investigation was an earthwork mound situated in
Krzczonów gm. Kazimierza Wielka woj. świetokrzyskie. The archeological site was never written into the AZP catalogue, therefore it was liable to destruction on account of agricultural and other activities. Archeological survey determined that the site is a high medieval motte and bailey based on pottery and numismatic material. The mound has a rectangular shape because of erosion and relics of trenches dated back
to World War 2. In order to reconstruct the original extent of the site
a 3d map was created and the nearby surroundings where examined using
the electro-resistivity method.
POSTERS by Roman Brejcha
Woods cover 34 % of the territory of the Czech Republic and due to the intensive agriculture the ... more Woods cover 34 % of the territory of the Czech Republic and due to the intensive agriculture the majority of archaeological above-ground features are preserved under the tree canopy. However, archaeological evidence from forested areas is quite poor and comprises predominantly isolated significant monuments. Within the last decade archaeology fully implemented very effective remote sensing method of airborne laser scanning which is able to operate in large scales even in forested landscapes. In the Czech Republic, the first complex and methodically conceived ALS project called "The potential of archaeological survey of the landscape in the Czech Republic using airborne laser 3D scanning (LIDAR)"was carried out in 2010 -2011 and involved the total area of 123 . One of the project areas was the polygon "Bøezina" discussed in this paper. 2 km Surface:
Conference Presentations by Roman Brejcha
The change from writing holistic histories to presenting micro pasts (Domańska 2005), is not a ne... more The change from writing holistic histories to presenting micro pasts (Domańska 2005), is not a new one.
In our opinion it did not change the perspective of archaeological studies. Prehistory is still written by
the winners. Although this time the winners are things not humans. Those features that seem to be not
interesting are omitted in the grand narratives of prehistories. One of the marginalized perspective of
studies are the landscape of villages and farm lives. We would like to present a brief comparison of
landscape studies on this subject from Poland and Czech Republic, focusing only on medieval and later
rural settlements. From the perspective of these is seem like we are living in a different world, were in
the Czech Republic the landscape is full of the past traces of farming activities in opposition to Polish
territory, where only few such places are currently known. Are we living in a different landscape or
perhaps it is the effect of different perspectives on landscape studies? The second topic that we would
like to stress out is how the perception of studying such places can be changed through applying remote
sensing data, especially LiDAR-derivatives.
Archeologia technica , 2021
Charcoal burning represents one of the most significant forest crafts, with the early modern peri... more Charcoal burning represents one of the most significant forest crafts, with the early modern period in particular seeing the activity developing significantly with the spread of blast furnaces. To the present day, artificial charcoal burning platforms are evidence of the activity. Our woodland contains a large number of these platforms, but until recently they were little investigated from an archaeological perspective. In our study, we endeavour to summarise some results and observations related to the research of charcoal burning platforms which we have obtained in work on an interdisciplinary project focused on charcoal burning platforms and their influence on the landscape.
Zprávy památkové péče , 2017
Matoušek, V. – Brejcha, R. 2017: Milířiště – drobné památky na pálení dřevěného uhlí v našich les... more Matoušek, V. – Brejcha, R. 2017: Milířiště – drobné památky na pálení dřevěného uhlí v našich lesích. Tři příklady z Brdské oblasti. Zprávy památkové péče 77/5, 572-580.
Wroniecki P., Sikora J., Brejcha R. 2017. Knowing Without Digging? Non-invasive Research of the K... more Wroniecki P., Sikora J., Brejcha R. 2017. Knowing Without Digging? Non-invasive Research of the Krzczonów Earthwork and its Surroundings. Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 12, 177–198The topic of this paper is a non-invasive research case study of a protected monument mound in Krzczonów, Świętokrzyskie voivodeship in Lesser Poland. It explores the possibilities of non-invasive methodological approaches in the recognition of archaeological sources by asking whether it is possible to procure relevant information without conducting excavations. A new interpretation of the mound’s function and chronology is based on data derived from multi-method field surveys including remote sensing (satellite imagery, UAV, light aircraft, ALS),
geophysical (magnetic gradiometry, earth resistance), total station measurements and analytical field walking prospection along with comparison of archival field-walking data. We would like to hypothesize that, contrary to the protected monument list, the Krzczonów earthwork
is not a prehistoric feature but could be related to the end of 14
th up to the beginning of the 16th century. In this case it could be understood as a remnant of a motte-type castle.
The site 2 in Marchocice in Little Poland has been already known to archaeologists for more than ... more The site 2 in Marchocice in Little Poland has been already known to archaeologists for more than one hundred years. Recent application of different approaches and research tools helped acquire a new, startling picture confirming the unique cognitive potential of this spectacular areal of ancient to activities. The initial impulse to study presented site by field-walking and the successive non-destructive surveys were the promising results of archive aerial and satellite images analysis. This paper presents the results of large-scale spatial approach with the use of magnetic gradiometry as the fastest and the most cost effective geophysical technique capable of detecting a wide variety of anthropogenic transformations. The Marchocice research project can be an example of how in a relatively short time important data which has the potential to be a firm basis or starting point for further, detailed studies may be acquired and mutualy complemented.
Práce se zabývá rondelem z lokality Vchynice (severozáp. Čechy), který je datovaný do mladšího ne... more Práce se zabývá rondelem z lokality Vchynice (severozáp. Čechy), který je datovaný do mladšího neolitu. Cílem je prozkoumat vztah mezi nálezy ve výplni příkopu, dobou jeho zaplňování, funkcí a původní podobou mladoneolitických kruhových areálů. Byla provedena kvalitativní, kvantitativní a prostorová analýza nálezů z výplně příkopu rondelu. Sledovány byly zejména ty vlastnosti různých kategorií nálezů, které by mohly postihnout významné tendence spojené s formativními procesy. Výsledky jednotlivých analýz byly srovnány s jinými soubory z období neolitu. Na základě sumarizace dílčích výsledků byla pak formulována interpretace vzniku výplně příkopu. Pouze malý zlomek nálezů lze spojit s obdobím funkce rondelu. Výplň příkopu obsahovala některé nálezy, které dovolují diskutovat původní podobu objektu, nicméně samotnou funkci rondelu nelze z nálezů dešifrovat. Aplikovaný metodologický postup lze využít také na jiných objektech, které byly v minulosti zkoumány po tzv. mechanických vrstvách.
"The main goal of this paper is to present four recently discovered archeological components (si... more "The main goal of this paper is to present four recently discovered
archeological components (sites) situated in southwestern
(Marchocice, Krzczonów) and south-eastern (Popowice,
Wrocław-Wojszyce) Poland whose identification
was carried out just due to analyzing free satellite images and
vertical aerial photographs available from Google Earth and
Polish Geoportal. Processing the images in GIS detailed cartographic
base for subsequent field prospection, within the
projects of Department of Archaeology, University of Warszaw,
was carried out. The capability of these non-commercial
data was evaluated in process of identification, classification
and interpretation of archaeological remains hidden below
the surface. These free archival vertical images – be they air
photos or high-resolution satellite images – have not been
made for archaeological purposes and that is the reason why
they are often made in unfavorable season for presentation of
crop marks, possibly soil marks. Another limitation of using
satellite images from Google Earth is the unequal coverage of
the high resolution strips (mainly QuickBird ones). In case of
Poland, the majority of territory is covered by the images
from SPOT or Landsat satellites which are – because of lower
spatial resolution – less applicable for archaeological analysis.
Despite these limitations, freely available and widespread
vertical images are important source of a huge number of potential
archaeological sites waiting to be discovered. Only by
timeous recognition of the site, proper heritage management
can be effectively put into practice."
The aim of this contribution is to show in practice the possibilities of – still quite omitted – ... more The aim of this contribution is to show in practice the possibilities of – still quite omitted – non-destructive archaeological methods.
We would like to show their contribution not only as auxiliary,
predictive methods consequently followed by excavation, but accentuate their independency in solving own issues by specific proceedings. We will show the results which are possible to achieve as in systematical researches as in researches of sites liable to destruction. The main attention will be paid to the non-destructive research in Krzczonów, where both of the authors participated in.
The subject of investigation was an earthwork mound situated in
Krzczonów gm. Kazimierza Wielka woj. świetokrzyskie. The archeological site was never written into the AZP catalogue, therefore it was liable to destruction on account of agricultural and other activities. Archeological survey determined that the site is a high medieval motte and bailey based on pottery and numismatic material. The mound has a rectangular shape because of erosion and relics of trenches dated back
to World War 2. In order to reconstruct the original extent of the site
a 3d map was created and the nearby surroundings where examined using
the electro-resistivity method.
Woods cover 34 % of the territory of the Czech Republic and due to the intensive agriculture the ... more Woods cover 34 % of the territory of the Czech Republic and due to the intensive agriculture the majority of archaeological above-ground features are preserved under the tree canopy. However, archaeological evidence from forested areas is quite poor and comprises predominantly isolated significant monuments. Within the last decade archaeology fully implemented very effective remote sensing method of airborne laser scanning which is able to operate in large scales even in forested landscapes. In the Czech Republic, the first complex and methodically conceived ALS project called "The potential of archaeological survey of the landscape in the Czech Republic using airborne laser 3D scanning (LIDAR)"was carried out in 2010 -2011 and involved the total area of 123 . One of the project areas was the polygon "Bøezina" discussed in this paper. 2 km Surface:
The change from writing holistic histories to presenting micro pasts (Domańska 2005), is not a ne... more The change from writing holistic histories to presenting micro pasts (Domańska 2005), is not a new one.
In our opinion it did not change the perspective of archaeological studies. Prehistory is still written by
the winners. Although this time the winners are things not humans. Those features that seem to be not
interesting are omitted in the grand narratives of prehistories. One of the marginalized perspective of
studies are the landscape of villages and farm lives. We would like to present a brief comparison of
landscape studies on this subject from Poland and Czech Republic, focusing only on medieval and later
rural settlements. From the perspective of these is seem like we are living in a different world, were in
the Czech Republic the landscape is full of the past traces of farming activities in opposition to Polish
territory, where only few such places are currently known. Are we living in a different landscape or
perhaps it is the effect of different perspectives on landscape studies? The second topic that we would
like to stress out is how the perception of studying such places can be changed through applying remote
sensing data, especially LiDAR-derivatives.