The 45th International Conference on Neolithic and Eneolithic Studies in Our Lands took place in Bítov on 5–8 October 2026. Focusing on current research into the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods in Central Europe, the meeting was organised jointly by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, and the South Moravian Museum in Znojmo.
The academic programme provided a forum for presenting the results of fieldwork, new projects, and theoretical and methodological approaches. Papers addressed settlement patterns, burial practices, the socioeconomic aspects of prehistoric societies, the distribution of lithic raw materials, and artefact production technologies.
The presentation sessions and poster section were complemented by an artefact study session, offering participants the opportunity to examine archaeological finds first-hand and discuss their interpretation. The programme also included a flintknapping workshop.
The conference excursion introduced participants to archaeological sites and the history of the Bítov area during a boat trip on the Vranov Reservoir, followed by visits to selected Neolithic and Eneolithic sites in the Znojmo region. It also included a tour of the permanent prehistory exhibition and the temporary exhibition A Landscape Buried by Time at the South Moravian Museum in Znojmo.
We thank all participants for their stimulating contributions and scholarly discussions, and our colleagues at the South Moravian Museum in Znojmo for their collaboration in preparing and organising the conference. The accompanying photo gallery offers a glimpse of the event.
