The burial site was discovered in 2014 by an amateur collaborator of the Kroměříž branch of the Brno Institute for Archaeological Heritage. Since then, the locality was kept secret by the archaeologists, and systematically monitored by surface surveys and collecting using metal detectors. The collected objects came from cremation graves disturbed by plowing. High concentration of riders’ spurs, weapons, and luxury items indicated a presence of a higher Germanic social class. The locality was endangered by the intensive farming operations and a potential looting by illegal searchers with metal detectors. Because of that, the archaeologists strived for its protection. Thanks to a support from the Zlín Region in the amount of 2.73 million CZK a research took place during the main season of 2022 on which two regional institutes joined their forces: the Zlín Museum of Southeast Moravia and the Kroměříž District Museum, the Kroměříž branch of the Brno Institute for Archaeological Heritage, and the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague. The expert guarantor and leader of the research was Mgr. T. Zeman, Ph.D. the works took place within the core of the burial site, on an area of 3,400 square metres. A cremation site, or ustrinum in Latin, was discovered on the southern edge of the necropolis; it was used for cremating the bodies of the deceased. The aim of the research was to excavate and lift the cremation burial sites in entire blocks of earth. A total number of 69 blocks/graves were lifted and transported to the laboratories of the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno, where they will be subject to other expert procedures – X-ray and CT scanning, sampling, preparation and gradual disassembly of the blocks, laboratory treatment, and conservation of the finds.
After investigation and expert treatment, the objects from the individual cremation graves will be permanently placed in the collections of the Kroměříž District Museum. A part of the objects will be presented to the public at the museum facility in Rymice.
The found spurs, weapons, silver jewels, parts of belts, utensils and luxurious Roman products clearly confirm a burial site of a cavalry, the elite of the Germanic troops, from the period of the Marcomannic Wars between 166 and 180 AD. The discovery is associated with a Roman marching military camp at Pravčice near Hulín, which was discovered in 2007 and is a firm and direct proof of the penetration of Germanic warriors from the territory of the present Central Poland and the Baltic coast to Central Moravia during this particular armed conflict.
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