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Archaeologists have discovered four military mass graves from the 18th and 19th centuries during rescue excavations in advance of the construction of the D11 highway between the towns of Jaroměř and Trutnov in the Czech Republic.
The first mass grave relates to the Battle of Soor (Žďár) in 1745, during the Second Silesian War. Archaeologists recovered the remains of 12 individuals, some of whom appear to have died from gunshot wounds to the head, but are currently unable to determine to which side the fallen belonged. Other finds include buttons with remnants of fabric still attached, fragments of uniforms, projectiles from flintlock muskets, and personal equipment belonging to the buried soldiers.
The excavations also uncovered three later mass burials related to the 1866 Battle of Nový Rokytník, part of the Austro-Prussian War, which took place the day after the Battle of Trutnov, between retreating Austrian troops and the Prussian Guard. Two of these graves contained the remains of Prussian soldiers: seven in one grave and three in the other. Archaeologists recovered a large quantity of textile material, fragments of weapons, and personal items including a mirror and a pocket coffee grinder. A few kilometres away, they found another grave related to the same conflict, this time belonging to 23 Austrian soldiers. The skeletal remains in this grave were in very poor condition; the number of deceased was calculated primarily based on the preserved pairs of shoes. In contrast, textiles and other military items were exceptionally well-preserved. Among the interesting finds were a silver pocket watch with a dog motif and a gold franc minted in 1854.
Further analysis, conservation, and documentation of the finds is under way. Once this is complete, the artefacts will be taken to the Museum of East Bohemia, in the city of Hradec Králové, and the soldiers’ remains will be reburied.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: Archaeological Center Olomouc
