Medieval buildings under the Third Courtyard of Prague Castle. Heritage management and evaluation of the actual and future risks
Abstract
Extensive archaeological excavations of the Third courtyard of Prague Castle conducted in the 1920s uncovered medieval buildings of various functions (profane, sacral and defensive) and of different construction materials (wooden and stone). The uncovered features were preserved in situ, using conservation methods of the period, and the areal was covered with a concrete desk, with the aim of presenting it to the public.
Although this aim has never been fully realized, this method of conservation exposes the historical features to unstable external conditions and causes particular risk for their future preservation. In general, the heritage management of this unique archaeological areal poses complex problems that do not have any parallels at other sites.
Suitable heritage care is being developed by a specialized department of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i., contracted by the Office of the President of the Republic. Presently, a research project "Lime materials for restoration and conservation of authentic elements of historic structures" is being conducted to identify the most appropriate heritage management approach for the uniquely preserved archaeological areal.
Within this project, a 3D map of the archaeological areal appended with a geo-informatic database is being created, documenting authentic versus reconstructed elements of the medieval buildings. The map will help with future monitoring of the stability of the exposed archaeological features.
Another aim of the project is to evaluate the past conservation methods used and develop functional and applicable mortar mixtures for future repairs. The full project specification and its preliminary results are the subjects of the proposed poster.