Into the Great Moravian Jewellery

Archaeological finds of luxury jewellery and clothing components from two leading Great Moravian centres – Staré Město and Mikulčice – have fascinated scientists and the general public for many decades. Now these rare artefacts, half of which are protected as national cultural monuments, are becoming the subject of complex interdisciplinary research. The project is intended to provide a new detailed and analytical view of these masterful 9^th-century works of artistic craftsmanship over its five-year duration, while ensuring the permanent preservation of their complex value. Archaeologists, material analysts, conservators and specialists in historical goldsmithing technology from the Czech Academy of the Sciences, Institute of Archaeology, Brno, and the Moravian Museum have been involved in the detailed and exciting work. They use a newly built electron microscopy laboratory, the first of its kind in archaeological departments in the Czech Republic. The results of the project will be presented in the form of several specialised outputs, most important of which is an exhibition, which is planned for 2027. The progress of the work can be followed on the project website www.velkomoravskysperk.cz.