image/svg+xml137XIV/1/2023INTERDISCIPLINARIA ARCHAEOLOGICANATURAL SCIENCES IN ARCHAEOLOGYhomepage: http://www.iansa.euObituaryLadislav Šmejda (26 August 1975 – 27 November 2022)Martin Janovský, Jan Horák, Petr Krištuf, Michal HejcmanWe are devastated by the untimely passing of our dear friend, colleague, teacher and member of the IANSA Editorial Board. A person who signifcantly infuenced the development of contemporary science has left us. Even for us, his friends and colleagues, it is not easy to defne the main area of his scientifc interest, for Ladislav Šmejda had always devoted himself to many topics. Although he mainly studied archaeology, within it he never specialised in any specifc period. He devoted himself to topics from the Eneolithic, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, but he also did not avoid issues from, for example, the Middle Ages or the Modern Age. One could say he mainly devoted himself to theoretical archaeology and the development of remote sensing methods, the application of computer methods, environmental archaeology and then purely cultural topics with an overlap into cultural anthropology and history. He did not hesitate to think about any problem that was related to the functioning of human societies in the past or present. He allowed himself to conduct research outside of Europe and often connected with researchers across disciplines Volume XIV ● Issue 1/2023 ● Pages 137–142Figure 1. Ladislav Šmejda during archaeological research of the ancient site of Tel Burna in Israel. Photo: Itzhaq Shai.
image/svg+xmlIANSA 2023 ● XIV/1 ● 137–142Martin Janovský, Jan Horák, Petr Krištuf, Michal Hejcman: Ladislav Šmejda (26 August 1975 – 27 November 2022)138from many countries. His untimely death is thus a personal tragedy for hundreds of his colleagues around the world, but it has also afected the development of many felds in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.Ladislav focused on the Bronze Age at the beginnings of his archaeological interests. But even a cursory glance at his early studies shows that his interest was much broader than traditional archaeology. This is evident in the studies devoted to the cemetery in Holešov (Šmejda, 2004; 2014) and, for example, to the hill-top site Vladař (Chytráček and Šmejda, 2005; Chytráček et al., 2012). Due to his position at the Department of Archaeology of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, he was able to develop his interest in theoretical approaches to archaeology, which was reflected, among other things, in the co-authorship of collections focused in this direction (Šmejda et al., 2015) and in the organisation of conferences (Kolář et al., 2012).A large number of his activities were focused on computer support in archaeology, computational methods, and remote sensing as well as focusing on non-destructive methods. Probably the most signifcant publication in this direction was the book “Mapping of archaeological potential using aerial photographs” (Šmejda, 2009), which was based on Ladislav’s doctoral thesis. He returned to aerial photographs, for example, in a study from 2017 (Šmejda, 2017). Ladislav’s “computer” studies cover a wide range of topics: from general issues of archaeological information systems and GIS (Šmejda, 2007; 2008), or map presentations of archaeological data (Šmejda, 2010a), to applications on specifc locations (Šmejda, 2014). In recent years, he has focused more signifcantly on the analysis of multispectral satellite data and their processing in the Earth Engine environment (Šmejda et al., 2017a). And, of course, these interests were refected not only in his publications, but also in the organisation of conference sections, including the subsequent editing of the Figure 2.Ladislav Šmejda having tea with Israeli geoarchaeologist Oren Ackermann. The Old City of Jerusalem, February 2020. Photo: Oren Ackermann.Figure 3. Ladislav Šmejda (left) during the Czech-Israeli interdisciplinary conference, which he organised in November 2021 at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Ladislav tried to support Czech-Israeli cooperation for a long time. Photo: Martin Janovský.
image/svg+xmlIANSA 2023 ● XIV/1 ● 137–142Martin Janovský, Jan Horák, Petr Krištuf, Michal Hejcman: Ladislav Šmejda (26 August 1975 – 27 November 2022)139proceedings (e.g., “Spatial analysis of funerary areas” at EAA 2002 Thessaloniki – Šmejda and Turek, 2004).Another broad feld, in which fall many of Ladislav’s activities, is the border between archaeology and the natural sciences – whether it is the application of all kinds of analyses and methods, through a focus on the landscape aspects of past cultures and their impact on the natural environment. These activities, for example, resulted in studies dedicated to: the analysis of traces of milk on ceramics (Čiperová et al., 2015), the genetics of domesticated animals (Pavelka and Šmejda, 2007; Pavelka et al., 2011), and the genetics of introduced plants (Vinca minor– Hlásná Čepková et al., 2016). As part of his activities at the Czech University of Life Sciences (where he started working part-time in 2016), Ladislav also focused on the human impact on soil environments, primarily through geochemical methods. This included studies dedicated to the Czech environment (Horák et al., 2018; Asare et al., 2020), but, above all, to Israel (in cooperation with Prof. Itzhaq Shai from Ariel University): geochemical research on the Tel Burna site and its surroundings (Šmejda et al., 2017b; 2018; Janovský et al., 2022). Research into the human impact on soils took Ladislav to Crete, for example, but also to Africa, specifcally to Ghana (Asare et al., 2020) or Senegal (Majerovičová et al., 2022). Moreover, he also devoted himself to Africa outside the topic of the natural environment and soils: for Figure 4.Ladislav Šmejda while working on the excavation of the biblical site of Tel Burna in Israel in June 2015. Photo: Michal Hejcman.
image/svg+xmlIANSA 2023 ● XIV/1 ● 137–142Martin Janovský, Jan Horák, Petr Krištuf, Michal Hejcman: Ladislav Šmejda (26 August 1975 – 27 November 2022)140example, urbanisation and building monuments in the Sahel and East Africa (Baumanová and Šmejda, 2017; Baumanová et al., 2019).Ladislav also focused on the topics of social and cultural anthropology, specifcally on the topic of sepulchral monuments as well as various cultural concepts of the relationship between the world of the living and the dead. This line was intertwined with his career from the beginning (his analysis of the cemetery in Holešov) to the end (the geochemical impact of burial sites). Ladislav participated in these topics not only as an author of the studies, but, in addition, as an editor of anthologies (Šmejda et al., 2004; 2006) or as a project manager. This work culminated in the Deepdead project (funded by the HERA organisation) – an international project, in which Ladislav represented the team for the Czech Republic. Apart from many conference contributions (e.g., Šmejda et al., 2017c), this project also resulted in a chapter in the book (Horák et al., 2022). Other topics that Ladislav dealt with were connected to the regional issues of Western Bohemia – whether it was outputs from the projects of the Department of Archaeology of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (for example: “Opomíjená archeologie, Neglected Archaeology”, Krištuf et al., 2007), or an interesting publication dedicated to an important fgure in Czech archaeological history, F. X. Franc (Šmejda, 2010b). We can also mention his co-editorship of the proceedings of the 5thPublic Archaeology Conference (Bureš et al., 2014).His feld research activities focused on prehistoric archaeology with a focus on the Bronze Age, but here too his broad scope was evident – he was interested in general patterns of human behaviour, cultural and social changes, Figure 5.Ladislav Šmejda together with the head of research of the biblical site Tel Burna, Professor Itzhaq Shai of Ariel University. Israel, June 2015. Photo: Michal Hejcman.Figure 6.Ladislav Šmejda while collecting data on the chemical composition of the soil around the biblical site of Tel Burna. Israel, June 2015. Photo: Michal Hejcman.
image/svg+xmlIANSA 2023 ● XIV/1 ● 137–142Martin Janovský, Jan Horák, Petr Krištuf, Michal Hejcman: Ladislav Šmejda (26 August 1975 – 27 November 2022)141and comparative studies of past societies. He therefore participated in research and publications not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Great Britain, Slovenia, Iceland, Greece, Jordan, Senegal and particularly in Israel. It was there where he tried to cooperate for a long time on the research of the ancient site of Tel Burna, applying his novel approach to this research. However, Ladislav mainly tried to connect Israeli and Czech researchers and establish long-term cooperation between them. He succeeded in this at Ariel University, Ben Gurion University and Tel Aviv University, where he sent his doctoral students from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. He thus participated in long-term fruitful interdisciplinary research, which led to the creation of many friendships and ongoing eforts of international cooperation. His legacy will live on.Ladislav Šmejda also contributed signifcantly to the editorial work in the European Journal of Archeology (2009–2012) and from 2011 he was a member of the IANSA (Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica, Natural Sciences in Archaeology) Editorial Board. He was also a member of the Advisory Board of the Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology (Springer). During his lifetime he organised many conferences and workshops: it was always a pleasure and an honour to work with Ladislav. His lectures and conversations with him were inspiring and he was able to stimulate an interest in environmental archaeology and anthropology among his students and colleagues. We will miss his calmness, prudence, perspective and humour with which he tackled research studies and life’s challenges.In these days, so soon after Ladislav’s passing, none of us can quite deal with our deep personal grief. It is perhaps ironic that the person who devoted himself to the topic of human death and its impact on individuals and society, precisely Ladislav Šmejda, was just the person who could be helpful to us now. So, let’s remember him each of us as a person, and together as a scientist. Ladislav Šmejda died after a long battle with a serious illness in the early hours of the frst Advent Sunday, 27thNovember 2022. We express our sincere condolences to his family, his wife Martina and his children Filip, Vojtěch, Jáchym and Klára.Selected publicationsASARE, M.O., APOH, W., AFRIYIE, J.O., HORÁK, J., ŠMEJDA, L., and HEJCMAN, M., 2020. Traces of German and British settlement in soils of the Volta Region of Ghana. Geoderma Regional, 21, e00270. DOI: 10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00270ASARE, M.O., HORÁK, J., ŠMEJDA, L., JANOVSKÝ, M., and HEJCMAN, M., 2020. A medieval hillfort as an island of extraordinary fertile Archaeological Dark Earth soil in the Czech Republic. European Journal of Soil Science, 72(1), 98–113.BAUMANOVÁ, M., and ŠMEJDA, L., 2017. Structural dynamics of spatial complexity at the “Palace of Gede”, Kenya. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 52. 71–99. DOI: 10.1080/0067270X.2017.1283095BAUMANOVÁ, M., ŠMEJDA, L., and RÜTHER, H., 2019. Pre-Colonial Origins of Urban Spaces in the West African Sahel:Street Networks, Trade, and Spatial Plurality. Journal of Urban History, 45. 500–516. DOI: 10.1177/0096144217746375BUREŠ, M., ŠMEJDA, L., and ŠMOLÍKOVÁ, M., 2014. Veřejná archeologie 5. Příspěvky z konference Archeologie a veřejnost 7/2013. Plzeň: Západočeská univerzita.CHYTRÁČEK, M., DANIELISOVÁ, A., POKORNÝ, P., KOČÁR, P., KYSELÝ, R., KYNCL, T., SÁDLO, J., ŠMEJDA, L., and ZAVŘEL, J., 2012. Vzestupy a pády regionálního mocenského centra. Přehled současného stavu poznání pravěkého opevněného areálu na Vladaři v západních Čechách. Rises and Falls of a Regional Power Center. An Overview of the Current State of Knowledge of the Prehistoric Fortifed Area at Vladař in Western Bohemia. Památky archeologické, 103. 273–338.CHYTRÁČEK, M., and ŠMEJDA, L., 2005. Opevněný areál na Vladaři a jeho zázemí. K poznání sídelních struktur doby bronzové a železné na horním toku Střely v západních Čechách. Archeologické rozhledy, 57. 3–56.ČIPEROVÁ, M., PAVELKA, J., and ŠMEJDA, L., 2015. Detekce stop mléka v porézní keramice z neolitu jihozápadních Čech a otázka trávení laktózy u evropských populací v minulosti. Acta Fakulty flozofcké Figure 7.Ladislav Šmejda with the horns of an aurochs in the Israel National Museum in Jerusalem.
image/svg+xmlIANSA 2023 ● XIV/1 ● 137–142Martin Janovský, Jan Horák, Petr Krištuf, Michal Hejcman: Ladislav Šmejda (26 August 1975 – 27 November 2022)142Západočeské univerzity v Plzni, 7(2), 193–215.HLÁSNÁ ČEPKOVÁ, P., KARLÍK, P., VIEHMANNOVÁ, I., MÜLLEROVÁ, V., ŠMEJDA, L., and HEJCMAN, M., 2016. Genetic and leaf-trait variability of Vinca minorat ancient and recent localities in Central Europe. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 64. 22–30. DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2015.11.005HORÁK, J., JANOVSKÝ, M., HEJCMAN, M., ŠMEJDA, L., and KLÍR, T., 2018. Soil geochemistry of medieval arable felds in Lovětín near Třešť, Czech Republic. Catena, 162. 14–22. DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2017.11.014HORÁK, J., WEISS-KREJCI, E., FROLÍK, J., VELÍMSKÝ, F., and ŠMEJDA, L., 2022. The Cemetery and Ossuary at Sedlec near Kutná Hora: Refections on the Agency of the Dead. In: E. Weiss-Krejci, Sebastian Becker, and Philip Schwyzer, eds. Interdisciplinary Explorations of Postmortem Interaction: The Uses of Dead Bodies, Funerary Objects, and Burial Spaces through Texts and Time.Berlin: Springer Nature, pp. 269–295. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-03956-0_12JANOVSKÝ, M.P., HORÁK, J., ACKERMANN, O., TAVGER, A., CASSUTO, D., ŠMEJDA, L., HEJCMAN, M., ANKER, Y., and SHAI, I., 2022. The contribution of POSL and PXRF to the discussion on sedimentary and site formation processes in archaeological contexts of the southern Levant and the interpretation of biblical strata at Tel Burna. Quaternary International, 618. 24–34. DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2020.11.045KOLÁŘ, J., KVĚTINA, P., SOSNA, D., TRAMPOTA, F., ŠMEJDA, L., and MLEJNEK, O., 2012. Theory and method in the prehistoric archaeology of Central Europe. Conference.KRIŠTUF, P., ŠMEJDA, L., and VAŘEKA, P., eds. 2007. Opomíjená archeologie, Neglected archaeology 2005–2006.Pilsen: University of West Bohemia in Pilsen.MAJEROVIČOVÁ, T., ŠMEJDA, L., NOVÁK, J., MANKA, I., BALLESTEROS, M., BUMERL, J., DEME, A., and BENEŠ, J., 2022. A story of abandonment: settlements and landscape in the Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal. Antiquity, 96. 1330–1336. DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2022.97PAVELKA, J., KOVAČIKOVÁ, L., and ŠMEJDA, L., 2011. The determination of domesticated animal species from a Neolithic sample using the ELISA test. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 10. 61–70. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2010.10.012PAVELKA, J., and ŠMEJDA, L., 2007. Archeogenetika domestikovaných zvířat. Archeologické rozhledy, 59. 315–335.ŠMEJDA, L., 2004. Potential of GIS for analysis of funerary areas: prehistoric cemetery at Holešov, distr. Kroměříž, Czech Republic. In: L. Šmejda, and J. Turek, eds. Spatial Analysis of Funerary Areas. Pilsen: Aleš Čeněk, 57–68.ŠMEJDA, L., 2007. Time as a Hidden Dimension in Archaeological Information Systems: Spatial Analysis Within and Without the Geographic Framework. In: Computer Applications to Archaeology.Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. March 22–26, 2009, pp. 1–9.ŠMEJDA, L., 2008. Archeologie, GIS a dálkový průzkum Země. In: Sborník příspěvků ze 17. konference GIS ESRI.Praha: ARCDATA, pp. 22–26.ŠMEJDA, L., 2009. Mapování archeologického potenciálu pomocí leteckých snímků.Plzeň: Západočeská univerzita.ŠMEJDA, L., 2010a. A new version of the map server for the digital publication of archaeological datasets. In: P. Krištuf, L. Šmejda, and P. Vařeka, eds. Opomíjená archeologie, Neglected Archaeology 2007–2008.Pilsen: University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, pp 182–189.ŠMEJDA, L., 2010b. Přehled korespondence F. X. France (1838–1910). Archeologie západních Čech, 1. 114–124.ŠMEJDA, L., 2014. GIS visualizations of mortuary data from Holešov, Czech Republic. Internet Archaeology,36. DOI: 10.11141/ia.36.4ŠMEJDA, L., 2017. Interpretive and Analytical Approaches to Aerial Survey in Archaeology. Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica, Natural Sciences in Archaeology, 8(1). 79–92. DOI: 10.24916/iansa.2017.1.6ŠMEJDA, L., DAGSSON WALDHAUSEROVÁ, P., and HEJCMAN, M., 2017a. Aeolian transport of Icelandic dust: a look from Space. In: 19thEGU General Assembly, EGU2017, proceedings from the conference held 23–28 April, 2017 in Vienna, Austria.Vienna: EGU, p. 6452.ŠMEJDA, L., HEJCMAN, M., HORÁK, J., and SHAI, I., 2017b. Ancient settlement activities as important sources of nutrients (P, K, S, Zn and Cu) in Eastern Mediterranean ecosystems – The case of biblical Tel Burna, Israel. Catena, 156, 63–72. DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2017.03.024ŠMEJDA, L., HEJCMAN, M., HORÁK, J., and SHAI, I., 2018. Multi-element mapping of anthropogenically modifed soils and sediments at the Bronze to Iron Ages site of Tel Burna in the Southern Levant. Quaternary International, 483. 111–123. DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2017.11.005ŠMEJDA, L., HORÁK, J., ALEXANDROVÁ, J., and HEJCMAN, M., 2017c. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust: geochemical signals of mortuary areas. In: Poster for EGU 2017 Conference, session: Geoarchaeology: Human impact, adaptation and response to climatic and environmental change from the past to the present(co-organized).ŠMEJDA, L., KRISTIANSEN, K., and TUREK, J., eds. 2015. Paradigm Found: Archaeological Theory – Present, Past and Future. Essays in Honour of Evžen Neustupný.Oxford: Oxbow Books.ŠMEJDA, L., and TUREK, J., eds., 2004. Spatial analysis of funerary areas.Plzeň: Západočeská univerzita.ŠMEJDA, L., TUREK, J., and THRANE, H., eds. 2006. Archaeology of burial mounds. Plzeň: University of West Bohemia.