Oppidum Stradonice, Celtic fortified settlement in Středočeský kraj, Czech Republic.
Oppidum Stradonice occupies the plateau of Hradiště hill at 380 m, between Nižbor and Stradonice above the Berounka and Habrový potok valleys. Its ramparts enclosed 90.3 ha, split into an acropolis and a bailey; the acropolis wall ran 2.8 km and the whole circuit 4.3 km. The wooded hilltop shows no standing masonry today.
An unfortified Celtic settlement arose here after the mid-2nd century BC; the oldest fortification was built around 120 BC. The oppidum probably ended between 40 and 25 BC. Iron ore lay directly inside the enclosed area, copper was available nearby, and the surrounding streams were gold-bearing.
The oppidum's name comes from the nearby village of Stradonice. Finds show local casting, blacksmithing, jewellery-making and pottery production, alongside trade with Rome and its provinces; many Roman and Celtic coins were found there. A modern cross stands at U Křížku, where the most prestigious buildings once stood.
A red-marked local trail forms a loop with several branches between Stradonice and Nižbor, and the 6 km Stradonice Celtic Oppidum educational trail runs alongside it, opened in 2005 with two introductory and four information panels. The easiest approach is from the southeast, where a shallow, wide saddle separates the hill from the surrounding land.
In 1877 Liborin Lebr found a hoard of 200 gold rainbow coins while digging animal bones for bone char, after the 1873 Vienna stock market crash. Word spread and the whole hilltop was dug over, but only a few isolated coins turned up.
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