Ad Statuas Castle (Várdomb)

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Ad Statuas Castle (Várdomb)
limes Pannonian Limes
section 8th
Dating (occupancy) Flavian / Trajanic
up to 4th century AD
Type Cohort fort
unit a) Cohors I Augusta Ituraeorum sagittariorum  ?
b) Cohors II Asturum et Callaecorum  ?
c) Equites Dalmatae
d) Auxilia Ursarensia
size unknown
Construction stone
State of preservation Not visible, the fort area is completely built over.
place Várdomb
Geographical location 46 ° 14 ′ 55.8 "  N , 18 ° 41 ′ 12.3"  E
height 96  m
Previous Alisca Castle (northeast)
Subsequently Dunaszekcső Castle (Lugio / Florentia) (southeast)
The location of Ad Statuas on the Lower Pannonian Danube Limes.
The aerial photo taken from southwest to northeast shows the location of Ad Statuas and its surroundings as well as the Alisca castle.

The fort Ad Statuas was a Roman military camp , which as a cohort fort secured a section of the Pannonian Danube Limes ( Limes Pannonicus ) . The archaeologically little known and now overbuilt complex was once founded near the west bank of the Danube and is now located in the middle of the Hungarian village of Várdomb , in Tolna County .

location

The fort is located on the lower slope on the western edge of a valley that extends between the mountains of Szekszárd rising to the west and the Danube, which flows further east. It was created on a slight elevation above the edge of the swampy terrain formed by the sweeping ancient Danube floodplains . Due to the massive modern canalization, the river shifted significantly back to the east and thus the channel bed was removed from the Roman structures. The formation of further floodplains was also significantly restricted during these measures. The Limes Road, coming from the north, goes around the formerly difficult, flood-prone area, led directly past the fortification and runs south to the Dunaszekcső Fort . The garrison site was located in the middle of today's village of Várdomb. Your location can be recognized by the more than 100 meters wide, light ridge of the terrain .

Research and construction history

As the Hungarian place name Várdomb , which can be translated as castle hill , shows, knowledge of an old fortification was never completely lost due to the remains of the building that were apparently still visible for a long time. The archaeologist Mór Wosinsky (1854–1907), who was the first to localize Ad Statuas in Várdomb, was able to secure building remains and broken bricks on the hill Újberekpuszta on the northern edge of Várdomb, which may have been connected to a watchtower or other military building. Roman finds and wall remnants were repeatedly recovered from the properties near the fort. Among these finds was a brick stamp of the Tribune Flavius ​​Macianus, already known in the 19th century .

The complex will have been built during the reign of the Flavians (69–96) or the Emperor Trajan (98–117). In the 1980s, east of the main street, diagonally opposite the inn, a 0.8 to 0.9 meter wide wall came out of the ground, which is perhaps to be regarded as part of the stone wall surrounding this garrison.

The ancient name Ad Statuas is first handed down through the Itinerarium provinciarum Antonini Augusti , a directory of the most important Roman imperial roads from the 3rd century AD.

Troop

The name of the troop mentioned there may be reconstructed on a tombstone with a damaged inscription found in the place and added to Cohors III Lusitanorum (Third Cohort of the Lusitans ). Based on the topographical enumeration of troops derived from the military diplomas, the Limes expert and archaeologist Zsolt Visy suspected that the Ad Statuas location, however, is more likely to be the Cohors II Asturum et Callaecorum (second cohort of Asturians and Callaecians ). For the epigrapher Barnabás Lőrincz (1951–2012) the Pannonian location of this unit remained unknown.

In 2003 Visy presented the following troop chronology for the fort: From the Flavian era (69–96) to 108 AD, he suspected the Cohors I Augusta Ituraeorum sagittariorum , an archer cohort, who had previously been stationed in the Esztergom fort Trajan the Cohors II Asturum et Callaecorum , for which the Equites Dalmatae ( Dalmatian riders) and the Auxilia Ursarensia moved up in late antiquity . The relocation of the last mentioned auxiliary troops from their previous location at the Visegrád – Sibrik fort to Vádomb is documented in the Notitia dignitatum , a state manual from the 4th century. Lőrincz contrast assumed that after the marcomannic wars (166-180) to 250 or later the previously Kastell Szekszárd lying Cohors I Noricorum equitata (First teilberittene cohort of Noricans ) to Ad Statuas came.

On another grave stele a veteran from the Syrian Hemesa of the Legio II Adiutrix lying in Aquincum ( Budapest ) is named, who buried his son in Ad Statuas . Apparently, the legionnaire had settled in or around Várdomb after he left the army.

Burial ground

Numerous Roman burials were known from the area around the wall section on the main road discovered in the 1980s, mainly to the west of this point, but most of them were looted and removed without any archaeological findings. It was found that most of the graves were brick graves. Only a few of the grave inscriptions belonging to this burial ground could be saved for science. Some were walled up by the villagers in their farmhouses.

Lost property

Finds are now in the Wosinsky Mór Múzeum in Szekszárd.

Limes course between the Ad Statuas fort and the Dunaszekcső fort

Traces of the military structures between Várdomb and Dunaszekcső.

route Name / place Description / condition
8th Bátaszék-Kövesd, (Burgus Ad Statuas 1) Mór Wosinsky was the first to describe the site. He observed a large building and Roman tombs that lay nearby. Since the place was on a slope sloping to the east near the Roman Limes road leading past to the east, Wosinsky's findings could possibly be the remains of a tower.
8th Bátaszék, (Burgus Ad Statuas 5) The watchtower was spotted on an aerial photo in 2009. The tower is surrounded by a slightly trapezoidal double moat. The outer trench has a diameter of around 90 × 100 meters, the inner one measures 45 × 55 meters. The area on which the tower is located is flat and damp. The tower itself is on a dry elevation. The aerial photo shows an old watercourse that runs east of the tower. Because of the high water table, agriculture has been given up on this area today. Field inspections brought stone debris and late Roman coins to light, including those from the reign of Emperor Julian (360–363).
8th Báta, (Burgus Ad Statuas 2) A small hill on the outskirts of the city of Báta was the location of this late Roman watchtower, which is best known for aerial photos from 1950 and 2010. Its double trench was around 50 × 47 meters. Readings of six Roman bronze coins confirmed the identification. They date from the middle and the last third of the 4th century. Among them is one from the reign of Emperor Valens (364–378), which was minted between 364 and 367. Immediately north of Ad Statuas 2, the ancient Limes Road forks into two branches, which at least initially ran parallel to the northwest.
8th Burgus Ad Statuas 3 The tower was first known from an aerial photograph that was taken in 1950. In particular, with the help of a new aerial photo from 2010, the findings became much more clearly visible. It stood 1.3 kilometers south of Ad Statuas 2 and had a surrounding trench around 32 × 32 meters. During field inspections, many rubble stones and nine small bronze coins from the 4th century came to light. According to the coin identification, Ad Statuas 3 existed at the same time as Ad Statuas 2. One coin dates from the reign of the lower emperor Constantius Gallus (351–354). and was minted between 352 and 354.
8th Báta, (Burgus Ad Statuas 4) An aerial photo shows a dark, square place that encloses around 43 × 43 meters. The object - possibly a watchtower - can be seen on the east side of the Roman Limes Road. Stones and fragments of roof tiles were discovered during field inspections.
8th Dunaszekcső The Dunaszekcső castle is located on a mighty loess hill, the Várhegy .

Monument protection

The monuments of Hungary are protected under the Act No. LXIV of 2001 by being entered in the register of monuments. The Ad Statuas fort as well as all the other Limes facilities 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. (= Az István Király Múzeum közleményei. Series A, Volume 22). Fejér Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Székesfehérvár 1976
  • Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary . Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 140.
  • Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 120.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Limesstrasse at 46 ° 7 '21.58 "  N , 18 ° 44' 44.09"  E ; Source: Zsolt Máté (Ed.): Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH), Nomination Statement, Vol. 2 , National Office of Cultural Heritage, Budapest 2011, p. 23. Dunaszekcső Castle at 46 ° 5 ′ 28.13 "  N , 18 ° 45 '40.67"  O
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 120.
  3. ↑ CIL 3, 3768
  4. ↑ Egon Schallmayer : The Limes: History of a Border. C. H. Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-406-48018-7 , p. 24.
  5. ^ Itinerarium Antonini, 244, 3
  6. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Research Society Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 29.
  7. ^ Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary . Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 148.
  8. ^ Sándor Soproni: The late Roman Limes between Esztergom and Szentendre. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 1978, ISBN 963-05-1307-2 , p. 163.
  9. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Research Society Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 40.
  10. ↑ Alice Sz. Burger , Ferenc Fülep : Area between the Drau and the Limes route Lussonium-Altinum. In: The Roman Inscriptions of Hungary (RIU). Vol. 4. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 1984, ISBN 963-05-3254-9 , p. 14.
  11. ↑ Route = numbering follows Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary (Theiss 1988) and Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary (Akadémiai Kiadó 2003).
  12. ↑ Burgus Ad Statuas 1 at 46 ° 11 ′ 48.72 ″  N , 18 ° 41 ′ 16.06 ″  E
  13. ↑ a b Róbert Lóki, Máté Szabó, Zsolt Visy: A PTE kutatócsoportja által felmért lelőhelyek katalógusa. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): A Danube Limes program régészeti kutatásai 2008–2011 között. University of Péc, Péc 2011, ISBN 978-963-642-447-3 , p. 53 ff .; here: p. 94.
  14. ↑ a b c Róbert Lóki: A közölt leletek katalógusa. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): A Danube Limes program régészeti kutatásai 2008–2011 között. University of Péc, Péc 2011, ISBN 978-963-642-447-3 , pp. 163–172; here: p. 165.
  15. ↑ Burgus Ad Statuas 2 at 46 ° 7 '42.67 "  N , 18 ° 44' 21.05"  O ; Source: Zsolt Máté (ed.): Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH), Nomination Statement, Vol. 2 , National Office of Cultural Heritage, Budapest 2011, p. 23.
  16. ↑ a b Róbert Lóki, Máté Szabó, Zsolt Visy: A PTE kutatócsoportja által felmért lelőhelyek katalógusa. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): A Danube Limes program régészeti kutatásai 2008–2011 között. University of Péc, Péc 2N011, ISBN 978-963-642-447-3 , p. 53 ff .; here: p. 95.
  17. ↑ Burgus Ad Statuas 3 at 46 ° 7 ′ 9.52 "  N , 18 ° 44 ′ 56.54"  E ; Source: Zsolt Máté (ed.): Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH), Nomination Statement, Vol. 2 , National Office of Cultural Heritage, Budapest 2011, p. 23.
  18. ↑ Zsolt Máté (ed.): Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH), Nomination Statement, Vol. 2 , National Office of Cultural Heritage, Budapest 2011, p. 23.
  19. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary . Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 105.
  20. ↑ Róbert Loki, Máté Szabó, Zsolt Visy: A PTE kutatócsoportja által felmért lelőhelyek katalógusa. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): A Danube Limes program régészeti kutatásai 2008–2011 között. University of Péc, Péc 2011, ISBN 978-963-642-447-3 , p. 53 ff .; here: p. 96.
  21. ↑ Burgus Ad Statuas 4 at approximately 46 ° 6 ′ 50.99 ″  N , 18 ° 45 ′ 5.9 ″  E