Bark Beetle Infestation Leads to Damage of Medieval Cemetery

PÍSEK, CZECH REPUBLIC—According to a Radio Prague International report, archaeologists are investigating an early medieval cemetery on municipal land in the southeastern Czech Republic. Six of the burial mounds were severely damaged last winter by the large-scale removal of trees infested with bark beetles. “There are many burial mounds in South Bohemia,” said Tomáš Hiltscher of the Prácheň Museum. “However, most date back to the Bronze Age or the Iron Age. It is quite rare to find burial mounds from the early medieval period around here,” he explained. Hiltscher and his team were able to recover pottery and metal knives and buckets. They have also spotted areas of the site that may contain human remains. The Czech Heritage Institute is now looking for a way to investigate areas of beetle infestation before logging begins. To read about a Neolithic well unearthed in East Bohemia, go to "Around the World: Czech Republic."