Medieval games and their reflection in archaeological sources

Práce je zaměřena na širší problematiku her ve středověku a jejich odraz v archeologických pramenech vztahujících se k různým sociálním prostředím. Její součástí je databáze související s jednotlivými hrami. Obsahuje tabulky, ve kterých je uveden jejich soupis a příklady artefaktů, které byly k těmto hrám nalezeny. Úvodní části práce jsou zaměřeny na popis soudobé středověké společnosti, na její volný čas a na hry které hrála. Každé společenské vrstvě, včetně dětí, je věnována samostatná kapitola. Dále jsou uvedené jednotlivé hry, jejich původ, jakým způsobem se hrály a herní pomůcky, které se při nich používaly. Samostatná kapitola je věnována samotné výrobě herních pomůcek, jako byly např. kostky, hrací kameny, figurky atd.ObhájenoThis thesis aims to describe the medieval games which were played by different social classes in the area of the Bohemia. The main focus is on the archaeological discoveries of particular games or their tools. Some of the games which are mentioned in written or iconographical evidences are not archeologically identifiable anymore. But anyway we still have a lot of the medieval game tools. Examples of games which we know from medieval ages are board games i.e. chees, backgammon, the mill game, draughts or adugo. Archaeologists find components of these games which are i.e. chessman, dice and game pieces and game boards. The subjects of archaeological discoveries are also children games and toys in which belong dolls, figures of horses and knights, globes, small balls, children's toy dishes and rattles or small pipes. We have to mention card games as well but their evidences come from the modern times. Of course there were also movement games but for them we have unfortunately no archaeological foundation. We can document such games for which some game tools were used. Important part of the medieval culture were the medieval tournaments too. Evidences of these are just tournament weapons and armours. As mentioned before the aim of this thesis is to introduce the games and their evidences which were found during the archaeological finds to the readers. But the research of the medieval games is very wide topic so that is why this thesis is just the general acknowledgement to this matter