Managing the Urban Archaeological Heritage of Prague: The Benefits of Collaboration

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Conceptualising the preservation of urban heritage
  • 2.1 Archaeological Documentation Points (ADB)
  • 2.2 Valuable Archaeological Areas (VAP)
• 3. Digital transition and integration of Prague's archaeological heritage management
• 4. From theory to practice: making use of the heritage dataset in the urban planning process
• 5. Discussion
• 6. Conclusions
• Acknowledgments

Figure 1: The historic centre of Prague: the view from Prague Castle (Photo: J. Podliska, 2015).

Figure 2: The historic centre of Prague: the extent of the urban heritage reserve (©National Heritage Institute, 2024).

Figure 3: Prague Old Town, south-western part. Reconstruction of settlement progression across the valley based on archaeological documentation point (ADB) elevation data. 1, bedrock; 2, sandy gravels; 3, flood sediments; 4, Holocene fill; 5, diluvium; 6–8, 9th–12th-century strata; 9, 13th–14th-century strata; 10, water table. Elevations in the Adriatic system. The thickness of layers 6–8 has been schematically increased for illustration (Hrdlička 2009, 10).

Figure 4: Prague Old Town, Karlova Street with wider surroundings. Original analogue map of the Archaeological Documentation Points (ADB). 1, documentation points up to 2×2 m; 2, sections longer than 2 m and areas > 2×2 m; 3, events located approximately (with a maximum assumed tolerance of 25 m); 4, events not precisely located (assumed tolerance of 250 m); 5, geological boreholes and dug probes; 6, buildings (Hrdlička 2009, 12).

Figure 5: The location of Valuable Archaeological Areas (VAPs) in the historic centre of Prague, after the last update (© National Heritage Institute, 2024).

Figure 6: Prague New Town, Charles Square. A confluence of documents for defining the archaeological potential of a Valuable Archaeological Area (VAP) based on archival, iconographic and archaeological sources and finds. (A) Detail from F. A. L. Herget's plan, year 1791 (AMP MAP P 1 B/1) and current parcellation. (B) Indication of archaeological excavations and modern underground structures as of 2023: 1, buildings; 2, first basement level; 3, square area; 4, archaeological excavations; 5, geological documentation points; 6, metro station underground vestibule; 7, utility networks. (C) Reconstruction of historical settlement and destroyed buildings within the Charles Square area: A–K, destroyed buildings; 1, residential buildings; 2, VAP No. 123; 4, destroyed construction components; 4, fire reservoir; 6, settlement before the establishment of Charles Square in 1348; 6, historical burial sites and cemeteries; 7, former watercourses and drainage channels; 8, historical sewage system; 9, former water sources; 10, prehistoric settlement (© National Heritage Institute, 2024).

Figure 7: The Valuable Archaeological Area (VAP) of Charles Square (VAP No. 123) and its changes during the revisions from 1999 to 2021 (© National Heritage Institute, 2024).

Figure 8: Archaeological Documentation Point description in the Archaeological Map of the Czech Republic (AMCR) system. See also the public presentation at https://digiarchiv.aiscr.cz/id/ADB-PRAH71-007398 (© Archaeological Information System of the Czech Republic, 2024).

Figure 9: The typical lifecycle of archaeological data in the Prague Heritage Reserve (© Archaeological Information System of the Czech Republic, 2024).

Figure 10: A comprehensive overview of the frequency and structure of archaeological finds in Prague based on the Archaeological Map of the Czech Republic (AMCR) data (© Prague Institute of Planning and Development, 2024).

Figure 11: An example of land-use limits as defined in the Planning Analytical Materials (PAMs) (© Prague Institute of Planning and Development, 2024).

Figure 12: An assessment of conflicts between land-use limits and intentions. (A) Delimitation of intentions for land-use changes (i.e. in this example sewer collector K-TK-0053). (B) Problems to be solved (i.e. in this example the identified obstacle OZL-101) (© Prague Institute of Planning and Development, 2024)