‘Parking lot’ found near unique medieval church remains in Slovakia, experts say
After the fall of the Roman empire at the end of the 5th century, the world fell into a period marked by disease and conflict known as the Middle Ages.
Sometimes referred to as the Dark Ages, this period was also a time of religious growth, and new evidence in Slovakia is giving more insight into how influential religion was for medieval cities.
Archaeologists with the University of Trnava recently discovered the remains of a church and cemetery that date back at least 500 years to the end of the Middle Ages and a parking lot that once sat outside the walls of the city’s gates, according to a university news release.
Here’s what the team found.
A luxurious medieval church
The most shocking discovery that the team made was a church that once stood outside the city’s gates.
Archaeologists pointed out three distinctions that make the church particularly interesting:
- Its location: The church is situated outside of the city’s gates, which is an unusual placement due to the threat of attack during the Middle Ages, the archaeologists said.
- The materials used to build the church: The church’s foundation was made of quarried stones and brick, a combination that was reserved for luxurious and expansive buildings, such as homes, experts said. Stone was rare in Trnava, so most buildings’ foundation was built only from bricks.
- Its polygonal shape: The church has a unique polygon shape that matched with Gothic architectural practices, according to the archaeologists.
The church vanished at the end of the medieval era, experts said. Since then, the site has undergone several construction projects, including the addition of more fortification for the city.
Because of this, archaeologists were shocked to find the church’s remains still intact, they said.
Historical context indicates that the church was likely dedicated to St. Ulrich, according to the university.
A cemetery and human remains
Near the church, archaeologists also unearthed a medieval cemetery, the university said.
Six graves were examined, and three sets of human remains were identified — one older woman, a young woman and a young man, according to the archaeologists. Two iron belt buckles were also unearthed, but experts think the bodies were likely only buried in a burial shroud.
A ‘parking lot’ for wagons and carriages
Nearby, archaeologists also discovered the remains of a “parking lot:” a lot made of stone pebbles where wagons and carriages could park outside of the city gates.
The city lowered its gate at a set time everyday, and after the gate was lowered it was impossible to enter the city until the next day, according to experts. The lot served as a place for people to wait at night or in the early morning until the city’s gates opened for the day.
Archaeologists also noted that the ruts from wagon wheels were preserved on the lot’s surface.
This is the first discovery of its kind in Slovakia or the Czech Republic, the university said.
Trnava is in the southwest region of Slovakia, about 40 miles northeast of Bratislava.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the University of Trnava.
This story was originally published April 10, 2023 at 5:54 PM with the headline "‘Parking lot’ found near unique medieval church remains in Slovakia, experts say."
