Dolní Věstonice

Dolní Věstonice (German: Unterwisternitz) is a small village in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It is known for a series of ice age archaeological sites in the area. These sites were used by mammoth hunters, and finds include a triple burial and the Venus of Dolní Věstonice. Although prehistoric artifacts have been found in the area for some time, formal archaeological research started in 1924. The village became a target for tourists interested in archeology, wine, architecture or traditional costumes.

History

A small fortress was built here during the Great Moravia period. The place is mentioned in written documents from 1312. During the 13th century the place became inhabited by German colonists. In 1460 it received city rights. From the beginning of the 16th century Habaners (Habáni, members of anabaptist sects expelled from German lands and Switzerland) settled here. They were expelled again in 1622.

Until 1918, the village was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), in the NIKOLSBURG district, one of the 34 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Moravia.

Dolní Věstonice (archaeology)

Dolní Věstonice (often without diacritics as Dolni Vestonice) refers to an Upper Paleolithic archaeological site near the village of Dolní Věstonice, Moravia in the Czech Republic,on the base of Děvín Mountain 549 metres (1,801 ft), dating to approximately 26,000 BP, as supported by radiocarbon dating. The site is unique in that it has been a particularly abundant source of prehistoric artifacts (especially art) dating from the Gravettian period, which spanned roughly 27,000 to 20,000 B.C. In addition to the abundance of art, this site also includes carved representations of men, women, and animals, along with personal ornaments, human burials and enigmatic engravings.

Introduction