2008_2 - Archeologický ústav AV ČR

260âULÍKOVÁ: Ovoce, kofiení a léãiva z ranû novovûké jímky hradãanského ‰pitáluan import. Especially in the case of coriander, the instructions for its growing in the Matthioli’s herbalcould indicate its cultivation also in Bohemia. Both the species were also found at the Hradčany square,coriander is documented from several medieval sites, fennel is a rarity in the objects from the modernperiod (Opravil 1974; Kočár et al. 2007). We suppose cultivation of lovage (Levisticum officinale).The find of stones of numerous cultivars of so called blue fruit, i.e. plum-trees (Prunus domestica– fig. 6–10), peach-trees (Persica vulgaris – fig. 11) and seeds of common medlar (Mespilus germanica– fig. 12) gives the hint of changes in the conditions of cultivation of fruit in the RenaissancePrague in comparison with the Middle Ages. The seeds of common medlar were the first archaeobotanicalfind from the early Modern Age in the Czech Republic. The occurrence was evidently relatedwith the medicinal properties of the fruits.The same as at the Hradčanské nám./Sq., also summer savory (Satureja hortensis) and mint(Mentha sp.) were present. Poisonous species such as Agrostemma githago, Conium maculatum,Hyoscyamus niger, Vaccaria pyramidata could possibly serve as a drug whose function was to mitigatepains.The analysis of macroremains proved that also an object which is “young and not much attractive”from the archaeological point of view can yield pieces valuable of botanical informations, and whatis more, in such an attractive site as Hradčany near Prague Castle.English by Helena VlčkováVĚRA ČULÍKOVÁ, Archeologický ústav AV ČR Praha, v.v.i., Bezručovo nám. 1, CZ-746 01 Opavavera.culikova@worldonline.cz