Archaeology of the main waste dump of the Sauersack/Rolava POW camp in the Ore Mountains (NW Bohemia)

Abstract

The Sauersack/Rolava POW camp from World War II is the first archaeologically investigated site of its kind in Bohemia, and thanks to its highly authentic state of preservation it can be considered one of the best archaeologically known internment facilities in Europe. Nevertheless, new findings continue to emerge, including information from illegal treasure hunters. In 2022, the main settlement waste dump was identified and due to the threat to the site from illegal excavations, pre-emptive archaeological testing was immediately undertaken. The research has resulted in the documentation of a remarkable structure suited to waste disposal and the recovery of an assemblage of artefacts and ecofacts that complement and extend our knowledge of the communities that inhabited the POW camp.

Keywords

• World War II
• forced labour
• POW camp
• settlement waste
• Dark Modernities
• Bohemia