Alisca Castle

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Alisca Castle
Alternative name Ad Latus  ? Alisca ad latus  ?
limes Pannonian Limes
section 8th
Dating (occupancy) around 100 AD?
until late antiquity?
Type Cohort fort
unit a) Cohors I Noricorum equitata  ?
b) Cohors II Augusta Nervia Pacensis milliaria Brittonum  ?
c) Cohors I Alpinorum peditata  ?
d) Vexillation of the Legio II Adiutrix  ?
size 158 × 193 m
Construction a) wood-earth?
b) stone
State of preservation not excavated, fort area almost unbuilt,
damaged in places by illegal excavations
place Őcsény -Szigetpuszta
Geographical location 46 ° 19 '33.3 "  N , 18 ° 46' 4.5"  E
height 89  m
Previous Szekszárd Castle (Alisca?) (Northwest)
Subsequently Burgus Őcsény-Soványtelek (southwest)
The location of the fort on the Lower Pannonian Danube Limes
The aerial photo taken from southwest to northeast shows the eastern foothills of the city of Szekszárd on the far left of the picture. Alisca Castle was located between the city and the Danube. The forested tributary east of Szekszárd belongs to the Sió River.

Fort Alisca , which is also known under the name Ad Latus and - historically more likely - Alisca ad latus , was a Roman military camp that secured a section of the Pannonian Danube Limes ( Limes Pannonicus ) as a cohort fort . The almost undeveloped complex, which has hardly been investigated archaeologically to this day, was founded near the western bank of the Danube and is located on the Szigetpuszta corridor north of the village of Őcsény , in the Hungarian Tolna county, which has been swampy since ancient times .

location

The Szigetpuszta corridor is located in a lowland stretching between the Szekszárd mountains and the Danube. The fort was built out of purely strategic considerations in the swampy terrain of the sweeping ancient Danube floodplains and was connected by its own path to the Limes Road, which runs around this difficult, flood-prone terrain. Apparently there are no finds of pre-Roman, Celtic settlement in this area. Due to the canalization, the Danube is now much further to the east, but the still clearly visible oxbow lakes show how close the river flowed past the garrison in the past. The town of Szekszárd is located around seven kilometers to the north-west as the crow flies. Another garrison is suspected here, which may have been the predecessor of the Őcsény-Szigetpuszta castle or existed in parallel. The ancient Szekszárd remained an important regional reference point even after the castle was built in the marshland, as the elaborate architecture and the obvious prosperity of many of its inhabitants suggest.

Surname

The only source for a relative specification of the ancient names in this region, the Itinerarium Antonini , a directory of important Roman imperial roads and settlements, dates from the 3rd century AD. Unfortunately, the miles are missing between some types of garrison, so that especially in this case of the Őcsény-Szigetpuszta castle, it is not possible to clearly address it with one of the Latin names known for this region. The Alisca ad latus mentioned in the directory is still hotly debated among experts. Some researchers have broken down the traditional expression into two parts and the word Alisca applied to the alleged castle square of Szekszárd while Ad Latus , which roughly away , sideways means was used for the structural remains of Őcsény-Sziget Puszta. The Limes expert Zsolt Visy (* 1944) earlier supported the hypotheses of the archaeologists Mór Wosinsky (1854–1907) and József Csalog (1908–1978), who described the fortification of Őcsény-Szigetpuszta as ad latus . This expression would fit the geographic location of the fort, as Őcsény-Szigetpuszta is at the end of a junction from the Limes road. In contrast to Csalog, this ad latus was not considered a proper name for Wosinsky , but merely reflected the local situation of the complex. In his opinion, the real name of the Őcsény-Szigetpuszta fort was Contra Tautantum . This designation, in turn, comes from the late antique state manual Notitia Dignitatum and is still discussed today for various forts along the Hungarian Danube Limes. Most researchers, however, have rejected these theses in the past and - like Sándor Soproni (1926–1995) and Jenő Fitz (* 1921) - equated Őcsény-Szigetpuszta with the ancient Alisca, which Visy also considers more likely today. The archaeologist asked whether the fort missing in the early Limes chain was actually to be found in Szekszárd or its vicinity.

Since Szekszárd does not have a fort so far, but pre-Roman Celtic finds and an overlying, extensive Roman civilian settlement with rich burial fields, some researchers are still looking for the early fort of Alisca there. Later, according to further considerations, a new garrison, which was then called Alisca ad latus , could have been built in the swamp due to new strategic considerations - away from the camp village ( vicus ) .

Research and construction history

In the 19th century, the double wall and the foundation walls of the fort could still be seen on site. As was shown by the construction of the Roman road leading to the garrison, the buildings that were erected on the soft ground must also have had solid foundations. The ancient path was secured with a high, dam-like substructure, some of which can still be seen in the area today. On an aerial photo taken in 1953, the route, popularly known as the Teufelsdamm, can be traced for around seven kilometers. The road structure coming from the northwest ends in front of the western camp gate - probably the Porta decumana , the rear entrance - on one of the two narrow sides of the approximately 158 × 193 meter rectangular fort. In its conceptual structure, this followed the standardized building scheme of Roman forts, which was coined in the early imperial era, and had four rounded corners (playing card shape), each with a watchtower. Other intermediate towers and towers flanking the gates were part of the usual program of a garrison as well as the defensive trenches in front of them. Up until the beginning of Late Antiquity, a fort normally had four gates, one on each of the two narrow and long sides. At the intersection of the streets leading from these four gates inside the camp stood the Principia , the staff and administration building of the garrison. Based on the surface finds, the Őcsény-Szigetpuszta fort was founded around AD 100 or later - but in the 2nd century.

However, due to the lack of excavations, nothing is known about the ancient buildings in the Szigetpuszta corridor. During an excavation carried out by unauthorized persons in the summer of 1976, the western stone defensive wall was almost completely exposed and a profile was created which indicates the thickness of the wall at 1.4 meters. This dimension is typical for defensive walls of mid-imperial fort complexes. Another road that becomes visible in the aerial photo is important for the transport connection, which is dead straight, running in an almost northerly direction, leaves the north gate of the fort and leads to a castle near Szekszárd-Bárányfok. A geophysical prospecting carried out in the spring of 2010 opened up the possibility of getting to know the structures of the fort and vicus better for the first time.

South of the fort, a rectangular moat with a circumference of 120 × 170 meters has become known due to overflights. If it is a Roman building, it could be a wood-earth warehouse.

Troop

On the basis of the brick stamps picked up from Őcsény-Szigetpuszta (EXER PANN INF, COH VII BR SIIV) and military diplomas , scientists assumed for a long time that the fort might initially be used as a wood-earth store - probably under Emperor Trajan (98–117) - was built by the Cohors I Noricorum equitata (1st partially mounted cohort of Noriker ). This unit is said to have been stationed in Fort Alisca until the end of the Marcomann Wars (166-180) and was previously only once, under Emperor Hadrian (117-138), briefly by the Cohors II Augusta Nervia Pacensis milliaria Brittonum (2nd double cohort of the British ) has been replaced. After Visy, other fort crews were subsequently unknown. Contrary to this opinion, the archaeologist Jenő Fitz (1921–2011) suspected that the Noriker were probably replaced by the Cohors I Alpinorum peditata (1st infantry cohort of the Alpine countries) in the course of the army reorganization after 180 . However, as the epigraphist Barnabás Lőrincz (1951–2012) suspected, this unit could have entered the Kölked Castle at the same time . Without revealing the name of a troop, the Notitia dignitatum mentions a tribunus cohortis Alescae in late antiquity . Subsequently, a vexillation of the Legio II Adiutrix (2nd Legion "the helper") is said to have replaced the previously barracked unit.

In 2001 Lőrincz made a completely new line-up of troops. After that the picture will appear as follows:

Time position Troop name comment
C 106-176 Cohors III Lusitanorum pia fidelis The 3rd cohort of the Lusitanians, dutiful and loyal , was relocated from the province of Lower Germany to Lower Pannonia before the second Dacian War of Emperor Trajan (105/106) .
176 – end of 2nd century AD Ala I Civium Romanorum ? The 1st cavalry troop of Roman civil rights was moved to Pannonia at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Vespasian (69-79) and was probably garrisoned in the auxiliary fort Cornacum ( Sotin ) until 101 . The troops then took part in Traian's Dacian Wars (101/102 and 105/106) and then stayed briefly as an occupying force in the new province of Dacia. But by 113/114 the unit was back in Lower Pannonia. It is likely that she was barracked in the Rittium fort on the Limes stretch of Syrmia . Between 118/119 and 138 their garrison location in Lower Pannonia cannot yet be proven, but it could have been Burgenae. 149 a vexillation of the troops took part in the war of the emperor Antoninus Pius in Mauritania . As a result, the Ala was in the Intercisa fort on the Danube Limes until 176 . From Intercisa the troops possibly came to Alisca and stayed there until 200. The next location was the Teutoburgium fort . In 252 the troops took part in the Persian War of Emperor Trebonianus Gallus .
3rd century AD Cohors I Montanorum ? In the late Flavian period, the first cohort of mountain inhabitants was stationed first in the Klosterneuburg fort and then in the vicinity of Aquincum, possibly in Albertfalva.

For the compilation of this list of troops, Lőrincz assumed the theory that Őcsény was to be equated with Ad Latus and Szekszárd with Alisca . Therefore, according to his consideration, u. a. the Cohors I Noricorum stationed in Szekszárd. He explained the stamps of the Cohors I Noricorum and the Cohors II milliaria Brittonum picked up in the area of ​​the Őcsény-Szigetpuszta fort by saying that the bricks of these units were transported from Alisca to Ad Latus in order to erect buildings.

Finds

The mainly documented material from the square is numerous reading finds that came to light during prospecting on the surface. These include coins, ceramics and the aforementioned brick stamps.

Other finds from Őcsény include, in addition to militaria such as a shield hump, the only wreath-decorated grave stele made of limestone discovered in 1828, which the most likely Celtic-born military scout (explorer) Aelius Ressatus still used for himself, his wife and the deceased Daughter has set. The named had received Roman citizenship under Emperor Hadrian:

D (is) M (anibus)
C (aiae) Val (eriae) Alpin (a) e
a (n) norum
VIII hic sit-
a est pat (e) r et
mater fili (a) e
ben (e) mer (e) nti
posuerunt
et sibi vivis
Ael (ius) Ressatus
explorat (or) et
Val (eria) Aelias
mater

Translation: “The gods of the dead. The Gaia Valeria Alpina, 8 years old; she is buried here; The well-deserved daughter was erected by father and mother (this tomb) and for themselves during their lifetime, Aelius Ressatus, scout and Valeria Aelias, mother. "

Devil dam

The junction of the Limes road leading from Szekszárd to Őcsény-Szigetpuszta is well secured and connects the two places in an arc that extends to the southwest. Since the Roman engineers constructed the connecting road to Őcsény-Szigetpuszta as a dam due to the swampy subsoil, the traces of this were well preserved until the 20th century. Until then, the name Ördögvettetés (Devil's Dam ) had prevailed in the vernacular for the legendary building . The north-western part of the dam was sacrificed to the steadily growing city of Szekszárd, the remaining and visible section is still 2,200 meters long today. But this is also threatened by intensive agricultural use. The deterioration in the condition of this road embankment has been documented steadily since the first aerial photograph in 1953.

Lost property

Finds like the above-mentioned tombstone are now in the Wosinsky Mór Múzeum (formerly Balogh Ádám Múzeum) in Szekszárd.

Limes course at Alisca Castle

As the junction of the Limes road leading from Szekszárd to Őcsény-Szigetpuszta ends in a dead end, only the Roman military buildings found around the garrison are described in this section.

Traces of the Limes structures around the fort square
route Name / place Description / condition
8th Szekszárd-Bárányfok (Burgus Alisca 1) From the north gate of the Őcsény-Szigetpuszta fort an almost dead straight ancient route led to the northeast, which probably ended at Burgus Alisca 2. Halfway through this route crosses today's road from Szekszárd to Gemenc on the Danube. Here, on the east side of the Roman road and north of the modern road, a watchtower could have stood. This suggests an aerial photograph from 1953 showing a rectangular structure. The possible double trench is around 80 × 80 meters on the outside. Field inspections brought no results.
8th Szekszárd-Bárányfok (Burgus Alisca 2) An ancient route leading from the north gate of the Őcsény-Szigetpuszta fort, almost dead straight to the northeast, ended at Burgus Alisca 2 (Burgus Szekszárd-Bárányfok), which rose on the south bank of the Sió River. This part of the tower, which is no longer visible in the area today, was discovered in 1968 through an aerial survey. It is said to date from the time of Emperor Diocletian (284–305) and had a rhomboid weir ditch that was 39 × 47 meters on a side. The field inspections on the previously unexcavated structure did not produce any results, and the floor plan of the actual Burgus could not be explored using the aerial photographs. Today's topography makes it difficult to interpret the meaning of the Burgus at this point, as the Danube now flows much further east. However, as their still visible oxbow lakes show, the Roman sentinel once stood near the influence of the Sió in the border stream and was able to observe the shipping traffic that used the two rivers. Boats were quickly able to get inland via the Sió, which was made easier by the work of the Romans, who wanted to connect the river with Lacus Pelso (Lake Balaton), which is around 100 kilometers away , in order to include the surrounding areas as part of this project To drain swamps.
8th Őcsény-Soványtelek (Burgus Alisca 3) The subsequent Burgus Őcsény-Soványtelek is the best-researched of its kind in southern Hungary.

Monument protection

The monuments of Hungary are protected under the Act No. LXIV of 2001 by being entered in the register of monuments. The Őcsény-Szigetpuszta fort and all the other Limes facilities are archaeological sites according to Section 3.1 and are nationally valuable cultural assets. 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: A ripa Pannonica Magyarországon. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2000, ISBN 963-05-7691-0 .
  • Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 .

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy: The results of recent aerial photography research on the Pannonian Limes. In: Hermann Vetters, Manfred Kandler (ed.): Files of the 14th International Limes Congress 1986 in Carnuntum. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1990. ISBN 3-7001-1695-0 . Pp. 547-560; here: p. 554.
  2. ↑ a b c d Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 117.
  3. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy: The results of recent aerial photography research on the Pannonian Limes. In: Hermann Vetters, Manfred Kandler (ed.): Files of the 14th International Limes Congress 1986 in Carnuntum. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1990. ISBN 3-7001-1695-0 . Pp. 547-560; here: p. 553.
  4. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Occ. XXXIII 55.
  5. ↑ Among others the archaeologist Zsolt Mráv (* 1974): Castellum contra Tautantum. To identify a late Roman fortress. In: 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 963-9046-83-3 .
  6. ^ Sándor Soproni: Tabula Imperii Romani . Aquincum, Sarmizegetvsa, Sirmium. Verlag Adolf M. Hakkert, Amsterdam 1968. p. 27.
  7. ↑ a b c Jenő Fitz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Hungary. Fejér Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, 1976, p. 111.
  8. ↑ Zsolt Visy: Newer investigations on the auxiliary troop lists of Roman auxiliary diplomas. In: Military Diplomas. The research contributions to the Bern Talks in 2004. Franz Steiner Verlag. Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-515-09144-2 , p. 252.
  9. ^ Anne Johnson (German adaptation by Dietwulf Baatz ): Römische Kastelle . Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1987, ISBN 3-8053-0868-X , p. 84.
  10. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 118.
  11. ^ Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 119.
  12. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003. ISBN 963-05-7980-4 . P. 103.
  13. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Forschungsgesellschaft Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 28.
  14. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Occ. XXXIII 63.
  15. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Forschungsgesellschaft Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 104.
  16. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Forschungsgesellschaft Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 38.
  17. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Research Society of Vienna City Archeology. Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 18.
  18. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Forschungsgesellschaft Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 81.
  19. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Research Society of Vienna City Archeology. Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 90.
  20. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Research Society of Vienna City Archeology. Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 112.
  21. ↑ Alice Sz. Burger : Comments and supplements to CIL III 3299. In: Folia Archaeologia, Vol. 17. Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum, Budapest 1965, pp. 103-109.
  22. ↑ Alice Sz. Burger, Ferenc Fülep : The Roman inscriptions of Hungary (RIU). Area between the Drava and the Limes route Lussonium – Altinum. Vol. 4. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 1984. p. 14.
  23. ↑ CIL 3, 3299
  24. ↑ Limesstraße at 46 ° 19 '32.7 "  N , 18 ° 45' 36.68"  O ; 46 ° 19 '37.92 "  N , 18 ° 45' 1.22"  E ; 46 ° 19 '53.4 "  N , 18 ° 44' 13.45"  E ; 46 ° 20 '8.84 "  N , 18 ° 43' 44.83"  O .
  25. ↑ Route = numbering follows Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary (Theiss 1988) and Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. (Akadémiai Kiadó 2003)
  26. ↑ Burgus Alisca 1 at 46 ° 20 '21.6 "  N , 18 ° 46' 26.77"  O .
  27. ↑ ancient route at 46 ° 19 ′ 41.22 "  N , 18 ° 46 ′ 13.27"  E ; ancient route at 46 ° 19 ′ 57.82 "  N , 18 ° 46 ′ 18.01"  E ; antique route at 46 ° 20 '18.72 "  N , 18 ° 46' 24.6"  O .
  28. ↑ Burgus Alisca 2 at 46 ° 21 '24.84 "  N , 18 ° 46' 51.95"  O .
  29. ↑ ancient route at 46 ° 19 ′ 41.22 "  N , 18 ° 46 ′ 13.27"  E ; ancient route at 46 ° 19 ′ 57.82 "  N , 18 ° 46 ′ 18.01"  E ; antique route at 46 ° 20 '18.72 "  N , 18 ° 46' 24.6"  O .
  30. ↑ Burgus Alisca 3 at 46 ° 18 '12.2 "  N , 18 ° 41' 30.44"  O .