HAVRÁNOK

Havránok is an important archaeological site in northern Slovakia located on a hill above the Liptovská Mara water reservoir with breathtaking view.

The archaeologists unearthed a prehistoric Celtic hill fort and a medieval wooden castle in the 1960s. During the Iron Age and the Roman Era, the shrine of Havránok was an important religious center of the Celts living in Slovakia.

The Celts of Havránok minted their own coins. However, the simple copper coins could not equal the quality of the contemporary silver Biatecs, minted by the Boii in Bratislava.

 

OPPIDUM IN BRATISLAVA

Bratislava was one of the great ancient Celtic oppidums (very likely of Boii tribe). Archeological site is located on castle hill. Very likely it was the Boii tribe capital in the Middle Danube Area with own silver Biatec coins. 

 

OČKOV

Burial mound of the ancient chieftain from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th century, it is one of the first archaeological exposures in nature in Slovakia. In two wells at a depth of 1.5 meters were discovered urns filled with poorly burned bone. Alabaster urn is unique, it is an isolated finding across barbaric Europe. Overall 250 graves were uncovered at the site. In graves were found various iron objects such as scissors, iron buckle, the tip of the arrow, reflashing the bony ridge of the other objects tool from deer antler, burnt pieces of cast glass, fragments of bronze vessels, bronze tweezers. In the middle of the cemetery is located a cairn of Velatice culture of the Bronze Age. It has a stone structure with a diameter of 25 meters and 8 meters deep chamber. In it was discovered chieftain tomb with the skeleton, which had a coin next to the lower jaw, and silver earring at the left ear.

 

VENUS OF MORAVIA

First Lady of prehistoric Slovakia is made of mammoth tusk. Statuette of nude woman with large breasts and highlighted gender is maintained without heads and hands. 

Moravian Venus is old more than 22-thousand years. It has only 7.5 centimeters. The strange thing is that she was not found by archaeologists. She currently reigns at the castle of Bratislava as part of the Jewels of History exposition.

 

MAGNA MATER - VENUS OF SLOVAK TROY

Archaeological excavations, which began in 1923 in the village of Nitriansky Hrádok (now part of the city Šurany) revealed a huge historic settlement dating back to the 4th millennium before Christ, commonly called the Slovak Troy. The most characteristic discovery is a Neolithic figurine of a woman Magna mater (in Latin literally great mother), which is called the Venus of Hradek (Hrádocká Venus in Slovak). Currently, the original is placed in a museum exhibition in the Šurany town (Městská múzeum Šurany) and the image of Venus was depicted on the reverse of this coin. 

 

BOJNÁ

Bojná covers unique archaeological site, Slavic settlement Bojná I. - Valy. This fort was an important economic, power and christianizačným center of the Principality of Nitra and Great Moravia later, with any valuable archaeological finds, among them a collection of the oldest Slavic Christian monuments in Slovakia. The sprawling 12-hectare area surrounded by ditches and rampart, which even today sometimes reach the height of 8-10 meters. You can admire uncovered foundations of the fortress dwelling, reconstruction of the outer fortifications and residential area. 

Unique opportunity to learn about life experience form our Slavic ancestors, that would not be missed by any lover of history and archeology. 

 

DEVÍN

Castle standing on the cliff above the confluence of two major rivers Danube and Morava, thanks to its strategic position, was an ideal place for a fort. Its owner could control the important trade route along the Danube as well as one branch of the Amber Road. That is why the site has been settled since the Neolithic and fortified since the Bronze and Iron Age. Later, both the Celts and the Romans built strong fortresses there. In the Roman ruins, the first Christian church located North of the Danube has been identified.

 

KOSTOLEC

Ancient Great Moravian court from the second half of the 9th century in Ducové with reconstructed wooden pallisade and ruins of roman rotunda. Perhaps most notable is that the rest of the internal plaster wall paintings have been found which show the artistic decoration of this rare Great Moravian sacred monument.

 

GERULATA 

Roman military camp (fort) in village of Rusovce. It was built in the 2nd century as part of the Limes Romanus, and was part of the Roman province of Pannonia. In the 4th century, when Roman legions left Pannonia, it was abandoned. 

 

KELEMANTIA

On the banks of the river Danube near the village of Iza is a unique cultural and historical monument and one of our most interesting archaeological sites at the same time - a Roman military fortress Kelemantia. This fort was built in the 2nd century in the foreland of the military camp Brigetio lying on the other side of the river and was the part of the defense line Limes Romanus assuring the boundaries of the Roman Empire against barbarian invasions, especially Germans. 

 

GREAT MORAVIAN CHURCH of St. Margaret of Antioch

Church of St. Margaret of Antioch, near Kopčany village, is the only building still standing which certainly dates from the time of the Great Moravian Empire. It is considered to be the oldest church in Slovakia. Today’s small Chapel of St. Margaret of Antioch was probably a part of the “suburb” of Great Moravian hill fort “Valy” near Mikulcice (Czech Republic).

Pilgrimages are still taken to the church at the feast of St. Margaret of Antioch on July 13, although this date was celebrated only untill the 12th century and was later postponed to July 20, so the tradition is still alive.

 

CHURCH of Archangel Michael

Standing since the 12th century and represents a type of Romanesque church with a single nave completed semicircular apse. Nowadays there is serving Mass every year on September 29 on the day of the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. The church was depicted on Slovak koruna banknotes 100 (1941-1945) and 50 koruna banknotes (1993-2009).