Castle Šarišské Sokolovce
Hradová hora is often mentioned in connection with the village of Šarišské Sokolovce. Until 1948 it was known as Tolčemeš, on which a massive Slavic fortress was located in the 9th and 10th centuries, at the foot of the Čergov Mountains, on an elevation of 871 metres above sea level.
The castle near Šarišské Sokolovce was discovered by J. Macák. It was built on the highest point of the steep mountainous ridge Lazíky, stretching between the Bernátský and Bodovský valleys in a north-south direction, on a conical castle hill. Castle originated in the 9th century and is preserved, mostly protected by dense forest cover. Gradually, its portification form was modified until it became fortifications consisting of four huge rampartsthat surround the entire Castle Mountain. The ramparts on it were built gradually. First, the first fortification mound of the foothills was formed already in the 9th century. Further ramparts were built later in the 10th century. A rampart was also built at that time, dividing the entire foothills into two parts. The castle took the form of a of a smaller acropolis with a more distinctive topping. Most probably the centre for the administration of a certain territorial area was located on Hradova Hora. It had to protect the local community from the penetration of the militant Hungarian-Arpádian cohorts into this territory in the Carpathian Basin. For more than a thousand years the surroundings have changed beyond recognition.
Its location and fortifications belong to the classic examples of a Slavic settlement in eastern Slovakiau. The greatest length of the hillfort is 253 m, the greatest width is 125 m. A meadow adjoins the northeastern bend of the hillfort mound, which slopes gently to the west. Approximately in its centre, a dark cultural layer was found on the surface during experimental research. A section through the rampart showed that it was piled with clay and stone. The stone was mainly used to strengthen it against the landslide of soil into the ditch.
The system of mounding and the recovered shrapnel material, an iron strelka with reverse wings and the torso of another strelka proved that it was built by the Slavs probably in a younger period. The preserved remains of charred wood from the construction of the rampart, shards from the Early Bronze Age, a rare Slavic shard and an iron leaf-shaped spear allow to express the opinion that it was built by the population settled on the acropolis before the 10th century, to prevent easy access to the acropolis from the north-western side.
Ceramic material was found at the Hradisko. The oldest material found at the hillfort during the previous excavations is the material from the older part of the Younger Bronze Age (BD - HA - HB), belonging for the time being in Eastern Slovakia to the Gavian culture, which expanded here from the south. The vessels were probably already made on a faster-turning circle, as evidenced mainly by fine horizontal strokes or grooves in the sherd coating.
Among the iron objects found, the most remarkable and important is undoubtedly the torso of a complex-shaped oculus with triple curved arms; it is 8.6 cm long and 3.6 cm wide. The spike is of a completely different type from the existing grave finds of iron chairs from the Slavic-Avar and Old Hungarian periods in eastern Slovakia.
The carbon samples found from the cultural layer, exposed on the platform outside the mound, were determined by E. Krippel from the Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr in Bratislava as coming from elm (Ulmus) in two cases and from beech (Fagus) in one case. This finding is particularly remarkable because the forest cover on the hillfort and its surroundings is now dominated by hornbeam.
Castle Šarišské Sokolovce is the only hillfort of the ancient Slavs with massive dimensions in eastern Slovakia. It should be a sacred place for Eastern Slovakia, like Devín or Zobor near Nitra.
Source: valka.cz, korzar.sk, OOCR Región Šariš
Photo: OOCR Región Šariš
