HRADEC KRÁLOVÉ, CZECH REPUBLIC
northeastern/central Bohemia

In 2023, archaeologists discovered a culturally significant site while they were surveying the land for a future highway project. This site, located in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, became an archeologists’ and historians’ dream. The excavation of the site proceeded over the course of the last two years. During that time, thousands of artifacts were found. In an interview with Czech Television, the lead archaeologist Matouš Holas said, "When we started doing the first work, we came across artifacts that indicated that we had come across something big". “If the highway had not been built, this settlement would not have been found."

Figure 1. Bird's eye view of Hradec Králové, Czech Republic excavation site. 

Ludmila Němcová, University of Hradec Králové

As of this year, archaeologists have collected 13,000 bags of artifacts which include: gold and silver coins of all sizes, jewelry, Baltic amber, glass, pottery and ceramics, fragments of mirrors, and metal vessels. The coins are small in diameter, but thought to be modeled after Roman coins of the same era. These high quality items as well as manufacturing facilities and tools could indicate that the site was home to a large number of artisans of various trades.

Figure 2.  Artifact excavated at Hradec Králové site

 Museum of East Bohemia in Hradec Králové/University of Hradec Králové/Martin Bulat

The settlement was not fortified, which indicates that this could have been a major site for supra-regional trade. Although there were many dwellings, manufacturing facilities (pottery), as well as religious buildings, no graves were found. The large presence of the Baltic Amber has led experts to believe this could have been a part of the historic “Amber Trail” leading from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea, yet another indication of the site’s socioeconomic significance.

Figure 3. Artisan-crafted glass artifacts

The presence of luxury glass artifacts, for jewelry, reminds us of the long legacy of Czech glass, which spans over 2000 years. In this unique biome, the abundant local sources of silica-rich sands, wood, and potash create ideal conditions for high-quality glassmaking. Modern Czech people do not see glassmaking as only a commodity, but also a cultural resource. The history of glassmaking gave rise to a material culture unique to the region, which endures to this day.

Figure 4. Archaeologists excavating on site at Hradec Králové

Matouš Holas, Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové / University of Hradec Králové

The settlement is very large compared to the previous sites, spanning across 62 acres (25 hectares). Most iron age sites in the area are much smaller, reaching only 1-2 hectares. The size of the site along with the findings leads experts to believe the settlement is of major historical and cultural significance, with a size over ten times larger than comparable sites, making it one of the largest Celtic sites in all of central Europe. The size makes this site of extreme interest and also the largest archaeological excavation of its type in the Czech Republic. The significance as well as the most important archaeological excavation in Czech history is exemplified by the inclusion of multiple institutions involved in the excavation, led by archaeologist Matouš Holas.

Figure 5.  Celtic Gold Coin from excavation at  Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

University of Hradec Králové

While the discovery of a Celtic settlement in the Czech Republic is not new, the discovery of a site of this size and character greatly impacts what we previously knew about the historical past of the region. Experts believe the settlement was most likely built by the Boii tribe, which is where Bohemia gets its name. According to the influential Czech historian František Palacký (1798-1876), the Boii were the first group to inhabit Bohemia. The Boii were Celtic peoples who migrated east through central Europe bringing the culture of the La Tène period into central Europe, and the Czech Republic. Celtic migration into central Europe has never been studied in depth biologically, however, classical writers have recorded a large trend in Celtic migration east into central Europe around 400 B.C., from their home territory, to France, into southern Germany, and finally, into the Czech Republic. 

It is clear that this Celtic settlement was of major importance in its time before mysteriously vanishing around the 1st century B.C.E. Currently there is no information to suggest violent conquest by neighboring people; the decline most likely could be due to economic or environmental reasons. Unfortunately, archaeological records rarely give us answers to our most sought after questions. Archaeological excavations are now complete, for the time being, however, ongoing cataloging of artifacts and analysis will undoubtedly provide more insight into the lives of the people who lived there, giving us a unique new perspective into our shared cultural history. Beyond the historical insight, these discoveries invite us to reflect on how our cultural heritage and identity is formed through enduring cultural melding with the peoples of the past.

Written by Erin Marashi

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WORKS CITED

Anderson, Sonja. “Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Celtic Settlement Filled with Jewelry, Amber and Coins in the Czech Republic”. Smithsonian Magazine. 29 July, 2025.  Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

Hirst, K. Kirs. “European Iron Age La Tène Culture: Evidence for Celtic Migrations into the Mediterranean“. ThoughtCo. 27 September, 2018.   Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

Jarus, Owen. 2,200-Year-Old Celtic Settlement Discovered in Czech Republic — and it's Awash in Gold and Silver Coins." Live Science, 18 July, 2025. ProQuest, .  Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

Karlik, Tomas Karlik, and Weiner, Vlastimil. “Archeologové našli na Hradecku keltské sídliště, které v tuzemsku nemá obdoby“. CT24. 7 March, 2025.  Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

“Major Celtic Settlement Discovered in Czech Republic”. Archaeology Magazine. 10 July, 2025.  Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

Piccirilli, Erica, et al. "New insights on Celtic migration in Hungary and Italy through the analysis of non-metric dental traits." PLoS ONE, vol. 18, no. 10, 18 Oct. 2023, p. e0293090. Gale In Context: Science, dx.doi.org.uhd.idm.oclc.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293090. Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

Pohanka, Vít. “Celts & Czechs: what Palacký wrote about the first known inhabitants of Bohemia”. Czech Radio. 20 June, 2025.  Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

Pohanka, Vít. “Czechast: the first known Czechs were the Celts!”.Czech Radio. 26 April, 2025.  Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

“Who were the Celts?”. Amgueddfa Cymru. 5 June, 2021.  Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

Cars are the future, from old stickshifts to automatic transmissions to more recently, electric vehicles (EV). Cars are evolving. What car we drive comes down to the market, the availability, our preference and more importantly, the affordability. An affordable car is often preferred over more expensive models because they are readily available and will not put you into further debt. This outlook is significantly impacting the vehicles that are found on the roads in the Czech Republic. According to Eurostat, Czechia hosts the seventh highest number of cars per 1000 inhabitants, however, the average age of the car in 2016 was 14.3 years. Used cars are favored over newer models, and in the Czech Republic, used cars are more expensive than surrounding countries such as Poland and Hungary; yet they are still more affordable than their new counterparts.

The Czech Republic is the fourth largest auto producer in Europe, and most sales are from exports. The graph shows how low domestic sales for auto production are compared to exports, which can be explained by rising prices. As car prices increase, people opt to buy a used car instead, resulting in sales for used cars exceeding sales for new cars.

Along with exporting new cars, Czechia imports many used cars with 51% of them being 10 years or older. Older cars do not comply with ecological and safety regulations, yet they are cheaper and more convenient for the public. At the same time, cars that meet the stricter emissions standards are more expensive to make, hence take longer to be available for the public.

2010 Škoda Octavia

Škoda Octavia is the best selling model in the Czech Republic.

The most common vehicles in the country are from Škoda Auto, formerly a Czech automobile manufacturer, but the rest of the common vehicles come from outside the country. Besides Škoda, the top brands found in Czechia are Hyundai (South Korea), Toyota (Japan), Volkswagen (Germany), and Kia (South Korea). From these vehicles, Volkswagen and Škoda are the most popular importing brands emphasizing the partnership between the Czech Republic and Germany.

The Czech Republic’s location in central Europe and neighboring Germany (its largest trading partner), has led the country to have a dependency on the automotive industry for a stable economy. New cars produced within the country are exported to consumers outside the country; the now used or secondhand car can then be imported to the Czech Republic. Also, because four of the five top car manufacturers in Czechia are foreigners, many of their used vehicles are imported back to Czech market and are readily available, thus increasing the amount of used cars in the country.

The government has had its fair share of attempts to minimize the number of older cars within the country. In 2009, the government imposed an ecological tax on vehicles produced before 2000, but the limit has not changed. The Environment Minister from 2014-2021, Richard Brabec, planned to introduce a fee to register used cars, but his plan was scrapped. The Ministry of Transport of Czech Republic has reported an increase in car registrations that equate to 3 cars for every 4 adults in the country. With stricter ecological regulations, prices only continue to rise for newer vehicles, making the alternative older car market more lucrative.

First Škoda electric vehicle to reach the market Škoda Enyaq in 2020.

The current automotive industry is challenging for a green transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) which may help eliminate or limit the sale of older cars from. EVs do not produce as many emissions as gasoline-powered vehicles, and with Europe’s CO2 emissions reduction targets, EVs will become more common. Although EVs' initial price is higher, their maintenance costs are significantly less than cars running on gasoline. This current change in the automotive industry may challenge those who find affordability in a car to opt to buy an EV and leave their older car behind. Even if they continue to choose to purchase a used car, EVs on Czechia’s top brand, Škoda, will only be five years old.

Written by Rigoberto Rivera

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Sources:

“Czech Car Sales Surge, Škoda Dominates the Market.” Czech Daily. 5 August 2025. . Accessed 1 October 2025. 

Fraňková, Ruth. “Imports of used cars in August exceeded sales of new vehicles.” Radio Prague International. 7 September 2021. . Accessed 30 September 2025.

Fraňková, Ruth. “Second car headache faces Czech ministries.” Radio Prague International. 23 August 2017. . Accessed 30 September 2025.

International Monetary Fund. European Dept. “The Role of the Auto Industry in the Czech Republic’s Economy.” Czech Republic: Selected Issues. Volume 2025: Issue 036. 4 February 2025. . Accessed 30 September 2025.

Miharia, Aashna. “As more Czechs rely on driving, their cars are getting older.” Radio Prague International. 30 September 2025. . Accessed 30 September 2025.

“Passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants reached 560 in 2022.” Eurostat. 17 January 2024. . Accessed 30 September 2025.