This research project explores the cultural, economic, and environmental interactions between La Tène and non-La Tène (Jastorf/Przeworsk-type) societies in Central Europe during the Middle and Late Pre-Roman Iron Age.

While the La Tène culture is often associated with dynamic migration and rich material traditions linked to the Celtic world, northern communities developed distinct models of economy, mobility, and land use. This project examines the archaeological record to understand how these populations interacted, coexisted, and shaped the Iron Age landscape north of the Carpathians and Sudetes.

By combining traditional archaeological methods with scientific analyses—such as organic residue analysis, archaeobotany, and use-wear studies—we aim to shed light on how people lived, what they ate, and how they organized their settlements and daily life in a changing and interconnected world.

Follow this project for ongoing updates, expert interviews, and accessible articles exploring how Northern European contact zones connected communities through exchange, adaptation, and innovation.

Project Funding

The project is hosted at Charles University in Prague and funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR, project no. 25-15914I). It involves close collaboration with partner institutions across Central Europe.

Recent articles

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  Between the Celts and the Northern People at Archaeology of Barbarians 202613. 10. 2026
  From 8 to 10 October 2026, Mikulov hosted the XXI Protohistoric Conference “Archaeology of Barbarians 2026”, one of the regular meetings bringing together researchers working on the protohistory of Central Europe. The conference was organised primarily by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno and the Regional Museum in Mikulov,… Read more: Between the Celts and the Northern People at Archaeology of Barbarians 2026
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  For whom the belt tolls? Foreign women and hybrid practices at the oppidum of Staré Hradisko in Moravia – full poster6. 10. 2026
  As announced, our project was represented at the XXI Protohistoric Conference “Archaeology of Barbarians” in Mikulov, where Zdeněk Beneš presented the poster “For whom the belt tolls? Foreign women and hybrid practices at the oppidum of Staré Hradisko in Moravia”, prepared together with Joanna E. Markiewicz. For whom the belt tolls It was a very… Read more: For whom the belt tolls? Foreign women and hybrid practices at the oppidum of Staré Hradisko in Moravia – full poster
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  Do technologies travel with people?4. 10. 2026
  When a new type of object appears in the archaeological record, what exactly has moved: the artefact, the idea behind it or the people who knew how to make it? Finished objects can travel over great distances without transferring any knowledge of their production. A brooch, vessel or tool may be exchanged, offered as a… Read more: Do technologies travel with people?
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  When does production become specialised?4. 10. 2026
  A highly skilled potter, smith or weaver did not necessarily practise their craft full-time. Production could take place within a household, alongside farming and other activities, or in workshops supplying objects to a much wider community. Archaeologists search for concentrations of tools, furnaces, moulds, raw materials and production waste. They also examine the scale of… Read more: When does production become specialised?
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  “Archaeology of Production” – a new course at Charles University22. 9. 2026
  How can archaeologists recognise a craftsperson? When does production become specialised? And does a new technology travel as an idea, as a finished object, or together with the people who possess the necessary skills? Beginning on 8 October, Joanna E. Markiewicz and Elena Paralovo will teach Archaeology of Production at Charles University in Prague. The… Read more: “Archaeology of Production” – a new course at Charles University