In time, Český Krumlov has had a lot of appearences. Almost everybody will recall primarily its Renaissance look, which it got – in terms of history – not long ago. The question is, what exactly happened in this location before Český Krumlov became a town? And when did the first people come?
Archaeologists say that the first settlement dates back to the Middle Paleolithic (50 000 to 35 000 years BC). Their theory is based on findings from the Dobrkovice Cave, which is considered the most significant archaeological site from this period in South Bohemia, and which is located just a few kilometres from the current town. The site is, however, one of the few that were found. The cause is probably its unfavourable geo-climatic profile, which is characteristic for its variety of terrain, higher altitude and harsher climate. These are the reasons why this region could not – unlike others in South Bohemia – have been populated for thousands of years. It was not until the Bronze Age (cca 1500 BC), that a larger development occurred, a time that this region became a cultural, political and mainly trading crossroads connecting the Danube Region (in Austria) with the Czech basin. Fortified hill settlements were built on strategic places of this trade route – one of these, for example, used to be on the castle hill in Český Krumlov, another one in a place where the future medieval Dívčí kámen castle would be.
Prehistoric colonization in South Bohemia reached its top in the Early Iron Age (750-450 BC). The Late Iron Age (450-50 BC) is signified by the arrival of the Celts. They are the first tribe known by name. Thanks to them there also exists an important monument in our region – the Celtic oppidum in Třísov. The Celts came to the Krumlov region to get valuable raw materials, such as graphite (to produce ceramics), iron ore or gold, and they lived here for several centuries. However, in the 1st century BC, they were pushed out by German tribes – so the population started to decline again. Archaeological findings, which would refer to Germanic life, radically decreased, so the Germans probably used this region only occasionally on their trade journeys. When at the beginning of the 6th century AD the first Slavs came and the Early-Middle Ages began, the locality was almost deserted.
Two temporary exposition are to be seen in the Regional Museum of Český Krumlov:
DO NOT MISS IT!!!
the Dobrkovice cave, the ruins of Dívčí kámen, the Třísov oppidum, the Graphite mine in Český Krumlov