The present

In December 2015, the long-awaited multifunctional entrance building was completed in the Archeopark in Chotěbuz-Podobora, a division of the Museum of Těšín Silesia. Thus, a major chapter was closed in the construction of the Archeopark, built as a replica of a Slavic hillfort since 2001 in a forest outside Český Těšín. This was a follow-up on the importance the site had both in ancient times and as a major current Czech archaeological site, declared a national memorial site. This can be attributed primarily to the rich history of settlements in Chotěbuz-Podobora since the prehistoric era, whose traces are a significant source of details about the history of the Těšín region.

The richness of the finds and data found at the Chotěbuz site in a series of exploration campaigns helped to draw a quite in-depth picture of local history. The richness was also the reason behind the idea to build a hillfort replica that would restore the settlement visually and make it accessible to the public, with the finds shared interactively with both expert and lay visitors. Thus in 2001, at a site where once a massive Slavic stronghold with Hallstatt roots stood, the foundations were laid for the Archeopark. First, authentic contemporary methods were employed to build a segment of the front chamber wall, completed in 2002. A year later, it was followed by a renovation of the bridge that connects the first castle court and the acropolis. Inside the acropolis itself, a replica of a long hall-like structure was built in 2004 after large-scale exploration, inspired by the finds in the nearby hillfort in Lubomia, Poland. A year later, the crucial part of the construction work commenced: the acropolis was surrounded by a perimeter palisade and inside the historical site, three replicas of residential houses were built, showcasing difference construction technologies in the early Middle Ages.

The Archeopark was first opened to the public in 2006 but the construction did not stop there. The subsequent period was marked by further stages of systematic archaeological exploration and the construction of a fourth residential house as well as replicas of small artisan structures (including an iron furnace) and a sacral structure. The crucial turn came in 2013 when the Archeopark started the second stage of development. It was completed in 2015. In its course, two more residential houses were built on the historical site, while at the foot of the hill, a new multi-purpose entrance building was erected, as mentioned above, to replace the previous wooden reception office. Visitors are offered facilities and new interactive displays presenting in particular the history of the Chotěbuz site, the surrounding nature and the details of local archaeological exploration. This is completed with a separate pottery workshop with a furnace and a potter’s wheel, used in a variety of school projects and public events. A number of such events are held in the Archeopark. They help visitors to gain some insight and experience the life of our distant ancestors as much as possible.