17. 2. 2019 Treasure in Meder's house

The coins together with the sacrifice of a cock were discovered three years ago under the floor of Meder's house in Žatec by archaeologist Vojtěch Peksa. The owner probably deposited the treasure sometime in the middle of the seventeenth century. The sacrifice was probably meant to protect the house in question.

Peksa discovered four coins under the floor, which date from the period between 1527 and 1645. They were buried with the cock sacrifice. The treasure was in the most precious room in the history of the house.

Archaeologists undertook the rescue research in connection with the planned modernisation of Meder House. This originally medieval building is located in Žatec. Until the reconstruction, it was one of the most devastated monuments in the city. The first written mention of the house dates back to 1564, when the building was owned by Regina Bříšková. It is probably a much older Gothic building, probably from the fourteenth century, which was rebuilt in Baroque style in the eighteenth century. The house was named after the last German owners

The research began in the room in question. At that point, there were only pockets left in the beamed ceiling. The house had not had a roof since the 1960s, so the beams had completely disintegrated and could not be saved. But the builders built an identical ceiling with new materials.

"However, thanks to the beams, dendrochronological dating has been achieved, so we know that the beams date from the second half of the fourteenth century. One in particular was felled in 1374. We knew that we were entering a room that had such a history, and since the sewerage system would run here, we started our research here," Vojtěch Peksa described the beginnings of the rescue archaeological research at the time.

The survey also revealed the vault of the cellar and the original floor level from the mid-fourteenth century. Four contemporary coins were inserted under the new floor as a legacy for future generations. In 2017, local patriots began to work to save the house. They first formed a society and then bought the house from a private owner.

The repairs cost almost 21 million, much of it covered by a grant from the Integrated Regional Operational Programme and donations from sponsors.

"The reconstruction brought difficult moments. When part of the basement collapsed, it looked like the project was over," admitted Peter Antoni, chairman of the Meder House Association.

Sources: www.ohremedia.cz, www.mederhaus.cz, www.denik.cz