Imagine, if you will, stepping back nearly 7,000 years right here in Vinoř. What stands before you is not just a municipal district of Prague, but a place with secrets buried deeper than the foundations of the city itself.
Vinoř, officially Prague-Vinoř, is more than just a location. It is a portal to a time when early farming communities gathered in circular buildings. These buildings are now known as roundels.
Around 4900 B.C. to 4400 B.C., the Stroked Pottery culture flourished. They left behind remnants of their existence right here in Vinoř. These round structures, discovered in the Vinoř district, predate even Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.
Miroslav Kraus leads excavations in Vinoř. He hopes to reveal clues about how these buildings were used. The discovery of the Vinoř roundel first occurred in the 1980s. Construction workers found it while laying gas and water pipelines. Current digs have revealed the structure in its entirety for the first time.
These roundels weren’t just local phenomena. Different communities across central Europe built similar structures. The knowledge of building these roundels crossed the borders of several archaeological cultures.
Interestingly, these ancient features remained largely unknown until recently. Aerial and drone photography became key archaeological tools. Now, archaeologists recognize roundels as the oldest architectural evidence in Europe.
Each roundel consists of wide circular ditches with gaps for entrances. The inner part likely had wooden poles. Mud may have plastered the gaps.
One interpretation suggests that the Goseck Circle in Germany served as an observatory or calendar. Two entrances aligned with sunrise and sunset during solstices. However, a broader interpretation suggests that the Vinoř structure served socio-ritual purposes. These roundels likely hosted gatherings for rites of passage, astronomical events, or economic exchanges.
Consider the scale. The people who built them only had stone tools. Yet, these structures commonly reached about 200 feet in diameter.
After three centuries, roundels disappeared from the archaeological record around 4600 B.C.. The reasons remain unknown. More than a quarter of all roundels discovered to date are located in the Czech Republic. Future research in places like Vinoř may help unlock the mystery of these ancient sites.
Let us not forget the more recent history of Vinoř. The first written references to the village date back to 1088. Since 1974, it has been part of the capital city of Prague. As of 2021, the population was 4,528, which is up 16% from 2011.
So, as we stand here in Vinoř, we’re not just seeing a modern municipal district. We’re standing on layers of history. We are connecting with people who lived and built here thousands of years ago. This place is a testament to the enduring human need to gather, build, and leave a mark on the world.