Burgus Verőcemaros-Dunamező

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Burgus Verőcemaros-Dunamező (Burgus Solva 38)
Alternative name a) Nógrádverőce
b) Verőce
limes Pannonian Limes
section 3
Dating (occupancy) End of Constantine ( Constantius II. ) Or Valentine
up to the end of the 4th or beginning of the 5th century
Type Ländeburgus
size 18 × 23 m ( core plant )
Construction stone
State of preservation Foundations restored and can be viewed
place Verőce
Geographical location 47 ° 49 '6.7 "  N , 19 ° 3' 5.1"  E
height 103  m
Previous Small fort Kisoroszi (west)
Fort Visegrád-Sibrik - Pone Navata (southwest)
Subsequently Dunabogdány Castle (south)
Burgus Tahitótfalu-Balhavár (south-east)

The Burgus Verőcemaros-Dunamező is a former Roman military camp that, as a late antique state castle , secured the surveillance of a Danube crossing on the Pannonian Limes in the area of ​​the Barbaricum . The excavated and restored facility, located in northern Hungary today , is located directly on the north bank of the river near Verőce, a district belonging to the municipality of Verőcemaros, in the Dunamező corridor in Pest County .

Location and research history

The Limes Pannonicus on the Pilis Mountains

The small complex, often published under the name Nógrádverőce or Verőce , was built in the Barbaricum, on the north bank of the Danube. Opposite it was a burgus or another land on the island of Szentendrei (St. Andrä). The Danube Valley opens at this point and flows southwards, after having previously left the Danube Bend , being pushed in by mountain slopes . The river is divided by the large island of St. Andrä, on which several late Roman border defense posts were located. From the Ländeburgus Verőcemaros-Dunamező the close-knit chain of watchtowers on the south bank of the Danube could be seen in the southwest and it was also possible to pass the alarm on to the guards located there in an emergency with a view to the south. With this bridgehead-like burgus at the apex of the great Danube Bend, which dictates the direction of the river over a long stretch, the Romans could stab potential attackers in the back if they should attempt the great wall system, the Limes Sarmatiae , which begins a little further south on the east bank of the Danube to break through.

The fortification was uncovered in 1934 by the archaeologist István Paulovics (1892–1952). However, there is only a preliminary report on the excavation and finds to date.

Building history

The Ländeburgus after the excavations in 1934
Attempt to reconstruct the Valentinian Ländeburgus contra Florentiam . A trench could not be found in Verőcemaros-Dunamező.
Today's state of preservation with a view from the northwest of the core plant (2015)

The rectangular central building of the fortification, built as a residential and watchtower, with its 2.8-meter-wide walls that stand on a 3.2-meter-wide foundation, measures 18 × 23 meters and was built using a combination of stone and brick. As in the southern corner tower of the Dunakeszi ship landing, the exposure revealed two successive floor levels. The archaeologist Sándor Soproni in Verőcemaros-Dunamező considered the older soil to be pre-Valentine, while the excavations by Zsolt Mráv in Dunakeszi already produced a Valentine stamp in the foundation. In the central building, two square brick pillar foundations placed next to each other were also exposed. They carried the rising construction with several floors and a heavy, tiled roof. In addition to the roof tiles, there were also some lead plates on the upper floor level. The classical philologist Wilhelm Schleiermacher (1904–1977) mentioned in connection with the supporting pillars of the central building that the complex originally had four of these supporting structures, of which, however, the ones closest to the entrance were already in secondary use when they were found.

The southern long side of the central building follows the course of the Danube, from the two narrower flanks a 14-meter-long and two-meter-thick wall each ran off at right angles. At each end there was a square, 5 × 5 meter tower. Originally, another wall each bent from the two towers - also at right angles to their longitudinal walls - towards the bank. The entire system formed a square open to the Danube in which the landing zone for ships and boats was located. As Paulovics claims to have established, the two side towers and wing walls were demolished in Roman times and their former location leveled. The central building would have stood as a solitary burgus on the banks of the Danube. This conversion could have taken place around 380. The front zone of the fortification, which had been established in the wet bank area of ​​the Danube, was destroyed after the Romans withdrew from the river. Around 30 meters from the flank towers, Paulovics found a group of oak posts in the bed of the Danube, which had once been driven into the ground as a base for the two walls reaching into the stream with their two closing towers.

Only sparse archaeological information is available about the Danube-side expansion of the Ländeburgi, as the erosion caused by the river for over one and a half millennia has removed almost all traces. For a long time, scientific research believed that the fortified ship berths enclosed by defensive walls were open to the Danube. This idea could be corrected using old traditions and drawings. So today the image of a facility that was also closed on the river side and only had a special entrance or a larger opening there is spreading. Possibly to pull ships ashore to protect them from enemy attacks, as Schleiermacher assumed.

In terms of type, the Verőcemaros-Dunamező fortress is not an isolated case, so similar structures, which are also known as the Ländeburgus , have been discovered in Germany. One was in Engers near Neuwied , another in Neckarau near Mannheim . There are also other examples from Hungary, such as excavations near Dunafalva , opposite the local auxiliary fort Lugio on the southern Hungarian Danube.

Finds and Findings

Small finds were found at this fortification - in contrast to other burgi at the same time - in a strikingly large number. In addition to the bricks, which are important for a chronological classification, a very rare small glass bottle with a strongly indented neck was found, which is dated to the second half of the 4th or early 5th century. Other pieces, such as reclaimed iron, beakers with blue threads, and ceramics indicate that the Ländeburgus was occupied until the 5th century. In the past, however, too little attention was paid to the stratigraphic stratification of the site. Graves found in the Burgus area and pieces of amber from the Baltic Sea already belong to the post-Roman period. The Hungarian archaeologist András Mócsy (1929–1987) had already stated in 1969 with regard to the discovered amber: “You hardly gain anything for dating.” The same post-Roman assignment also applies to a Germanic pot that was discovered at the top of the found fountain and published in 1946 has been. Therefore all considerations about possible trade relations between barbarians and Romans in Verőcemaros-Dunamező are irrelevant. The post-Roman inhabitants of Burgus were Germanic tribes who settled here.

The roof tiles ( Tegulae and Imbrices ) showed the names of several high-ranking officers stamped on them . The name of Frigeridus dux was picked up with 301 copies and the tribunes Lupicinus , Terentianus , Olimpus and Caris with a total of 52 copies. In contrast, only 12 masonry bricks (lateres) had stamps with the abbreviations

  • OF AR BONO MAG ,
  • OF ARAN VRSICINI and
  • OF ARN VRSICINI MG .

The epigraphist Barnabás Lőrincz (1951–2012) determined from this information that the Ländeburgus was created either towards the end of the reign of Emperor Constantius II (337–360) or during the era of Valentinian I (364–375). Frigeridus officiated in Valeria between 371 and 373 AD. Lupicinus was active as a tribune after 368 and before 377. The first name of the Magister Bonus, on the other hand, happened either at the end of the era of Constantius II or also in the following Valentian epoch. The stamps of the OF ARN group (uncertain resolution of the letters to: Officinae auxiliares ripenses ) can generally be dated to the time of the reign of the two aforementioned emperors. Since the stamp abbreviations AR , ARN and ARAN cannot be clearly explained for the time being, the previous proposals remain speculative.

Mihály Nagy came to the conclusion that a large number of buildings from the Valentine period were not measured in Roman feet but in Orthodoron . This also applies to the Verőcemaros-Dunamező state castle.

Limes course from Burgus Verőcemaros-Dunamező to Fort Dunabogdány

Traces of the Limes structures between Verőce on the Danube main arm and Dunabogdány on the west flowing tributary.
route Name / place Description / condition
3 Dunabogdány-Vadásztanya (Burgus Solva 31) Sándor Soproni suspected a previously unproven burgus near Dunabogdány-Vadásztanya, on the west bank of the western arm of the Danube.
3 Dunabogdány-Kőszegtő (Burgus Solva 32) The Burgus of Dunabogdány-Kőszegtő, built from locally abundant andesite , is also located on the west bank of the western arm of the Danube and was built near a bend in the river running from west to south-east. On the bank side, the river severely damaged the walls, where a wall 1–1.50 meters high and around 10-11 meters long can be seen. The remains listed in Opus incertum have already been described by the Hungarian archeology pioneer Flóris Rómer (1815–1889). The rectangular burgus is similar to that of Leányfalu and Budakalász , but may have been a little smaller. Inside the tower, the Danube side was 14.06 meters wide and its inner side, running at right angles to the Danube, measured 13.06 meters. The rising tower masonry was determined to be 1.50 meters thick, the foundations were 15 centimeters thicker. A surrounding wall was drawn around the defense structure at a distance of 11.40 meters. In addition to fragments of roof tiles, several stamp fragments with the imprint AP VALENTINI were found. Due to the stamp material and the structural appearance, the fortification can be assigned to the reign of Emperor Valentinian I.
3 Dunabogdány (Burgus Solva 33) To the southeast, in a right-angled, northwest-southwest running Danube bend, the archaeologist Lajos Barkóczi noted the existence of a rectangular burgus.
3 Dunabogdány The remnants of the Dunabogdány Fort are only around 600 meters southwest on the banks of the Danube .

Monument protection

The monuments of Hungary are protected under the Act No. LXIV of 2001 by being entered in the register of monuments. The Burgus Verőcemaros-Dunamező as well as all other Limes complexes belong to the nationally valuable cultural property as archaeological sites according to § 3.1. According to § 2.1, all finds are state property, regardless of where they are found. Violations of the export regulations are considered a criminal offense or a crime and are punished with imprisonment for up to three years.

See also

literature

  • Jenő Fitz (Ed.): The Roman Limes in Hungary (= Bulletin du musée roi Saint Etienne. Series A, Volume 22). Fejér Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Székesfehérvár 1976.
  • Zsolt Mráv : On the dating of the late Roman ship lands on the border of the province of Valeria ripensis. In: Ádám Szabó , Endre Tóth (ed.): Bölcske. Roman inscriptions and finds. Hungarian National Museum, Budapest 2003. pp. 33–50.
  • István Paulovics : A nógrádverőcei római erőd feltárása. (Uncovering a Roman fortress in Nógrádverőce). Archaeologiai Értesítő 47. 1934, pp. 158-163; 210.
  • Ágnes Salamon : Budakalász, Leányfalu, Nógrádverőce vas leletegyüttesei . (The iron discovery complexes of Budakalász, Leányfalu, Nógrádverőce) 1950, manuscript.
  • Sándor Soproni : The late Roman Limes between Esztergom and Szentendre. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 1978, ISBN 9630513072 .
  • Zsolt Visy : 10th Verőce - Dunamező-dűlő . In: Definition, Description and Mapping of Limes Samples. CE Project "Danube Limes - UNESCO World Heritage" 1CE079P4. Budapest 2010. pp. 32-33.
  • Zsolt Visy : The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3806204888 .

Web links

Commons : Burgus Verőcemaros-Dunamező  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Jenő Fitz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Hungary (= Bulletin du musée roi Saint Etienne. Series A, Volume 22). Fejér Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Székesfehérvár 1976, p. 73.
  2. ↑ a b Barnabás Lőrincz : A későrómai hídfőállások bélyeges téglái Valeriában. In: Attila Gaál (Ed.): Pannoniai kutatások. A Soproni Sándor emlékkonferencia előadásai (Bölcske, 1998. October 7th) . Szekszárd 1999, pp. 53-68.
  3. ↑ a b Jenő Fitz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Hungary (= Bulletin du musée roi Saint Etienne. Series A, Volume 22). Fejér Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Székesfehérvár 1976, p. 119.
  4. ^ Sándor Soproni: The late Roman Limes between Esztergom and Szentendre. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 1978, ISBN 9630513072 , p. 78.
  5. ^ Zsolt Mráv in: Bölcske. Roman inscriptions and finds - In memoriam Sándor Soproni (1926-1995) . Hungarian National Museum, Budapest 2003, (Libelli archaeologici Ser. Nov. No. II), ISBN 963-9046-83-9 , p. 38.
  6. ^ András Mócsy : Pannonia and the Roman army. Selected essays. Steiner, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3515061037 , p. 229.
  7. ^ A b András Mócsy: Pannonia and the Roman army. Selected essays. Steiner, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3515061037 , p. 231.
  8. ^ Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 9630579804 , p. 54 (in English).
  9. ^ A b András Mócsy: Pannonia and the Roman army. Selected essays. Steiner, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3515061037 , p. 247.
  10. ^ Zsolt Mráv: Az "előretolt helyőrség" - késő római kikötőerőd Dunakeszin. In: Dunakeszi helytörteneti szemle, December 2009. p. 5.
  11. ↑ András Mócsy: A late Roman bank fortress in the Batschka? In: András Mócsy: Pannonia and the Roman Army. Selected essays. Steiner, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3515061037 , p. 246.
  12. ↑ András Mócsy: A late Roman bank fortress in the Batschka? In: András Mócsy: Pannonia and the Roman Army. Selected essays. Steiner, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3515061037 , p. 248.
  13. ^ András Mócsy: The late Roman ship landing in Contra Florentiam. In: Pannonia and the Roman Army. Selected essays. Steiner, Stuttgart 1992. ISBN 3515061037 . P. 233.
  14. ↑ a b Folia Archäologica . Volume 22, Népművelési Propaganda Iroda, Budapest 1971, p. 78.
  15. ^ David Whitehouse: Roman glass in the Corning Museum of Glass. Volume 2. Hudson Hills Press, New York 2001, ISBN 0872901394 , p. 200 (in English).
  16. ^ A b Maria R. Alföldi: Gloria Romanorum. Writings on late antiquity. Franz Steiner Publishing House. Stuttgart 2001. ISBN 3-515-07918-1 . P. 230 (footnote).
  17. ^ András Mócsy : A late antique type of fortress on the left bank of the Danube . Eric Birley , Brian Dobson, Michael Grierson Jarrett: Roman Frontier Studies 1969. Eighth International Congress of Limes Research . University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1974, pp. 191-196; here: p. 194.
  18. ^ Barnabás Lőrincz: A későrómai hídfőállások bélyeges téglái Valeriában. In: Attila Gaál (Ed.): Pannoniai kutatások. A Soproni Sándor emlékkonferencia előadásai (Bölcske, 1998. October 7th) . Szekszárd 1999, pp. 53-68. Footnote 12.
  19. ↑ a b Ádám Szabó , Endre Tóth (ed.): Bölcske. Roman inscriptions and finds - In memoriam Sándor Soproni (1926-1995) Libelli archaeologici Ser. Nov. No. II. Hungarian National Museum, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-9046-83-9 , p. 80.
  20. ↑ Translation: “Administration of the Border Troops” According to Titus Kolník: Cifer-Pác - a late Roman station in the Quadenland? In: Jenő Fitz (ed.): Limes. Files of the XI. International Limes Congress (Székesfehérvár, 30.8–6.9.1976). Akadémiai Kiadó. Budapest 1977. ISBN 9630513013 . P. 187.
  21. ↑ Mihály Nagy: A pannoniai IV. Századi burgus-típusok méretei.– Dimensions of IVth century AD burgus-types in Pannonia. In: Pannoniai Kutatások. A Soproni Sándor emlékkonferencia előadásai. Bölcske, 1998 October 7. Wosinsky Mór Múzeum, Szekszárd, 1999. pp. 133-140.
  22. ↑ Route = numbering follows Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary (Theiss 1988) and Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. (Akadémiai Kiadó 2003)
  23. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003. ISBN 9630579804 . P. 53.
  24. ^ Sándor Soproni: The late Roman Limes between Esztergom and Szentendre. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest 1978, ISBN 9630513072 . P. 61.
  25. ↑ Kastell Dunabogdány at 47 ° 46 '14.62 "  N , 19 ° 4' 30.67"  O .