Bylany, Archaeological site near Prague, Czech Republic

Bylany is an archaeological site near Prague where excavations have revealed one of the largest Neolithic settlements in Central Europe. The terrain features streams and ravines that separate different sections of the excavated areas.

The site was settled around 5500 BC by the first farmers of the Linear Pottery culture, who reached the Kutná Hora region along the Elbe and its tributaries. Excavations by Bohumil Soudský in 1955–1967 uncovered 134 longhouses and about 1,300 other features across 7 hectares. After a hiatus, the Stroked Pottery culture occupied the site; a mixed inhumation and cremation cemetery was found near Miskovice.

The rondel earthworks visible here show how early communities organized and defended their settlements. These circular structures reflect the construction skills and social needs of the people who lived thousands of years ago.

The excavated area lies on fields at the southeastern edge of Bylany, about 2.5 km southwest of Kutná Hora's centre, with the detached base of the Institute of Archaeology beside the village. A marked educational trail, the Stříbrná stezka southern circuit, passes the site with panel No. 10 on the Neolithic settlement, and the blue hiking route 1096 runs alongside it.

The rondel enclosures here are rare examples of earthwork structures from the fifth millennium BC that researchers are still working to understand. Their exact purpose remains a mystery, but their careful circular design suggests they held deep meaning for the people who built them.