Rare Roman drawplate is found among 1,000 artifacts in Czech Republic

Archaeologists in Central Europe have uncovered more than 1,000 ancient artifacts ahead of railway construction, including a rare Roman-era tool used to make metal wire.

The news was announced in an April press release from the Archaeological Center Olomouc (ACO), a research institution in the Czech Republic.

The finds were made along a roughly three-quarter-mile stretch that will serve as part of a high-speed railway between Nezamyslice and Kojetín, two Czech towns in the Haná River valley.

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The discoveries span from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman era. Excavations were carried out between April and October 2025.

Nikola Jandová, a spokesperson for ACO, said in a statement that the site “ranks among exceptionally rich settlement complexes in this part of the Haná region.”

Remains from two Bronze Age cultures — the Věteřov and Urnfield cultures — were found, along with evidence of the Iron Age La Tène culture.

The earliest settlement dates to the Věteřov culture, with archaeologists uncovering the remains of wooden homes. The Věteřov and Urnfield cultures lived in the area in roughly 1800-1500 B.C. and 1300-800 B.C., respectively.

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“Following destructive fires, fragments of wall plaster survived as reddened fired clay, known as daub,” the statement noted.

“Some fragments show smoothed surfaces with traces of external decoration, while others preserve impressions of wattle on the inner side.”

“These finds … indicate the presence of a specialized bronze-working workshop.”

Archaeologist Pavel Moš said in a statement that the details of the houses were preserved in the daub, with some surface finishing traces still visible.

Excavators also found two Věteřov graves, including one containing an adult and a child, which will undergo analysis.

Among the Urnfield culture remains, archaeologists unearthed four graves — as well as one with six human skulls “found placed side by side within the fill of the feature.”

They also found crucible fragments and stone molds used to craft bronze objects, as well as a small assemblage of bronze artifacts, including axes, pins, a bracelet and a knife.

“These finds date to the end of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age and indicate the presence of a specialized bronze-working workshop,” the statement read.

Archaeologists also uncovered a lime kiln, likely used by Germanic tribes during the Roman era for wall finishing or pottery decoration in the first to fourth centuries A.D.

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The most unusual artifact was a Roman drawplate used to pull and thin the metal wire, officials said.

The discovery is considered rare in Central Europe.

Though the drawplate is considered well-preserved, archaeologist Pavel Moš noted that “corrosion residues are present in its perforations, and traces of drawn metal wires may be preserved.”

He added, “The drawplate will be subjected to spectrometric analysis to determine the material of the wire.”

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The draw wire, he went on, “could have been used, for example, in the production of chain mail.”

All artifacts will undergo lab analysis and preservation, with results expected to be released over time.

Fox News Digital reached out to ACO for additional information.

The latest discovery follows a similar one made by ACO archaeologists in the Czech Republic.

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Last year, officials announced they found multiple military graves during highway construction, with the oldest grave dating to the 1745 Battle of Žďár during the Second Silesian War.