Public lecture: People Behind Monumentality: Rondel Enclosures in Central Europe, 4800–4500 BC Dr. Václav Vondrovský

Rondels stand among the earliest and most prominent European examples of monumental architecture. These circular earthworks emerged across a vast area, reaching the Rhine, Vistula, as well as the Sava–Drava region. For decades, scholars have been occupied with proposing functional hypotheses: fortification, astronomical observatory, game arena, sanctuary, place of commodity exchange... But should we continue along this inconclusive trajectory, perpetually constrained by fragmentary archaeological evidence? This talk outlines a new framing for rondel research, approaching these enclosures as social cooperative projects rather than enigmatic objects.