Archaeological and Geophysical Investigation and 3D Visualization at the Jánský Vrch Castle in Javorník (Czech Republic)

Abstract

An archaeological investigation realized between 2002 and 2012 has re-interpreted the construction phases and spatial organization of the Javorník Castle in Czech Silesia. Its first phase, dating to the beginning of the 14 th century, consisted of a bergfried-type castle with a rounded fortification ditch. This fortification was rebuilt at the end of the 15 th and start of the16 th centuries when the castle was divided into upper and lower portions. The Modern Age has seen a complex of constructions at the glacis, pictured also in historical vedutas. Between 2013 and 2014, certain data acquired earlier by archaeological prospecting and excavations were corroborated by electric resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground penetrating radar measurement (GPR); moreover an advanced siege fortification, probably related to a Hussite siege of the castle, was identified by 3D laser scanning south of the castle.