DIE FRÜHVÖLKERWANDERUNGSZEITLICHE HÖHENSIEDLUNG IN DOLNÁ SÚČA, WESTSLOWAKEI. EIN BERG MIT HORTUNGSTRADITION

At the foot of a rock with prehistoric and early historical settlements and a medieval castle ruin, two hoards from the migration period have been found. Six hoards from the Late Bronze Age, Middle Latène Age and Early Middle Ages were also discovered here. At the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th c. the mountains in the Western Carpathians were used as refuges. The hill-top settlements are concentrated in the northern periphery of the Danubian-Suebian settlement, mostly in the Middle Váh Valley, Upper Nitra Valley and Upper Gran Valley. Their number has increased significantly due to the field surveys in recent years. One of the reasons for the settlement of mountain areas is the turbulent times during the ethnic movements of the time. Also the climatic changes cannot be excluded. The article also deals with the problem of the long-term tradition of depositing the mass finds and offers several examples of the accumulation of hoards from different eras on the ‘holy mountains’.