Landscape Analysis of Medieval Castle Sieges in Moravia (Czech Republic) : Field Survey Data and LiDAR Data
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | The 15th century was a turbulent period in Czech history, encompassing the lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. The Hussite Wars, a civil war, caused significant disruption to the state and social hierarchy. However, these conflicts also advanced military technology, particularly the improvement of firearms and military siege tactics in the Czech lands, which expanded into foreign territories with Hussite armies. The political resolution after the Hussite Wars led to the rise of the first king from a noble family of the Hussite faction. Despite this, the Catholic faction remained in opposition, continuing the struggle and marking the beginning of the era of castle sieges, which are well-visible and documented in the landscape. This military period is well-recognized in the surroundings of the three Moravian castles: Rokštejn, Cornštejn, and Vranov, where field surveys were conducted (detection of anthropogenic features, metal detector surveys and analysis in GIS and using LiDAR data). The terrain data shows the tactics of the besiegers and the differences and similarities in the military actions and capabilities of the castle men-at-arms and the castles themselves (architecture). From the castles Rokštejn and Cornštejn, we know the archaeological situation because systematic or rescue excavations were conducted there. The spectrum of weapons and the final impact of the besiegers on the fortified castle areas, such as fire and the destruction of castle buildings, are well-documented. |
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