starovekých

Starověký is a Czech adjective meaning ancient or relating to antiquity. The form starověkých (genitive plural) is used when the adjective modifies a masculine or mixed plural noun in the genitive, for example starověkých civilizací, starověkých říší or starověkých kultur. The corresponding noun is starověk, or the broader term antika.

Etymology and scope. The word derives from Old Czech and is linked to the idea of old or former times; it is related to the root star- meaning old, and to the concept of antiquity in the historical lexicon. In scholarly writing, starověký is employed to describe cultures, states, periods and artifacts from the ancient world. The category typically encompasses civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China and the classical Mediterranean (ancient Greece and Rome), and it is often bounded by late antiquity, roughly the transition to the Middle Ages in various regions.

Usage in historical study. In Czech historiography and archaeology, starověký is used to distinguish early historic periods from medieval and modern ones. Phrases such as starověké Řecko, starověký Egypt, or starověké civilizace are common in encyclopedic descriptions and educational texts. The term is flexible and can apply to material culture, art, architecture and written sources from the ancient world. It is important to note that timelines for antiquity vary by region and scholarly tradition, and some uses extend the end of antiquity into late antiquity or early medieval times.

In summary, starověkých functions as a grammatical form signaling the ancient character of nouns it describes, while the broader concept of antiquity remains a standard framework in history and archaeology.