Quadrangular enclosures in the upper regions of the Bohemian and Bavarian Forests: Preliminary report Dagmar Dreslerová 1,* , Michal Dyčka 1 , Čeněk Čišecký 1 , Kryštof Seleši 2 , Jaroslav Červenka 3 & Tomáš Kodad 3 1 Institute of Archaeology of the CAS, Prague, v.v.i., Letenská 4, CZ-118 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic 2 Ústav pro archeologii FFUK, nám. Jana Palacha ½ CZ-116 38 Praha 1, Czech Republic 3 Šumava National Park, 1. máje 260, CZ-38501 Vimperk, Czech Republic *dreslerova@arup.cas.cz Abstract The upper regions of the Bohemian and Bavarian Forests are home to what appear to be some of the best-preserved natural ecosystems in Europe. Airborne laser scanning (LIDAR) methods have nonetheless revealed numerous surface relics of past human activity. Among the most recent discoveries is a series of quadrangular enclosures with various types of stone walls or stone earth banks that range from 20 m to 40 m wide. At altitudes of around 1100 m a.s.l., there are some 600 of these barely detectable and little-known features that have largely fallen out of the historical consciousness, partly as a result of the displacement of the German population after the Second World War, and partly because they are hardly recognizable in the terrain. Radiocarbon dating, an analysis of historical administrative, topographical and forestry maps, and observations regarding the present-day vegetation enable us to estimate the origin of the enclosures between the second half of the 17th century and the second half of the 19th century. Preliminary results suggest that some of them could have been forest nurseries and seedbeds, some of which could have been founded before the great forest disturbances of the 1860s and 1870s. They therefore represent a missing piece in the history of forest management in the Šumava region. Key words: Bohemian/Bavarian forests, quadrangular enclosures, historical forest nurseries and seedbeds, stone architecture INTRODUCTION The mountain landscapes of Europe appear to be particularly appealing to researchers. In marginal areas beyond the traditional agricultural lowlands, the interaction between people and their natural environment is currently a popular subject of interdisciplinary studies. It has been repeatedly shown that human beings have been attracted to the mountains, including the treeless high mountain ranges, since prehistoric times. The most common forms of exploitation of these regions include mining, logging, hunting, gathering, and seasonal pastoralism. Although it is traditionally believed that the mountains were first inhabited in the Middle Ages, there is increasing evidence of human presence as early as the Mesolithic (i.e., the time 97 Silva Gabreta vol. 29 p. 97–114 Vimperk, 2023