PEZINOK, SLOVAKIA—Archaeologist Július Vavák of the Malokarpatské Múzeum is investigating the site of a Slavic castle dating to the Great Moravian Empire in the Little Carpathians, according to a report in The Slovak Spectator. During the ninth and tenth centuries, the strategically located castle was a military and manufacturing center connected to the castles and hillforts in Bratislava and Devín, where King Rastislav is known to have stayed. The castle also probably provided protection for valuable trade routes. So far, Vavák has recovered evidence of metalworking, ceramics, glass fragments, a knife, a spear, and a deposit of jewelry, including earrings, a pendant, and a ring. He has also found a selection of coins, including Roman and Celtic varieties, and a late ninth-century silver dirham from the Abbasid caliphate. Vavák claims this is the first Arabic silver coin to have been found in Great Moravia. To read about other discoveries including Arabic silver coins, go to “Hoards of the Vikings.”
