DNA research: there were remains of Premyslid princes in Klášterní Hradisko

NEWS | 12 10 2023

The burial boxes of the Olomouc Premyslids, which visitors to the Archdiocesan Museum Olomouc could see at the exhibition Here You Are in 2018, actually contained the remains of the Olomouc Premyslid princes Ota I and his grandson Ota III. This is the result of many years of research using the radiocarbon dating method and DNA analysis, which involved several dozen scientists. The remains of seven people were found in 2017 in the sacristy of the chapel of the Monastery Castle in Olomouc in a painted wooden chest, which was placed in a tin sarcophagus. Until now, it has not been certain whether they actually belong to the first Olomouc princes.

"Scientists have also identified the remains of Euphemia, wife of Otto I, and Durancia, wife of Otto III. Another skeletal find belongs to one of the sons of Ota III, but of course it is impossible to determine whether it was Vladimír or Břetislav," adds Simona Jemelková, curator of the MUO, who took part in the recovery of the remains and is in contact with Jan Frolik from the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences in Prague. "The remains of the child, which were also in the burial box, belonged to the seven-year-old daughter of Otto III. Maria."

Prince Ota I of Olomouc (1045-1087) was the youngest son of Břetislav I and his wife Jitka of Svinibrod. For example, he founded the Hradisko Monastery in Olomouc, which is one of the oldest in Moravia. His wife Eufemie was a Hungarian princess. Ota III. Dětleb (1122-1160) was a prince of Olomouc from 1140 to 1160 and had a Russian noblewoman Durancia as his wife.

The identification of the two Olomouc princes is, according to experts, a breakthrough. "They are the only Moravian Premyslids we have available and thus the only comparative material for the Prague Premyslids. We have also had the opportunity to examine the remains of Valentin Hrbaty, the last Přemyslid of the Opava branch, who was buried in Ratibora, Poland. However, the bones are so contaminated that we were unable to determine the gender, so we could not confirm it," Jan Frolík told the Czech News Agency. According to him, the results of the research are also unique in that it has been possible to identify one complete part of the Přemyslid family.

The remains were recovered by archaeologists in Olomouc in August 2018; the research itself took several years, which was significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the research is not over - two more skeletal finds remain to be identified. "In addition, experts want to try to reconstruct the faces, which unfortunately will not be possible with Ota I., because his skull was seriously damaged," adds Simona Jemelková. 

The Olomouc Museum of Art intends to present the results of the research at an exhibition in the Archdiocesan Museum Olomouc after the research and reconstruction of the faces is completed. The remains of the Olomouc Premyslids themselves should then be ceremoniously returned to the Chapel of St. Stephen at the Monastery Castle.

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Photos from 2018 by MUO - Markéta Ondrušková