Experts will still discuss the modifications of the Celtic hillfort Závist

Dolní Břežany - The Central Bohemian Region wants to gather feedback from the expert community regarding the adjustments to the Celtic settlement Závist in the cadastre of Dolní Břežany near Prague. Therefore, a seminar will take place at the Archaeological Institute. The regional government will then evaluate based on the suggestions from experts and the public whether the project requires modifications and, if so, what kind, said the deputy governor and mayor of Dolní Břežany, Věslav Michalik (STAN), to ČTK today. The project has sparked negative reactions from the public, and criticisms were also raised at today's public meeting at the site of the Celtic settlement. About 50 people attended, but the presentation was shortened due to bad weather, and discussions were more prominent.

According to Michalik, most of the people who attended had remarks about the project. "We have a group of people who would prefer that the national cultural monument was not presented in any way and that it stayed as it is, with nothing happening up there," Michalik stated. However, he described the discussion as cultured.

Opponents primarily object to the use of concrete at the site of the Celtic settlement. The author of the proposal, Josef Pleskot, argues that concrete slabs will create a roof over the archaeological finds and protect them from further water absorption.

Representatives of the region have agreed with the director of the Archaeological Institute of the Academy of Sciences, Jan Mařík, and the director of the Institute of Archaeological Heritage Care of Central Bohemia, Irena Benková, to organize a seminar. It will take place in a month, and representatives from universities, archaeological institutions, heritage conservationists, and cultural institutions will be invited. Comments arising from the expert discussion, along with the suggestions from the public, will be addressed by the region to decide whether the project requires adjustments.

The Czech National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ČNK ICOMOS) has called for a halt to construction. It also identified the observation tower that the municipality is building at Závist as problematic, claiming it is unnecessarily tall and bulky. The project plans to cover the area with a layer of gravel, crushed stone, and colored concrete slabs, which are supposed to resemble the outlines of archaeological objects hidden beneath the fill. The president of the Czech ICOMOS committee, Václav Girsa, stated that Závist is one of the few undeveloped archaeological sites in the Czech Republic, and the project, in his opinion, would jeopardize the value of this national cultural monument.

Architect Pleskot previously argued that concrete slabs would prevent further water flow through the rubble and the destruction of archaeological finds beneath the mounds. "Concrete is a mineral material, it is part of our cultural presence, and for me, it is not a derogatory, low-quality, or contemptible material. It is a civilizational material of our time, and it will remain so for a long time because it is very sophisticated," declared the architect. The director of the Archaeological Institute, Mařík, also defends the project. According to him, it is prepared so that it does not disturb the preserved archaeological parts.