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Libor Petr

Masaryk University, Department of Botany and Zoology, Department Member

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Dorian Q Fuller

University College London

Samar Nour-El-Deen

Ain Shams University

Caroline J . Tully

University of Melbourne

Università di Bologna

girolamo fiorentino

University of Salento

Kristian Kristiansen

University of Gothenburg

Yannis Hamilakis

Brown University

University of Southern California

Field Museum

Johannes Preiser-Kapeller

Austrian Academy of Sciences

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Papers by Libor Petr

601 Environmental history of the extinct lake Sur (Western Carpathians, Slovakia) during the Late-glacial and Holocene : a multi-proxi approach

日本花粉学会会誌, Aug 23, 2012

Praepositura in solitudo: Ostrovská cella Baštiny (Teslín) a archeologie nejmenších řádových založení

Archeologicke Rozhledy, 2009

The Baštiny Priory was founded by the Ostrov monastery in the pre-Hussite period in an outlying p... more The Baštiny Priory was founded by the Ostrov monastery in the pre-Hussite period in an outlying part of an extended forest in the Central Bohemian Uplands of Brdy. This study, based on a surface survey, examines the internal arrangement and the background of this unique monastic site and compares the results with the state of knowledge of small monastic houses in other parts of Europe.

High vegetation and environmental diversity during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene on the example of lowlands in the Czech Republic

Biologia, 2014

The diversity of vegetation and the environment in the Late Glacial period in the Elbe region is ... more The diversity of vegetation and the environment in the Late Glacial period in the Elbe region is illustrated by a comparison of three palynological localities. The localities differ in their history, profile lithology and position relative to the Elbe river. The Hrabanovská černava profile holds a record of the development of a shallow lake, which was surrounded by a cold continental steppe in the Early Dryas. Evidence of a pine forest in the Late Glacial period is captured in the surroundings of the profile Chrást. The Mělnický úval – Přívory locality is an interdune infill, where marl sediments redeposited in shallow water. The surrounding vegetation was diffuse and influenced by erosion. In the Early Holocene, the landscape was covered by an open birch-pine forest. Broad-leaved woody species appeared later. Localities in the Elbe region share a high proportion of Pinus throughout the Holocene as a result of the spread of drift and terrace sands. The human impact in the mid Holocene manifests as evidence of intensive charring of localities.

Geoarcheologický výzkum halštatské zemnice v Modřicích u Brna = Geoarchaeological investigation of a sunken house from the Hallstatt peridod at Modřice near Brno /

Veselí nad Moravou - středověký hrad v říční nivě

odpovědný redaktor: Mgr. Miroslav dejmal, doc. ing. Phdr. Miroslav Plaček technická redakce: Bc. ... more odpovědný redaktor: Mgr. Miroslav dejmal, doc. ing. Phdr. Miroslav Plaček technická redakce: Bc. lucie černá, Mgr. lenka sedláčková recenzenti: prof. Phdr. Josef unger, Csc., doc. Phdr. Pavel Vařeka, Ph.d. Překlad anglického resumé: Mgr. Pavel košař Jazyková korektura: Bc. lucie černá, Mgr. dana Zapletalová, Mgr. irena Ženožičková sazba a grafická úprava: archaia Brno o. p. s. návrh obálky: černá a fialová s. r. o. obálka: Plán zámku a zámecké zahrady z roku 1748, sig. hVa38, uloženo v Městkém muzeu ve Veselí nad Moravou. tisk: tiskárna didot, spol. s. r. o. náklad: 700 ks součástí publikace je datový nosič (dVd) Brno 2015 isBn: 978-80-905546-3-4 arChaia Brno o. p. s.

Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku

Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku Archeologie, geochemie a rozbory... more Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku Archeologie, geochemie a rozbory sedimentárních výplní niv Central Bohemian-Moravian Highlands on the threshold of the High Middle Ages Archaeology, geochemistry and the analyses of alluvial sediments Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku Central Bohemian-Moravian Highlands on the threshold of the High Middle Ages

Praepositura in solitudo

Archeologicke Rozhledy

Praepositura in solitudo: Ostrovská cella Baštiny (Teslín) a archeologie nejmenších klášterních z... more Praepositura in solitudo: Ostrovská cella Baštiny (Teslín) a archeologie nejmenších klášterních založení 1 Karel Nováček – Libor Petr Proboštství Baštiny založil ostrovský klášter v předhusitském období v odlehlé části souvislého brdského lesa. Studie, jež vychází z povrchového průzkumu zaniklé lokality v roce 2008, zkoumá vnitřní uspořádání a zázemí tohoto svébytného monastického areálu a porovnává výsledky se stavem poznání závislých mnišských domů malého rozsahu v západní Evropě. klášterní dependence – benediktýni – povrchový průzkum – palynologie – Brdy – pozdní středověk Pobočné řeholní domy – celly, proboštství, převorství (prioráty) – zaujaly na sklonku raného středověku místo ve stále pestřejší mozaice forem zasvěceného života v českých zemích. Ačkoli fenomén klášterních dependencí byl u nás oproti západní Evropě opožděn o tři až pět staletí, 2 dosáhly během 14. století jejich fundace pozoruhodné dynamiky. Jejich zakladateli byly v českých zemích v první řadě mnišské klášter...

The middle and upper holocene history of the forest vegetation of the river floodplain in the central Moravia (Czech Republic)

The purpose of this study is to investigate a woodland history of the floodplain river forests du... more The purpose of this study is to investigate a woodland history of the floodplain river forests during the neolithic-roman period in the central Moravia (Czech Republic). The goal of our study is an interpretation of the anthracological data from the archraeological sites and the pollen data from off site profiles for reconstruction of the forest history in the central Moravia (Czech Republic). The middle holocene changes of river floodplains provides an idea of dynamic succession of forest vegetation. However the study result has showed the continuale presence of the broadleaved forest with a dominance of Quercus sp. and very common presence of Fraxinus sp. and Ulmus sp. The significant change was recorded during the Bronze Age, when the presence of Fraxinus sp. decreased and Carpinus sp. reversed. The anthracological data document the forest stability in the river floodplain during middle and upper holocene history. These results are in contrary with a noticeable vegetation changes...

The Lateglacial and Holocene in Central Europe: a multi-proxy environmental record from the Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic

by Marek Křížek and Libor Petr

Boreas, 2015

Interstadial inland dune slacks in south-west Slovakia: a multi-proxy vegetation and landscape reconstruction

Quaternary International, 2015

Palaeoecological studies spanning back to the Bølling/Allerød (GI-1) Interstadial of the Late Gla... more Palaeoecological studies spanning back to the Bølling/Allerød (GI-1) Interstadial of the Late Glacial in the whole Western Carpathians and adjacent lowlands are extremely scarce. To improve our knowledge about the landscape structure and diversity of wetland habitats, we analysed two palaeoecological interstadial sequences of pollen and macrofossils (bryophytes, vascular plants and molluscs) from the sandy landscape of the Borsk a lowland (southwest Slovakia). The deposits differed between the two sequences analysed, consisting predominantly of lacustrine chalk or brown-moss sedge fen peat, respectively. The results showed that, during wetter and warmer conditions during the Interstadial, open large dunes had been stabilised by pine woodlands admixed by birch. Contrary to the Podunajsk a lowland, which is situated eastwards towards the centre of the Pannonian Plain, broadleaf thermophilous trees such as Ulmus, Quercus and Tilia were almost absent in the study region, which suggests an importance of the bedrock for Late-Glacial forest vegetation. Salix, Alnus and Betula nana scrubs were probably scattered across wetlands. Active dunes were occupied by Hippopha€ e rhamnoides and steppe vegetation with grasses, Artemisia and Helianthemum. Low abundance of Chenopodiaceae pollen suggests that the sandy bedrock was probably unfavourable for the development of salt-rich habitats. Wetland habitats were diverse and abundant in the inter-dune space, partly resembling recent coastal dune slack vegetation or alluvial salty grasslands in continental central Asia. The wetland habitats comprised aquatic habitats with Myriophyllum, Potamogeton filiformis, P. pectinatus, P. pussilus, Sparganium minimum and planktonic algae (Pediastrum and Botryococcus), strongly continental calcareous-fens with Blysmus rufus and Triglochin maritima, boreocontinental brown-moss sedge fen fens with Drepanocladus trifarius, Carex lasiocarpa, Menyanthes trifoliata and Scorpidium scorpioides) and reed beds with Cicuta virosa, Phragmites and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani. Remains of these unique wetland mosaics have recently disappeared because of human activities including peat extraction and dune stabilisation by pine plantations, which have transformed the modern landscape.

Medieval Horse Stable; The Results of Multi Proxy Interdisciplinary Research

by Miroslav Dejmal, Libor Petr, Randy Culp, Ladislav Nejman, Zdeňka Sůvová, Miriam Nývltová Fišáková, and Petr Kočár

PloS ONE, 2014, 9 (3), s. e89273. ISSN 1932-6203, 2014

A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse st... more A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse stable architecture, the maintenance practices associated with that structure as well as horse alimentation at the beginning of 13th century in Central Europe. Finally, an interpretation of the local vegetation structure along Morava River, Czech Republic is presented. The investigated stable experienced two construction phases. The infill was well preserved and its composition reflects maintenance practices. The uppermost part of the infill was composed of fresh stabling, which accumulated within a few months at the end of summer. Horses from different backgrounds were kept in the stable and this is reflected in the results of isotope analyses. Horses were fed meadow grasses as well as woody vegetation, millet, oat, and less commonly hemp, wheat and rye. Three possible explanations of stable usage are suggested. The stable was probably used on a temporary basis for horses of workers employed at the castle, courier horses and horses used in battle.

Late-Glacial and Holocene Environmental History of an Oxbow Wetland in the Polabí Lowland (River Elbe, Czech Republic); a Context-Dependent Interpretation of a Multi-Proxy Analysis

Folia Geobotanica, 2013

Late-Holocene human-induced changes to the extent of alpine areas in the East Sudetes, Central Europe

The Holocene, 2010

The easternmost parts of the Hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe, namely Hrubý Jeseník and ... more The easternmost parts of the Hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe, namely Hrubý Jeseník and Králický Sně žník, are characterised by extensive alpine areas at altitudes above approximately 1300 m a.s.l. In order to determine the contribution of human activities to the extent of these summit grasslands we analysed charcoal assemblages and pollen profiles taken from high elevation sites. The first burn was dated to the Iron Age (about the first to second centuries bc), with successive fire events recorded in the early Mediaeval epoch from about ad 670. Significant human influence as recorded in pollen diagrams was detected as late as during the High Middle Ages (about the twelfth to thirteenth centuries ad). Charcoal assemblages reveal similar trends in species composition. The oldest and/or deepest samples are represented by charcoal fragments of Picea abies and various broadleaf trees and shrubs such as Betula sp., Sorbus sp., Juniperus sp. and Salix sp. Towards the surface, Picea abies gradually becomes dominant and then Vaccinium charcoal particles dominate the charcoal pool. Radiocarbon data of individual charcoal fragments did not, however, confirm a stratification of charcoal in the soil. According to anthracomass, pollen and macrofossils, the pattern of forest-free areas was originally determined by terrain morphology. While forest-free patches occurred on exposed summits and the convex edges of summit plateaus, open canopy tree growths dominated high elevation summit flats, and closed canopy forests occurred on adjacent slopes.

Šúr, a former late-glacial and Holocene lake at the westernmost margin of the Carpathians / Šúr - zaniklé pozdně glaciální a holocenní jezero na nejzápadnějším okraji Karpat

Preslia -Praha-

There is a unique palaeolimnological record of the late-glacial and Holocene periods in the forme... more There is a unique palaeolimnological record of the late-glacial and Holocene periods in the former lake Šúr near Bratislava in western Slovakia. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the development of the environment in the locality of the lake, including the gradual infilling of the lake. We reconstructed the development of the lake environment by combining results of a geochemical analysis with analyses of diatoms and plant macrofossils.We also carried out a pollen analysis to assess the changes in the surrounding terrestrial vegetation. The results reveal how the character of the lake has changed over time. At the peak of the glacial period, water flowed through the lake and deposited sand there. Later on the flowofwater through the lake ceased and a vast oligotrophic lake developed. During the Holocene, the lake gradually became eutrophic. The pollen record contains evidence of the occurrence of woody species of broad-leaved forest in the late-glacial period in the Carpathia...

Medieval Horse Stable; The Results of Multi Proxy Interdisciplinary Research

by Libor Petr, Miriam Nývltová Fišáková, and Zdeňka Sůvová

PLoS ONE, 2014

A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse st... more A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse stable architecture, the maintenance practices associated with that structure as well as horse alimentation at the beginning of 13 th century in Central Europe. Finally, an interpretation of the local vegetation structure along Morava River, Czech Republic is presented. The investigated stable experienced two construction phases. The infill was well preserved and its composition reflects maintenance practices. The uppermost part of the infill was composed of fresh stabling, which accumulated within a few months at the end of summer. Horses from different backgrounds were kept in the stable and this is reflected in the results of isotope analyses. Horses were fed meadow grasses as well as woody vegetation, millet, oat, and less commonly hemp, wheat and rye. Three possible explanations of stable usage are suggested. The stable was probably used on a temporary basis for horses of workers employed at the castle, courier horses and horses used in battle.

Reflections of Prehistoric and Medieval human activities in floodplain deposits of the Únanovka Stream, South Moravia, Czech Republic

by Libor Petr, Klara Sabatova, and N. Doláková

Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, 2015

Floodplain J. Petřík sediments of the Únanovka Stream's catchment were investigated utilizing the... more Floodplain J. Petřík sediments of the Únanovka Stream's catchment were investigated utilizing the methods of sedimentology and paleoecology. The development of human settlements in the stream catchment and dating from the Prehistoric through the Medieval, have been compared with floodplain developments. Paleoecological data were obtained from the pollen record and plant macroremains. Bulk samples of the sediments were analyzed for phosphates, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size; macroremains were dated using the radiocarbon method. Floodplain structure were investigated by combination of geophysical methods and drilling. The floodplain base was formed during the beginning of the Neolithic, where a sandy, organic silt layer was formed upon a sandy gravel basement, under a deciduous forest environment. From approximately the late neolithic, when a silty loam sediment started accumulation, direct paleoecological evidence of agriculture has been recorded. Since the beginning of the Middle Ages, the dominant vegetation was of a ruderal character, with Alder. From the High Middle Ages, the processes of accumulation and erosion in the neighboring region accelerated.

Holocene dynamics of the alpine timberline in the High Sudetes

by Libor Petr and Vlasta Jankovská

Biologia, 2008

The study focuses on the High Sudetes that represent the most distinctive islands of alpine fores... more The study focuses on the High Sudetes that represent the most distinctive islands of alpine forest-free area among hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe. Based on data from newly taken cores and previously published pollen profiles, comparison of the development of the alpine timberline position is carried out. The first of the analysed pollen profilesthe Labský důl core in the Krkonoše Mts spans the whole period of the Holocene, the Keprník and Mezikotlí profiles in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts bring information from the Subboreal/older Subatlanticum turn to the present. An exceptional position of the Krkonoše Mts in terms of permanent presence of the alpine belt throughout the Holocene was confirmed. Three oscillations of the alpine timberline during the Lower Holocene were detected in the profile from the Labský důl site. In the Hrubý Jeseník Mts a temperature dependent forest-free area existed at least since Subboreal to the present.

Interpretation of the last-glacial vegetation of eastern-central Europe using modern analogues from southern Siberia

Journal of Biogeography, 2008

SNOWPATCH HOLLOWS AND PRONIVAL RAMPARTS IN THE KRKONOŠE MOUNTAINS, CZECH REPUBLIC: DISTRIBUTION, MORPHOLOGY AND CHRONOLOGY OF FORMATION

Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 2011

Page 1. SNOWPATCH HOLLOWS AND PRONIVAL RAMPARTS IN THE KRKONOE MOUNTAINS, CZECH REPUBLIC: DISTRI... more

Environmentální průzkum zaniklé vodní nádrže v blízkosti Kozího hrádku, okr. Tábor

by Petr Menšík and Libor Petr

601 Environmental history of the extinct lake Sur (Western Carpathians, Slovakia) during the Late-glacial and Holocene : a multi-proxi approach

日本花粉学会会誌, Aug 23, 2012

Praepositura in solitudo: Ostrovská cella Baštiny (Teslín) a archeologie nejmenších řádových založení

Archeologicke Rozhledy, 2009

The Baštiny Priory was founded by the Ostrov monastery in the pre-Hussite period in an outlying p... more The Baštiny Priory was founded by the Ostrov monastery in the pre-Hussite period in an outlying part of an extended forest in the Central Bohemian Uplands of Brdy. This study, based on a surface survey, examines the internal arrangement and the background of this unique monastic site and compares the results with the state of knowledge of small monastic houses in other parts of Europe.

High vegetation and environmental diversity during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene on the example of lowlands in the Czech Republic

Biologia, 2014

The diversity of vegetation and the environment in the Late Glacial period in the Elbe region is ... more The diversity of vegetation and the environment in the Late Glacial period in the Elbe region is illustrated by a comparison of three palynological localities. The localities differ in their history, profile lithology and position relative to the Elbe river. The Hrabanovská černava profile holds a record of the development of a shallow lake, which was surrounded by a cold continental steppe in the Early Dryas. Evidence of a pine forest in the Late Glacial period is captured in the surroundings of the profile Chrást. The Mělnický úval – Přívory locality is an interdune infill, where marl sediments redeposited in shallow water. The surrounding vegetation was diffuse and influenced by erosion. In the Early Holocene, the landscape was covered by an open birch-pine forest. Broad-leaved woody species appeared later. Localities in the Elbe region share a high proportion of Pinus throughout the Holocene as a result of the spread of drift and terrace sands. The human impact in the mid Holocene manifests as evidence of intensive charring of localities.

Geoarcheologický výzkum halštatské zemnice v Modřicích u Brna = Geoarchaeological investigation of a sunken house from the Hallstatt peridod at Modřice near Brno /

Veselí nad Moravou - středověký hrad v říční nivě

odpovědný redaktor: Mgr. Miroslav dejmal, doc. ing. Phdr. Miroslav Plaček technická redakce: Bc. ... more odpovědný redaktor: Mgr. Miroslav dejmal, doc. ing. Phdr. Miroslav Plaček technická redakce: Bc. lucie černá, Mgr. lenka sedláčková recenzenti: prof. Phdr. Josef unger, Csc., doc. Phdr. Pavel Vařeka, Ph.d. Překlad anglického resumé: Mgr. Pavel košař Jazyková korektura: Bc. lucie černá, Mgr. dana Zapletalová, Mgr. irena Ženožičková sazba a grafická úprava: archaia Brno o. p. s. návrh obálky: černá a fialová s. r. o. obálka: Plán zámku a zámecké zahrady z roku 1748, sig. hVa38, uloženo v Městkém muzeu ve Veselí nad Moravou. tisk: tiskárna didot, spol. s. r. o. náklad: 700 ks součástí publikace je datový nosič (dVd) Brno 2015 isBn: 978-80-905546-3-4 arChaia Brno o. p. s.

Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku

Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku Archeologie, geochemie a rozbory... more Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku Archeologie, geochemie a rozbory sedimentárních výplní niv Central Bohemian-Moravian Highlands on the threshold of the High Middle Ages Archaeology, geochemistry and the analyses of alluvial sediments Centrální Českomoravská vrchovina na prahu vrcholného středověku Central Bohemian-Moravian Highlands on the threshold of the High Middle Ages

Praepositura in solitudo

Archeologicke Rozhledy

Praepositura in solitudo: Ostrovská cella Baštiny (Teslín) a archeologie nejmenších klášterních z... more Praepositura in solitudo: Ostrovská cella Baštiny (Teslín) a archeologie nejmenších klášterních založení 1 Karel Nováček – Libor Petr Proboštství Baštiny založil ostrovský klášter v předhusitském období v odlehlé části souvislého brdského lesa. Studie, jež vychází z povrchového průzkumu zaniklé lokality v roce 2008, zkoumá vnitřní uspořádání a zázemí tohoto svébytného monastického areálu a porovnává výsledky se stavem poznání závislých mnišských domů malého rozsahu v západní Evropě. klášterní dependence – benediktýni – povrchový průzkum – palynologie – Brdy – pozdní středověk Pobočné řeholní domy – celly, proboštství, převorství (prioráty) – zaujaly na sklonku raného středověku místo ve stále pestřejší mozaice forem zasvěceného života v českých zemích. Ačkoli fenomén klášterních dependencí byl u nás oproti západní Evropě opožděn o tři až pět staletí, 2 dosáhly během 14. století jejich fundace pozoruhodné dynamiky. Jejich zakladateli byly v českých zemích v první řadě mnišské klášter...

The middle and upper holocene history of the forest vegetation of the river floodplain in the central Moravia (Czech Republic)

The purpose of this study is to investigate a woodland history of the floodplain river forests du... more The purpose of this study is to investigate a woodland history of the floodplain river forests during the neolithic-roman period in the central Moravia (Czech Republic). The goal of our study is an interpretation of the anthracological data from the archraeological sites and the pollen data from off site profiles for reconstruction of the forest history in the central Moravia (Czech Republic). The middle holocene changes of river floodplains provides an idea of dynamic succession of forest vegetation. However the study result has showed the continuale presence of the broadleaved forest with a dominance of Quercus sp. and very common presence of Fraxinus sp. and Ulmus sp. The significant change was recorded during the Bronze Age, when the presence of Fraxinus sp. decreased and Carpinus sp. reversed. The anthracological data document the forest stability in the river floodplain during middle and upper holocene history. These results are in contrary with a noticeable vegetation changes...

The Lateglacial and Holocene in Central Europe: a multi-proxy environmental record from the Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic

by Marek Křížek and Libor Petr

Boreas, 2015

Interstadial inland dune slacks in south-west Slovakia: a multi-proxy vegetation and landscape reconstruction

Quaternary International, 2015

Palaeoecological studies spanning back to the Bølling/Allerød (GI-1) Interstadial of the Late Gla... more Palaeoecological studies spanning back to the Bølling/Allerød (GI-1) Interstadial of the Late Glacial in the whole Western Carpathians and adjacent lowlands are extremely scarce. To improve our knowledge about the landscape structure and diversity of wetland habitats, we analysed two palaeoecological interstadial sequences of pollen and macrofossils (bryophytes, vascular plants and molluscs) from the sandy landscape of the Borsk a lowland (southwest Slovakia). The deposits differed between the two sequences analysed, consisting predominantly of lacustrine chalk or brown-moss sedge fen peat, respectively. The results showed that, during wetter and warmer conditions during the Interstadial, open large dunes had been stabilised by pine woodlands admixed by birch. Contrary to the Podunajsk a lowland, which is situated eastwards towards the centre of the Pannonian Plain, broadleaf thermophilous trees such as Ulmus, Quercus and Tilia were almost absent in the study region, which suggests an importance of the bedrock for Late-Glacial forest vegetation. Salix, Alnus and Betula nana scrubs were probably scattered across wetlands. Active dunes were occupied by Hippopha€ e rhamnoides and steppe vegetation with grasses, Artemisia and Helianthemum. Low abundance of Chenopodiaceae pollen suggests that the sandy bedrock was probably unfavourable for the development of salt-rich habitats. Wetland habitats were diverse and abundant in the inter-dune space, partly resembling recent coastal dune slack vegetation or alluvial salty grasslands in continental central Asia. The wetland habitats comprised aquatic habitats with Myriophyllum, Potamogeton filiformis, P. pectinatus, P. pussilus, Sparganium minimum and planktonic algae (Pediastrum and Botryococcus), strongly continental calcareous-fens with Blysmus rufus and Triglochin maritima, boreocontinental brown-moss sedge fen fens with Drepanocladus trifarius, Carex lasiocarpa, Menyanthes trifoliata and Scorpidium scorpioides) and reed beds with Cicuta virosa, Phragmites and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani. Remains of these unique wetland mosaics have recently disappeared because of human activities including peat extraction and dune stabilisation by pine plantations, which have transformed the modern landscape.

Medieval Horse Stable; The Results of Multi Proxy Interdisciplinary Research

by Miroslav Dejmal, Libor Petr, Randy Culp, Ladislav Nejman, Zdeňka Sůvová, Miriam Nývltová Fišáková, and Petr Kočár

PloS ONE, 2014, 9 (3), s. e89273. ISSN 1932-6203, 2014

A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse st... more A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse stable architecture, the maintenance practices associated with that structure as well as horse alimentation at the beginning of 13th century in Central Europe. Finally, an interpretation of the local vegetation structure along Morava River, Czech Republic is presented. The investigated stable experienced two construction phases. The infill was well preserved and its composition reflects maintenance practices. The uppermost part of the infill was composed of fresh stabling, which accumulated within a few months at the end of summer. Horses from different backgrounds were kept in the stable and this is reflected in the results of isotope analyses. Horses were fed meadow grasses as well as woody vegetation, millet, oat, and less commonly hemp, wheat and rye. Three possible explanations of stable usage are suggested. The stable was probably used on a temporary basis for horses of workers employed at the castle, courier horses and horses used in battle.

Late-Glacial and Holocene Environmental History of an Oxbow Wetland in the Polabí Lowland (River Elbe, Czech Republic); a Context-Dependent Interpretation of a Multi-Proxy Analysis

Folia Geobotanica, 2013

Late-Holocene human-induced changes to the extent of alpine areas in the East Sudetes, Central Europe

The Holocene, 2010

The easternmost parts of the Hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe, namely Hrubý Jeseník and ... more The easternmost parts of the Hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe, namely Hrubý Jeseník and Králický Sně žník, are characterised by extensive alpine areas at altitudes above approximately 1300 m a.s.l. In order to determine the contribution of human activities to the extent of these summit grasslands we analysed charcoal assemblages and pollen profiles taken from high elevation sites. The first burn was dated to the Iron Age (about the first to second centuries bc), with successive fire events recorded in the early Mediaeval epoch from about ad 670. Significant human influence as recorded in pollen diagrams was detected as late as during the High Middle Ages (about the twelfth to thirteenth centuries ad). Charcoal assemblages reveal similar trends in species composition. The oldest and/or deepest samples are represented by charcoal fragments of Picea abies and various broadleaf trees and shrubs such as Betula sp., Sorbus sp., Juniperus sp. and Salix sp. Towards the surface, Picea abies gradually becomes dominant and then Vaccinium charcoal particles dominate the charcoal pool. Radiocarbon data of individual charcoal fragments did not, however, confirm a stratification of charcoal in the soil. According to anthracomass, pollen and macrofossils, the pattern of forest-free areas was originally determined by terrain morphology. While forest-free patches occurred on exposed summits and the convex edges of summit plateaus, open canopy tree growths dominated high elevation summit flats, and closed canopy forests occurred on adjacent slopes.

Šúr, a former late-glacial and Holocene lake at the westernmost margin of the Carpathians / Šúr - zaniklé pozdně glaciální a holocenní jezero na nejzápadnějším okraji Karpat

Preslia -Praha-

There is a unique palaeolimnological record of the late-glacial and Holocene periods in the forme... more There is a unique palaeolimnological record of the late-glacial and Holocene periods in the former lake Šúr near Bratislava in western Slovakia. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the development of the environment in the locality of the lake, including the gradual infilling of the lake. We reconstructed the development of the lake environment by combining results of a geochemical analysis with analyses of diatoms and plant macrofossils.We also carried out a pollen analysis to assess the changes in the surrounding terrestrial vegetation. The results reveal how the character of the lake has changed over time. At the peak of the glacial period, water flowed through the lake and deposited sand there. Later on the flowofwater through the lake ceased and a vast oligotrophic lake developed. During the Holocene, the lake gradually became eutrophic. The pollen record contains evidence of the occurrence of woody species of broad-leaved forest in the late-glacial period in the Carpathia...

Medieval Horse Stable; The Results of Multi Proxy Interdisciplinary Research

by Libor Petr, Miriam Nývltová Fišáková, and Zdeňka Sůvová

PLoS ONE, 2014

A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse st... more A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse stable architecture, the maintenance practices associated with that structure as well as horse alimentation at the beginning of 13 th century in Central Europe. Finally, an interpretation of the local vegetation structure along Morava River, Czech Republic is presented. The investigated stable experienced two construction phases. The infill was well preserved and its composition reflects maintenance practices. The uppermost part of the infill was composed of fresh stabling, which accumulated within a few months at the end of summer. Horses from different backgrounds were kept in the stable and this is reflected in the results of isotope analyses. Horses were fed meadow grasses as well as woody vegetation, millet, oat, and less commonly hemp, wheat and rye. Three possible explanations of stable usage are suggested. The stable was probably used on a temporary basis for horses of workers employed at the castle, courier horses and horses used in battle.

Reflections of Prehistoric and Medieval human activities in floodplain deposits of the Únanovka Stream, South Moravia, Czech Republic

by Libor Petr, Klara Sabatova, and N. Doláková

Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, 2015

Floodplain J. Petřík sediments of the Únanovka Stream's catchment were investigated utilizing the... more Floodplain J. Petřík sediments of the Únanovka Stream's catchment were investigated utilizing the methods of sedimentology and paleoecology. The development of human settlements in the stream catchment and dating from the Prehistoric through the Medieval, have been compared with floodplain developments. Paleoecological data were obtained from the pollen record and plant macroremains. Bulk samples of the sediments were analyzed for phosphates, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size; macroremains were dated using the radiocarbon method. Floodplain structure were investigated by combination of geophysical methods and drilling. The floodplain base was formed during the beginning of the Neolithic, where a sandy, organic silt layer was formed upon a sandy gravel basement, under a deciduous forest environment. From approximately the late neolithic, when a silty loam sediment started accumulation, direct paleoecological evidence of agriculture has been recorded. Since the beginning of the Middle Ages, the dominant vegetation was of a ruderal character, with Alder. From the High Middle Ages, the processes of accumulation and erosion in the neighboring region accelerated.

Holocene dynamics of the alpine timberline in the High Sudetes

by Libor Petr and Vlasta Jankovská

Biologia, 2008

The study focuses on the High Sudetes that represent the most distinctive islands of alpine fores... more The study focuses on the High Sudetes that represent the most distinctive islands of alpine forest-free area among hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe. Based on data from newly taken cores and previously published pollen profiles, comparison of the development of the alpine timberline position is carried out. The first of the analysed pollen profilesthe Labský důl core in the Krkonoše Mts spans the whole period of the Holocene, the Keprník and Mezikotlí profiles in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts bring information from the Subboreal/older Subatlanticum turn to the present. An exceptional position of the Krkonoše Mts in terms of permanent presence of the alpine belt throughout the Holocene was confirmed. Three oscillations of the alpine timberline during the Lower Holocene were detected in the profile from the Labský důl site. In the Hrubý Jeseník Mts a temperature dependent forest-free area existed at least since Subboreal to the present.

Interpretation of the last-glacial vegetation of eastern-central Europe using modern analogues from southern Siberia

Journal of Biogeography, 2008

SNOWPATCH HOLLOWS AND PRONIVAL RAMPARTS IN THE KRKONOŠE MOUNTAINS, CZECH REPUBLIC: DISTRIBUTION, MORPHOLOGY AND CHRONOLOGY OF FORMATION

Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 2011

Page 1. SNOWPATCH HOLLOWS AND PRONIVAL RAMPARTS IN THE KRKONOE MOUNTAINS, CZECH REPUBLIC: DISTRI... more

Environmentální průzkum zaniklé vodní nádrže v blízkosti Kozího hrádku, okr. Tábor

by Petr Menšík and Libor Petr