A pillory of shame for thieves or prostitutes

The mystery was solved two years ago by archaeologists in Trebic. They discovered a strange stone table. In the end, they discovered that it was a medieval pillory of shame from the 14th century.

The archaeologists carried out the research as part of the reconstruction of Charles Square in Třebíč. "We found a great find. I hope something comes out of it. It's a massive stone structure. It's a bit of a mystery. We may have stumbled upon a period pillory, but it could be something else. In any case, such a thing had some special significance in the square," archaeologist Aleš Hoch said at the time.

Experts later said that it was indeed a pillory on which no executions took place. It was the so-called pillory of shame, where "sinners" from the middle and lower classes most often went. According to Hoch, these were mostly prostitutes or petty thieves. "People who had somehow transgressed against the morality or system of the time were put on display on the pillory of shame. They were also put on display there, for example, for cheating, gossip or rumours," Hoch explained.

The research itself began in June 2020. Archaeologists have found the remains of a Gothic gate, a moat and a bridge at Jejkov Gate. There were also Gothic stoves, belt buckles, pipes, parts of ceramic utensils and coins. Archaeologists moved to the western end of the square at the end of the year.

However, archaeologists also discovered other interesting artefacts. The most interesting ones were used for games. In particular, stone or ceramic discs, a wooden cauldron and a bowling ball. According to Hoch, these objects were probably thrown away deliberately because they were damaged. They were used by both children and adults. "While the children were just having fun, the adults were after money. They were games of chance," the archaeologist noted.

Other items found included coins, jewellery, horse shoes, everyday objects (knives, wooden bowls and spoons), objects related to trade (a lead seal, a bone stylus), and occasionally weapons (a dagger).

The majority of the artefacts recovered fall within a broad time range, namely the twelfth to fifteenth centuries.The twelfth-century discoveries illustrate the earliest form of settlement, which gradually developed until the foundation of the new town at the end of the thirteenth century.

"From this moment on, the historic core of Trebic takes on its unmistakable shape, dominated by the vast Charles Square with its markets, wells, pillory, shielded road and stone buildings, which, however, no longer stand there," added Hoch.

Sources: www.ceskatelevize.cz, www.idnes.cz, www.trebic.cz