Relocations of central places using the example of early and high medieval Kouřim
In the 9^th and early 10^th centuries, Bohemia was ruled by several local princes who lived in various castles and administered nearby territories. After the first third of the 10th century, Prince Boleslav I of Prague united the previously independent territories of Bohemia and is said to have destroyed the old castles of the former princes. New fortifications belonging to the Přemyslid princes were built near the devastated castles. An almost perfect example of two such castles can be seen in Kouřim (Central Bohemia). The Přemyslids built a new castle in the immediate vicinity of Old Kouřim, which was abandoned around the middle of the 10th century, by the beginning of the 11th century at the latest.
How does the theory of the relocation of the central sites change with new findings from archaeological excavations? Did all the central sites really relocate or did they exist simultaneously for at least a certain period of time? Was the relocation from Old Kouřim to the new castle site related to the demonstration of the change of power and the distancing from the former administration? Or did the new location correspond better to the changed social demands? Research will seek answers to these questions.