Předmostí

The Gravettian / Pavlovian Culture

The archaeological site of Předmostí, which belongs to the Pavlovian culture flourishing there about 29-31 thousand years ago, is another exceptional archaeological site.

The largest number of skeletons of prehistoric modern humans (Homo sapiens) dating from the Upper Palaeolithic (at least 25 individuals), has been found here. Unfortunately, the bones were destroyed by fire in the final days of World War II. Nevertheless, the documentation (photographs, casts and descriptions) has been preserved.

The Venus of Předmostí is unique. It is not a statuette, but an engraving of a woman in a mammoth tusk, consisting of geometrical patterns. It is a real masterpiece of the Palaeolithic art.

There is a monument of the Venus of Předmostí close to the spot where it was found. The site surrounding area has been considerably changed due to the construction of a housing estate. What has remained is a boulder with a memorial plaque.

At the times of the then people, the landscape could well have been called sacred thanks to two prominent limestone rocks standing there.

Předmostí is a suburb of the town of Přerov (45,000 inhabitants), located 70 km (geographical distance) north-east of Brno (380,000 inhabitants).

Between Přerov (with the Venus of Předmostí) and Ostrava (with the Venus of Petřkovice), there are the birthplaces of Sigmund Freud (Příbor, see here) and Johann Gregor Mendel, the founder of genetics (Hynčice, now part of the village of Vražné, see here).