Annamatia Castle

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Annamatia Castle
Alternative name Annamatia
limes Pannonian Limes
section 7th
Dating (occupancy) Vespasian (69–79) until at least 374 AD
Type a) Cohort fort
b) Late antique cavalry fort
unit a) Cohors I Thracum Germanica civium Romanorum pia fidelis  ?
b) Equites Dalmatae
size approx. 160 × 180 m
Construction a) wood-earth
b) stone
State of preservation Fort area can still be identified as a raised area in the area.
place Baracs
Geographical location 46 ° 52 '5.8 "  N , 18 ° 55' 17.3"  E
height 103  m
Previous Intercisa Fort (north)
Subsequently Burgus Bölcske (south-east)
Fort Lussonium (south)
The location of Annamatia on the Lower Pannonian Danube Limes.

The Annamatia fort was a Roman military camp , the crew of which was responsible for security and surveillance tasks on the Pannonian Danube Limes . The river formed the Roman frontier in large sections. The remains of the fort, located directly on the high bank of the Danube , are in the Baracspuszta corridor in the southeast of the Hungarian village of Baracs in Fejér County . The nearest town, Dunaújváros , is just a few kilometers north. Annamatia has become known to a larger professional audience in particular through the kennel-like construction of its north gate, which was built in the early 2nd century .

location

The Limes road Aquincum - Vetus Salina (Vetusallo) - Annamatia (far right) in the upper part of the picture of the Tabula Peutingeriana .

The name Annamatia is mentioned on a copy of a late antique road map, the Tabula Peutingeriana . The fort is located east of the Limes road leading from Aquincum via the auxiliary troop fort Dunaújváros to the north , in a depression directly on the western bank of the Danube, which was then threatened by flooding. However, the location above the high bank of the river had only a limited field of vision on its land side to the north, south and west. To compensate for this shortcoming and to be safe from impending floods, the fortress was built on a slight hilltop. In damp climatic conditions and floods, the water could only drain off slowly due to the loamy soil that was present in places and at times formed swamp-like sections that quickly dried out again in good weather phases. In the 4th century the Roman engineers tried to compensate for the inadequate all-round visibility by erecting watchtowers north and south of the depression on higher ground.

Research history

In the area of ​​the northern fort wall, a late Bronze Age layer of the urn field culture was observed. This indicates the early settlement of this place, as it can also be proven in other places in the municipality of Baracs. The site itself has been known for several generations and still rises around 3 to 4 meters above the surrounding area. However, systematic excavations in the Baracspuszta corridor did not take place until well into the 20th century. Even in the 18th century, the fort's floor plan was clearly recognizable from the remains of the wall. This is illustrated by a - in this context, very imprecise - map by the Italian officer and scholar Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli (1658–1730) from 1726. A little later, the floor plan was shown in a more realistic form on Michael Karpe's detailed map from 1775. In particular, the eastern front part of the camp, the praetentura with the barracks there and the porta praetoria , the main gate of the fortification facing the Danube, had already been demolished by the Danube. The fort walls opened up in a U-shape towards the river bank and no more walls could be made out above ground level inside. The Hungarian statistician and geographer Elek Fényes (1807–1876) reported around 1850 that one

"... here a few years ago on a hill under the ground a Roman-style house, with various vessels, coins and images ..."

have found. Even brick temple of Cohors VII Breucorum (seventh cohort of Breuker ) came here to light. Between 1860 and 1870 a vineyard was laid out on the area of ​​the fort. In the late 1860s, remnants of the wall came to light again during deep plowing, but these were uncovered without any specialist knowledge and the associated care. Many other fortuitous finds were unearthed by farmers, including an altar stone and a few hundred ancient coins.

The first notable archaeologist to investigate the site was Flóris Rómer (1815–1889), the founder of archaeological research in Hungary. Among other things, he measured the remains of the walls that were still preserved in his time. Subsequently, at the end of the 19th century, the archeology pioneer Mór Wosinsky (1854–1907) succeeded for the first time in identifying the Baracspuszta fort as the ancient Annamatia . From 1999 excavation campaigns carried out using modern methods took place under the direction of the historian and archaeologist Péter Kovács from the Péter Pázmány Catholic University . From 2000 to 2001 the Porta principalis sinistra was examined and from 2005 to 2006 the excavations came to an end with the uncovering of the Porta decumana .

Building history

The finds from Annamatia include a large amount of terra sigillata ceramic from the last decades of the 1st century AD. In the past, this material already indicated a predecessor fort made of wood and earth, as can be proven in many other types of garrison on the Limes. However, it was only during the excavations by Péter Kovács that an even older wall made of gray clay could be discovered under the earth dam, which was built around 150 - according to evidence of Terra Sigillata shards - which was a battlement behind the actual fort wall, which was discovered during the later construction phase of the Steinkastells had not been completely leveled. Terra Sigillata from the Claudian-Vespasian period was recovered from inside this older dam. It has been proven that the wood-earth camp built under the reign of Emperor Vespasian (69–79) was roughly the same size as the later stone fort. A section of the trench, which was still part of the wood-earth warehouse, was 2.2 meters wide and one meter deep.

The fall of the garrison possibly took place during an incursion carried out in 374 by the Germanic Quadi and their allies, the Jazygen. This campaign of revenge, which was devastating for Pannonia, was triggered by the insidious assassination of the Quad king Gabinius, for which the then commander-in-chief ( Dux Valeriae ripensis ) of the province of Valeria, Marcellianus , was responsible. As evidence, Kovács cited a coin hoard found during the excavations in the entrance area of ​​the north-western corner tower.

In post-ancient times, the ruins of the fort fell victim to ongoing fluvial erosion , which continually washed away sediments from the bank slope and has thus already torn away two thirds of the structural remains. In addition, the stone material of the fort was systematically and in places removed down to the foundations from the late 18th century onwards by the population settling in the area. The reason for this was the extensive resettlement of Hungary - especially by German colonists - after the devastating Turkish wars . The soldiers of the Ottoman sultan destroyed the villages of Baracs and Kisapostag and expelled or killed the ancestral Hungarian population. A large part of the building material from the fort area was also required for several mansions, as the land around the Baracspuszta corridor was also given to aristocratic families after the liberation from Ottoman rule.

Enclosure

The foundations of the enclosing walls of the fort, originally measured by Rómer and only fragmentarily evaluable due to the destruction of the river, were 80 × 40 fathoms (around 152 × 76 meters). This also corresponds to the subsequent measurements carried out later. In research today it is assumed that the fortifications originally took up an area of ​​around 160 × 180 meters and could thus have been intended for the stationing of a cohort . This is also confirmed by the material found so far.

Brick stamps of the Cohors VII Breucorum were found in several Roman settlements on the Lower Pannonian Limes. The main camp of this troop was in the Dunaszekeső area , where the unit operated its own brick factory and supplied several construction sites in the surrounding area. Their brick stamps that have appeared in Annamatia are also provided with the honorary name Maximiana , which the Breuker cohort was given during the reign of Emperor Maximinus Thrax (235-238). Since these stamps were found in the fort area mainly on the Porta principalis sinistra and on the north-western corner tower, renovation, reconstruction and / or conversion work must be assumed during the first half of the third century. The Cohors VII Breucorum is in Annamatia also with their honorary names

  • Alexandriana , bestowed under Emperor Severus Alexander (222–235) and
  • Philippiana , awarded under Emperor Philip Arabs (244–249) represented.

In addition to these, brick stamps of the Legio II Adiutrix stationed in Aquincum (Budapest) have also been discovered here.

As the investigations by Kovács showed, the structure, standing on calcareous and loamy soil, was built according to the structural scheme typical of medieval forts. The corners of the one meter wide stone defensive wall were rounded (so-called playing card shape) and reinforced with a trapezoidal corner tower attached to the inside of the wall. Kovács was able to excavate the remains of the southwest and northwest corner towers by 2004. The defensive wall stood on a 0.75 meter high foundation, with the last four rows of stones set in clay. The rectangular fortification had four gates, one on each long side and one on each broad side. Two of these entrances were directly opposite each other. Behind the defensive wall there was a 3.8 meter wide earth ramp made of turf and the clayey excavated material of the fort trench, which sloped downwards towards the interior of the camp and ended in front of the Via sagularis , a street that ran around the entire interior of the camp. This ramp served as a battlement and support of the fort wall, which was crowned with battlements as parapets. In front of this wall there was a double pointed ditch as an obstacle to the approach.

In late antiquity, the facility was rebuilt or modernized. This is indicated by the foundation of a fan-shaped corner tower typical of this era at the northwest corner of the defensive wall, which was still clearly visible in an aerial photo from 1940. In the same photo, the Porta decumana , flanked by two towers , the rear gate of the fort, which was located on the north-south running western narrow side of the complex, was also visible. The Kovács excavations confirmed the reconstruction of the towers during the late antiquity. According to evidence of a coin minted under Emperor Constantine II (337–340) from the filled-in fort trenches of the Principate's time, the trapezoidal corner towers received their new, fan-shaped appearance at the earliest during this time, with their rounded front extending far beyond the defensive wall into the area of the previous fort ditch. The new bastion-like fan-shaped towers - the north-west tower was 1.80 meters thick - made it necessary to create a new, approximately 20-meter-wide fort trench, which was already known from older aerial photographs and was specified at around 15 meters. During his excavations, Kovács was also able to determine that the Porta decumana had been walled up in the course of the 4th century, which was done by a U-shaped, three-meter-thick front wall, the ends of which were attached to the two gate towers. Scientists are still debating whether the construction of the fan-shaped towers and the partial walling up of the fort gates should be planned at the same time. In 2005, Kovács found a total of 50 stamped bricks of the then high commander of the province, Terentius dux , in the rubble of the U-shaped walling at the Porta decumana , which enables a very specific chronological assignment of this construction project during the reign of Emperor Valentinian I (364-375) .

Porta principalis sinistra (north gate)

During the excavation campaigns between 2000 and 2001, Péter Kovács found that the defensive wall in the area of ​​the Porta principalis sinistra , the north gate in Annamatia, was about 40 centimeters higher than the two flank towers of the gate. Nevertheless, he assumed that the wall and towers must have been built at the same time.

The north gate of Annamatia , built into the north-eastern defensive wall of the fort, belongs to the gate type with recessed side towers, as it was built in a similar form in classical Athens and later also in Pompeii . In particular the wood-earth camps from the reign of Emperor Augustus (31 BC – 14 AD), but also some that already belonged to the Flavian era (69–96), had courtyard-like kennels in front of them . In the Hungarian part of Pannonia, until the excavations in Kovács from 1999, no Roman gate construction of this type was known. The gate in the Annamatia fort was far behind the defensive wall. The end pieces each started at the two outer corners of the outer tower fronts and led from there at right angles five meters to the north, in order to then join the defensive wall in an L-shape. The embankment of the battlements could also be seen behind the buckling, pincer-like walls.

The well-preserved, rectangular eastern gate tower with its 0.60 meter wide entrance to the south had external dimensions of 2.90 × 3.70 meters and internal dimensions of 1.50 × 2.50 meters. Its walls were between 0.60 and 0.65 meters wide. The rising masonry was still around 0.70 to one meter high, inside only a graveled ancient level could be determined. The projecting foundation, the stones of which had been set in mortar, was measured with a height of 1.6 meters. It also turned out that the Porta principalis sinistra only had one passage.

The west tower of the gate with its 0.60 meter thick walls was constructed similarly to its eastern pedant, but with a height of 0.70 to 0.80 meters that can still be determined, it was much poorer. Its external dimensions were 2.5 × 3.7 meters, inside it was measured at 1.30 × 2.50 meters. There a sesterce was found at the oldest ancient running level , which was minted between 104 and 111 during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98–117). The north wall of the tower, which was at right angles to the defensive wall, was broken through to the foundation by stone robbery. Its southern entrance was 0.90 meters wide. In contrast to the founding of the east tower, the 0.70 meter high clay foundation did not protrude prominently. The most characteristic feature of this gate tower was a small, 20 centimeter protruding support pillar on the inner cheek of the tower. Inside and outside the tower, a 0.50 to 0.60 meter thick backfill made of gravel, sand and yellow clay, which belongs to the late Roman era, was found. Kovács suspected that the rear part of the tower was no longer used during this period.

Due to the datable brick stamp, Kovács assumed that the gate must have been renovated again in the time between Severus Alexander and his successor Maximinus Thrax. No evidence could be found of late Roman alterations or later walling, but stamps from the reign of Emperor Valentinian I (364–375) show that the gate was used continuously until late antiquity.

Via principalis

During the excavations at the Porta principalis sinistra , Kovács and his excavation workers were also able to get an idea of ​​the Via principalis . This road connected the north and south gates on both sides of the fort. The paving of this path consisted of a 40 to 60 centimeter thick layer of gravel that had been completely renewed at least twice. Stones measuring around 20 × 30 centimeters were observed under the layer of gravel. A yellow, loamy layer was later laid over the gravel level, which included horizontally laid stones.

The last stage of expansion of the Via principalis is again indicated by a yellowish layer of clay that was applied again, which probably existed until the late phase of the garrison. However, the recent ancient layers of the road may have been destroyed by the modern disturbances encountered. Under the route there was a 40 centimeter wide stone-framed V-shaped sewer ditch, the flooded backfill of which contained Roman and prehistoric pottery shards as well as some eggshells. The natural stone material of the canal, which was set in clay, was interspersed with fragments of brick. A fragment of a thin-walled Terra Sigillata cup from northern Italy was also found there. The chronological assignment of this fragment that got into the building material made it clear that the drainage channel belongs to the oldest construction period of the fort.

Limestone slabs of different sizes were used to cover the canal. At the southern end of this drainage channel, a 0.45 x 0.60 meter vertical shaft was exposed through which the rainwater could flow into the channel. The shaft that led from the via principalis into the canal was framed at the top by two U-shaped stones.

Buildings inside the warehouse

Rómer reported of a 4 × 13 fathom (7.60 × 24.70 meters) building in the middle of the fort, the walls of which were made of brickwork but were already badly damaged. It was speculated that this building could be equated with the Principia (staff building) . The historically interested lawyer Lajos Hőke (1813–1891) mentions another building in the southern area of ​​the fort that had a terrazzo floor measuring 3 and 5 fathoms (5.70 and 9.50 meters) .

During the excavation of the staff building, which Kovács started in 2002, the post pits of an older staff building from the wood-earth phase were found under the stone-built principia . The younger Principia were so completely affected by the stone robbery that at best only the last row of stones of the foundation could be seen. At least the north-south extension of the structure, which Rómer had already determined, could be confirmed at 24 meters. In the presumed area of ​​the once rectangular inner courtyard, there was a brick grave from the 4th century, which indicated that the fort area was being converted. Other evidence of the change was found near the western defensive wall inside the camp. An older building there had been leveled in the middle of the 4th century. Several finds from the late period belonged to women. So does a gold earring. This shows the presence of civilians inside the fortification at that time.

Previously known chronology of the Annamatia fort

Construction phase Dating event
Phase I. between 69 and 79 AD Construction of a wood and earth fort in the approximate dimensions of the later stone fort, construction of the canal under the Via principalis.
Phase IIa around 150 AD Construction of the stone fort.
Phase IIb between 222 and 249 AD Renovations, rebuilding and / or alterations to the fort.
Phase IIIa after 337 AD, but still during the 1st half of the 4th century Leveling of the old trenches, erection of the fan-shaped corner towers.
Phase IIIb around 350 AD Laying down a structure inside the warehouse.
Phase IIIb between 364 and 375 AD Renovations, rebuilding and / or alterations to the fort.
Phase IV no earlier than 374 AD In the later period, civilians stayed inside the camp, violent destruction, coin hoard found in the north-western corner tower.

Troop

In 2001, the archaeologist Barnabás Lőrincz (1951–2012) presented his compilation of troop contingents at the border towns of the Hungarian Limes at the time of his principal . This results in the following composition for Annamatia over the centuries of its existence, with the late Roman unity being added.

Time position Troop name comment
from 70 AD ? The name of the troops that set up the early wood-earth camp is still unknown today.
106-118 / 119 Cohors I Thracum Germanica  ? Originally excavated in Thrace , in the area of ​​today's Bulgaria , the 1st cohort of the Thracians "Germanica" was stationed here with some probability.

The exact identification of this unit is still a problem today, as there were several similarly sounding units with this name and it is still unclear which of the known troop units were identical with each other or when a name change might have occurred. If the Cohors I Thracum civium Romanorum pia fidelis, mentioned in Moesia around 100, were the same as the Cohors I Thracum Germanica from the province of Lower Germany , the Thracians , who were given the honorary name of Germanica , would have to leave the province of Lower Germany , their early garrison location, soon after 98 have been.

The presence of a Cohors I Thracum civium Romanorum in Dacia is documented even after the end of the Dacian Wars on February 17, 110 and July 2, 110. The unit may then have been moved to Annamatia . On the other hand, the unit identified by research as Germanica is also equated with a Cohors I Thracum , which must have been permanently in Upper Germany from 74 to 116 (according to the military diploma of May 21, 74). When exactly this unit could have come to Pannonia between 116 and 138 remains unknown. Together with the Thracian cohort, their commander, the Trever Sextus Iulius Primus, also moved from Germania to Pannonia.

The well-known Hungarian archaeologist Zsolt Visy also campaigned for the identification of the Cohors I Thracum with the Cohors I Thracum Germanica .

118 / 119-131 / 132 Troop unit of unknown name
from 131/132 Cohors I Thracum Germanica equitata civium Romanorum According to Barnabas Lőrincz, the 1st partially mounted cohort of the Thracian Roman citizenship was in Annamatia from this time on .
Late antiquity Equites Dalmatae In the 4th century a unit of Dalmatian horsemen provided the garrison of the fort.

Vicus and burial ground

Inscription of the milestone found in Baracs CIL III, 10639.

The civil camp village ( vicus ) has so far only been documented by stray finds and can be found mainly in the west, but also in the north of the fortification. Stone buildings were observed to the north and south of the fort in a sloping edge of the high bank that was being attacked by the Danube. The practice of the cults for Asklepios , Hygieia and Jupiter can be proven in the village . A fragment of a military diploma , which can be dated from 161 to 163, comes from the terrain west of today's Landstrasse 6 . Three milestones were discovered in front of the fort gate, the inscriptions of which indicate the distance to Aquincum as 55 Roman miles.

The location of the burial ground cannot yet be proven with certainty. Possibly it was along the route of the ancient Limes road in the west of the fort. This is indicated by finds made during road construction work in 1870 and 1950. Several Roman graves and stone sarcophagi came to light.

Lost property

Most of the finds and stone monuments from Baracspuszta are in the Intercisa Museum in Dunaújváros.

Limes course between Fort Annamatia to Fort Lussonium

Between Baracs and Dunaföldvár, a hoard was discovered in a place that could no longer be located, which consisted of more than 100 Roman coins. These coins could not be scientifically processed. They included the reigns of the emperors Philip Arabs (244–249) to Valerian (253–260) and Gallienus (260–268).

Traces of the military structures along the Limes Road and the Danube.
route Name / place Description / condition
7th Annamatia Castle Most sections of Landstrasse 6 follow the approximate course of the ancient Limes Road to the Lussonium Fort.
7th Baracs
(Burgus Annamatia 1) 		On the southern edge of the municipality of Baracs, near the county border of Fejér and Tolna , west of today's highway 6 is a Burgus, which is only known from aerial photos. It was built at the highest point of the ascent of the Limes Road to a plateau. The course of the road to the north leads down into a valley basin open to the Danube flowing to the east. There was the Annamatia fort. The crew of the road tower not only had a line of sight to the garrison of the fort, but also to a tower opposite, which also stood on a high plateau at the northern end of the valley (Burgus Intercisa 7). The route of the ancient Limes road passed close to these tower points. It was found that Annamatia 1 was built east of the southwestern Limes road. The archaeologist Zsolt Visy assumed that Intercisa 7 and Annamatia 1 were built in the late Roman period - as part of the Valentine's building program.
7th Dunaföldvár
(Burgus Annamatia 2) 		Behind Annamatia 1 , the Limes Road gives way to a deep gully and intersects on the northern edge of Dunaföldvár at kilometer 83 with today's road 6. Here, west of road 6, is a small hill crowned by a cross. From the Burgus that stood on this hill, there are only scattered stone debris today. The age, dimensions and shape of the tower are not known. Dunaföldvár is the site of a milestone from the reign of Emperor Maximinus Thrax (235–238).
7th Dunaföldvár
(Burgus Annamatia 3) 		After Annamatia 2 to behind Dunaföldvár the Limes road runs straight in a south-westerly direction. The next tower point is on the northern edge of a large, elongated hill that slopes gently in a south-easterly direction towards the Danube and the city center of Dunaföldvár. A barracks is located a little to the northwest of the tower at Landstrasse 6. A part of this antique guard post, which is located high above the Limes road with a very good view, is overlaid by a farm today. Its foundations were still clearly visible in the 18th century and were mapped out by the Italian scholar Marsigli. Today only a pile of rubble can be seen. The site has not yet been dug, so nothing can be said about the age of this tower. Field inspections that were carried out between 2008 and 2010 did not yield any finds.
7th Dunaföldvár
(Burgus Annamatia 4) 		Another tower was mapped from Marsigli on the northern edge of Dunaföldvár, within today's urban area. He was on a hill that rises above the edge of the Danube high bank. The illustration shows that the watchtower was surrounded by a double square moat. The exact location of the tower is unknown today. Due to various inaccuracies in Marsigli's map, its location can no longer be determined.
7th Dunaföldvár
(Burgus Annamatia 5)
The castle of Dunaföldvár, situated on a hill, is superimposed on ancient cultural layers.
During the restoration work on Dunaföldvár Castle Hill, Roman cultural layers could also be observed, in which mainly ceramics from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD were found. One of the most important weapons finds from Dunaföldvar is a much-discussed, incompletely preserved ornate dagger, the main distribution area of ​​which was in the areas of Raetia and the adjacent Rhenish border region. The object came to the Hungarian National Museum in 1968 through a private purchase. Its owner at the time acquired the piece in 1967 from workers who found it and its scabbard while dredging the Danube. The archaeologist Edit B. Thomas (1923–1988) gave the reigns of the emperors Tiberius (14–37) and Claudius (41–54) as a dating approach for this dagger . Other objects found in this context related to several shield humps - also river finds - some of which had hallmarked or chased owner inscriptions. One piece was ornamented.

The archaeologist Éva M. Kozák suspected that a Roman watchtower could once have stood here as well. Visy shared this assumption only to a limited extent, as the excavation results on the castle hill did not provide any conclusive evidence for a Roman tower. He assumed that at this strategically important point in front of an ancient Danube crossing there was nevertheless a fortified Roman control post, however laid out. The tower that is now in this square is the last remnant of the medieval fortress. It is possibly in historical continuity with its predecessor, as it was also responsible for the supervision of the river crossing, which was important for the trade at the time. Only in 1928/30 was a bridge built over the river here.

As far as the Dunaföldvár – Sárosd intersection, the ancient route is congruent with today's state road 6. After that, the ancient road maintains its direction and runs in a straight line under the modern houses and gardens. Behind Dunaföldvár the ascent to a plateau begins, which is called Pénzhányás ( coin hill ). Apparently the name suggests the many Roman coins that were found here over the centuries.

7th Missevár (Burgus Annamatia 13) The existence of this Burgus is merely a conjecture, which is supported by a map made by F. Vertics in 1794. On the map, the oval hill that could have supported this military station is called the colliculum Misse vár . The Missevár (vár = castle) was partially affected by the modern road construction. An eastern branch of the ancient Limes road led past the hill to the west and met the western arm of the route a little further north. Neither aerial photo flights nor field inspections or observations during the road construction work provided any information. But despite these negative findings, Visy assumed that the strategically interesting Missevár could have been an ideal location for a Burgus. The archaeologist also suspected that there could have been a Roman settlement on the northern edge of the slope next to the Burgus at this point north of Annamatia 6. At the end of the 19th century, the following section of the ancient route - now hidden in places under fields - was still accessible. Sigmund Szelle, an amateur archaeologist, described the route somewhat imprecisely at the time.
7th Bölcske (Burgus Annamatia 12) Apparently a branch of the main branch of the Limes Road led to Bölcske. The Ländeburgus Bölcske , flooded by the Danube, is now only accessible for underwater archeology.
7th Landstrasse 6, kilometer stone 95
(Burgus Annamatia 6) 		At Annamatia 6 , the Limesstrasse and the country road, which made a large bend to the east, almost meet again. An aerial photo taken in 1950 shows the square double moat of the most likely Valentine Burgus Annamatia 6, which was built around 200 meters west of the Limes Road. The Burgus is located near the kilometer stone 95 at the highest point of a plateau sloping to the north, in the border area to today's municipality of Bölcske. Its center was previously cut by a dirt road that no longer exists today. Archaeological prospecting in the form of field inspections yielded two small bronze objects from the 4th century AD. The site can only be identified from a few scattered stone and brick fragments. The outer trench - measured through its central axis - had a size of around 60 × 60 meters, the inner one is given as around 30 × 30 meters. The area in the middle of the trenches, which appeared dark in the aerial photo, was around 10 × 10 meters in circumference. On-site inspections revealed only a few stone chunks, so that at least a partial construction of the stone structure must be assumed. The presumed northern Burgus of Missevár (Burgus Annamatia 13) is around 1400 meters away from this location, to the signal station of Léanyvár (Burgus Annamatia 7) it is 1280 meters.
7th Törökhányás
(Burgus Annamatia 14) 		A possible, late antique Burgus location. The site is located on a hill called Törökhányás (Turk's Hill) on the Vertics map mentioned above . Only field inspections carried out between 2008 and 2010 yielded roof tile fragments and rubble stones made of basalt .
7th Török hányás
(Burgus Annamatia 15) 		On Vertics' map a prominent elevation in the valley of Léanyvár elevation is also called Török hányás (Turkish hill). A dark discoloration and - very indistinctly - a rectangular double ditch could be identified here via aerial archeology. The circumference of the outer trench could be around 36 × 36 meters, the inner around 20 × 20 meters. For a late antique Burgus these values ​​would be very low. Visy only found a few rubble stones made of basalt during a field inspection. Should this presumed Burgus location prove to be true, it would be part of the late antique, westwardly shifted lane of the Limes Road and a very rare example of a station east of this route. The Burgus Annamatia 7 lies 135 meters to the south. During field inspections carried out between 2008 and 2010, fragments of roof tiles also came to light.
7th Bölcske-Léanyvár
(Burgus Annamatia 7 / Burgus Léanyvár) 		About 1.3 kilometers further south of Burgus Annamatia 6 was Annamatia 7, also west of the Limes road over which there is a parking lot at this point today. The archeology pioneer Mór Wosinsky (1854–1907) was the first to suspect a military location based on the Roman finds that were found here. Annamatia 7 was built on a small, now agricultural hill. The simple, around 60 × 67 meter rhomboid ditch, the construction probably designed as a wooden tower, gives an indication of its origin during the Tetrarchy (293–306 / 324). There is a legend about the tower, popularly known as Leányvár (Maiden's Tower), that there once was a beautiful house for girls, the builder of which is said to have been the family of those from Madai. The coinage from this square dates from the 4th century AD. Today nothing can be seen here.
7th Bölcske-Léanyvár
(Burgus Annamatia 18) 		About 300 meters to the south of Burgus Léanyvár - between the M6 ​​motorway and highway 6 - Annamatia 18 is located beneath the agricultural area. The shape clearly visible in the aerial photo shows a typical late Roman Burgus from the time of Emperor Valentinians I with a circumferential, rectangular double moat . Both trenches measure around 60 × 60 and 30 × 30 meters and thus correspond to Burgus Annamatia 6 to the north. In the middle of the trenches, the aerial photo shows a slightly darkened area. The actual living and watchtower can be found there.
7th Landstrasse 6, kilometer stone 98
(Burgus Annamatia 8) 		Exactly at kilometer 98 there was once also a - most likely - Valentine Burgus, which was built on the west side of the Limes road running south. In 2006 the course of this ancient route under today's Landstrasse 6 could be verified. The facility, which was built on a flat tower hill, was first identified in 1978 with the help of an aerial photograph. In this area, the Limesstrasse, which runs slightly downhill, again briefly overlaps with the route of today's country road. The Burgus was surrounded by a double square moat, which was precisely aligned with the road and only a few meters away from it. The outer trench - measured through its central axis - had a size of around 45 × 45 meters, the inner one is given as 30 × 30 meters. Visy found various brick and stone fragments during a field inspection. Based on readings such as a small bronze follicle from the reign of Emperor Constantine (306–337). the tower can be dated to the 4th century. As early as 1876, a milestone was discovered nearby that came from the reign of Emperor Macrinus (217-218). According to its inscription, it was placed 66 miles from Aquincum . Today the terrain is used intensively for agriculture. The modern country road intersects the western part of the invisible Burgus.
7th Mádai / Hádai Hill (Burgus Annamatia 16) Documented for the first time by an aerial photo in 1978, a strongly diamond-shaped structure becomes visible over the northeast edge of the Gyűrűs valley on the plateau-shaped Mádai hill. On the east side of the soil change, the Limes Road runs through the southern border area of ​​the municipality of Bölcske down into the valley. One of the flanks of the tower point runs almost parallel to the route. Dark stripes around Annamatia 16 show the approximately 30 × 30 meter large trench, which includes a 20 × 20 meter tower, the remains of which are also dark in color. Visy suspected that the tower occupied here was made of wood. Towers with a single, diamond-shaped ditch are not uncommon on this section of the Limes Road, although the ditch at Annamatia 16 is smaller than the average.
7th Mádai / Hádai Hill (Burgus Annamatia 11) Some aerial photos document several traces of the moat on the southern tip of the Mádai Hill high above the Gyűrűs Valley. One of these trenches appears semicircular and has a diameter of around 250 meters. One of its ends borders the top of the hill. In addition to another, rectangular trench of around 50 × 50 meters, which can be seen in this area on the edge of the hill plateau, there is a third trench with a circumference of around 30 × 30 meters. Since a large number of Bronze Age ceramic shards came to light in the edge area of ​​the plateau tip, the roughly 20 meter wide circular moat is probably nothing more than the defense of a correspondingly old settlement. During a field inspection around the turn of the millennium, Visy found only prehistoric finds in the area of ​​the angled trench, but based on the aerial photo documentation, it is clear to him that there was a Roman watchtower at the southern tip of the hill, from which the surrounding area can be seen from afar was. A small bronze coin of Caesar Crispus (Caesar from 317–326) comes from the site . There is no evidence of the ancient structures on the surface.
7th Gyűrűs Valley (Burgus Annamatia 9) After crossing the Gyűrűs valley, the Limes road climbs to a hill on the southern flank of the valley. The street tower was identified from an aerial photograph. On the basis of a photo taken in 1995 by the aerial archaeologist Otto Braasch , not only the double moat of this facility, but also the Limes Road, which runs somewhat to the east, became clear.
7th Burgus Annamatia 10 (Roman building in question) A round structure was partially exposed. It is located at an altitude between the Nagyles and Kisles valleys on the eastern edge of the Loess Hills in the southern border area of ​​the municipality of Bölcske. Szelle found the spot and examined its surroundings. The inside of the rotunda was measured at 6.5 meters in diameter, its wall thickness was 0.7 meters during the investigations. In the 20th century, when Visy inspected the area around the building, he discovered some Roman bricks and, a little further south, many prehistoric ceramic shards. Wosinsky, who excavated a Bronze Age settlement that was also discovered nearby, also took on the rotunda. He noted that there, "in the southern area of ​​the defensive trench" , he came across Roman bricks and ceramics. Despite these isolated Roman finds, Visy considers it not yet proven to consider Annamatia 10 as a Roman functional building due to the lack of precise findings. Other remains of the wall in the vicinity, as well as a number of skeleton finds that still come to light on the slope of the Kisles valley, belong to a medieval settlement with a church and cemetery. Thus the ancient findings from this place could also come from secondary uses.
7th Dunakömlőd The Lussonium Fort was built on a mighty loess hill directly above the Danube. A massive river straightening in the 19th century changed the ancient topographical situation significantly.

Monument protection

The monuments of Hungary are protected under the Act No. LXIV of 2001 by being entered in the register of monuments. The Roman sites from Szekszárd and the surrounding area, as archaeological sites according to § 3.1, belong to the nationally valuable cultural property. 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

  • Ulrich Brandl: Card 6: Brick stamp distribution of the Legio II Adiutrix. In: Ulrich Brandl: Investigations into the brick temples of Roman legions in the north-western provinces of the Imperium Romanum. Catalog of the Julius B. Fritzemeier Collection. Leidorf, Rahden 1999, ISBN 3-89646-173-7 , p. 68. No. 20 ( Passauer Universitätsschriften zur Archäologie 6), (At the same time: Passau, Univ., Diss., 1996).
  • Jenő Fitz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Hungary. (= Az István Király Múzeum közleményei. Series A, Volume 22). Fejér Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Székesfehérvár 1976
  • Péter Kovács : A new gate-tower type in Pannonia Inferior. The northern gate of Annamatia. In: Acta archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 57, 2006, ISSN  0001-5210 , pp. 235 ff.
  • Péter Kovács Annamatia castellum. In: The Roman army in Pannonia. An archaeological guide of the Ripa Pannonica, Teleki László Foundation, Pécs 2003, pp. 119–121.
  • Péter Kovács: A new imperial epithet of the cohors VII Breucorum. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 56, 2005, pp. 245-250.
  • Péter Kovács: Annamatia (Baracs) a roman auxiliary fort in Pannonia. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 41, 2001, pp. 55-80.
  • 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 Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 110.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Péter Kovács : A new gate-tower type in Pannonia Inferior. The northern gate of Annamatia. In: Acta archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, No. 57, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2006, p. 238.
  3. ↑ a b c d e Péter Kovács: Annamatia (Baracs) a roman auxiliary fort in Pannonia. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, No. 41, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2001, p. 59.
  4. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary . Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 82.
  5. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 108.
  6. ^ Péter Kovács: A new imperial epithet of the cohors VII Breucorum. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, No. 56, 1-3, 2005, p. 245.
  7. ↑ Zsolt MRAV: Baracs (Annamatia) - auxiliáris castellum . In: György Terei, Gyula Nováki, Zsolt Mráv, István Feld, Sebestyén Sárközy: Fejér Megye Várai az õskortól a kuruc korig (= Magyarország várainak topográfiája 3), Civertan, Budapest 2011, ISBN 978-2486-6-08 . Pp. 29-31, illus. Pp. 158-236; here. P. 30.
  8. ↑ a b c d e f Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 109.
  9. ↑ a b c Péter Kovács: Annamatia Castellum. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): The Roman army in Pannonia. Teleki Lázló Foundation 2003, ISBN 963-86388-2-6 , p. 119.
  10. ^ A b Péter Kovács: Annamatia (Baracs) a roman auxiliary fort in Pannonia. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 41, 2001, p. 76.
  11. ^ Péter Kovács: Annamatia (Baracs) a roman auxiliary fort in Pannonia. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 41, 2001, p. 63.
  12. ↑ CIL 3, 03757d .
  13. ^ AE 2005, 1243 .
  14. ^ Péter Kovács : A new imperial epithet of the cohors VII Breucorum. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 56, 2005, p. 247.
  15. ↑ CIL 3, 03750b .
  16. ↑ CIL 3, 03750c .
  17. ↑ CIL 3, 03750d .
  18. ↑ CIL 3, 10660d .
  19. ^ Péter Kovács: Annamatia Castellum. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): The Roman army in Pannonia. Teleki Lázló Foundation 2003, ISBN 963-86388-2-6 , p. 120.
  20. ↑ Endre Tóth : The late Roman military architecture in Transdanubia. Archaeologiai Értesitő 134. Budapest 2009. p. 41.
  21. ↑ Endre Tóth : The late Roman military architecture in Transdanubia. Archaeologiai Értesitő 134. Budapest 2009. p. 52.
  22. ^ Péter Kovács: A new gate-tower type in Pannonia Inferior. The northern gate of Annamatia. In: Acta archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 57, 2006, p. 235.
  23. ↑ a b c d Péter Kovács: A new gate-tower type in Pannonia Inferior. The northern gate of Annamatia. In: Acta archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 57, 2006, p. 244.
  24. ^ Anne Johnson (German adaptation by Dietwulf Baatz ): Römische Kastelle . Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1987, ISBN 3-8053-0868-X , p. 98.
  25. ^ A b Péter Kovács: A new gate-tower type in Pannonia Inferior. The northern gate of Annamatia. In: Acta archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 57, 2006, pp. 235-237.
  26. ↑ a b Péter Kovács: Annamatia Castellum In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): The Roman army in Pannonia. Teleki Lázló Foundation 2003, ISBN 963-86388-2-6 , p. 121.
  27. ↑ 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 , pp. 80/104.
  28. ^ Jan Kees Haalebos: Traian and the auxiliary troops on the Lower Rhine. A military diploma from AD 98 from Elst in the Over-Betuwe (Netherlands). In: Saalburg-Jahrbuch 50, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 2000, p. 47.
  29. ↑ CIL 16:57 .
  30. ↑ CIL 16 Suppl. 183.
  31. ↑ Burkhard Hallermann: Investigations into the troop movements in the years 68/69 AD. Diss. Würzburg 1963.
  32. ↑ Jean Krier: The Treverer outside their civitas. Mobility and advancement. Trier 1981, ISBN 978-3-923319-00-8 . P. 143 (Trier magazine, supplement 5).
  33. ↑ Barbara Pferdehirt : The role of the military for social advancement in the Roman Empire. Rudolf Habelt Verlag, Bonn 2002, ISBN 3-88467-069-7 , p. 79.
  34. ↑ a b Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliary troops in Pannonia during the principle time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Forschungsgesellschaft Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 104.
  35. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum occ. XXXIII. 36.
  36. ^ AE 1983, 786 .
  37. ↑ CIL 3, 10639 ; CIL 3, 10640 ; CIL 3, 10641 .
  38. ↑ Vera Lányi (zsgest.): The coins found in the Roman period in Hungary. Fejér county. (= Jenő Fitz (Hrsg.): The coins found in the Roman period in Hungary , Volume 1) Habelt, Bonn 1990, ISBN 3-7749-2407-4 , p. 27.
  39. ↑ Route = numbering follows Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary (Theiss 1988) and Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. (Akadémiai Kiadó 2003)
  40. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 1 at approximately 46 ° 51 '34.73 "  N , 18 ° 54' 46.94"  E
  41. ↑ Burgus Intercisa 7 at 46 ° 52 '53.95 "  N , 18 ° 55' 4.25"  O .
  42. ↑ a b c d e f g Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 85.
  43. ↑ kilometers 83 at 46 ° 50 '58.56 "  N , 18 ° 54' 41.82"  O
  44. ↑ CIL 03, 10642 .
  45. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 3 approximately at 46 ° 49 '39.88 "  N , 18 ° 54' 37.07"  O
  46. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy, Máté Szabó, Róbert Lóki, Annamária Priskin: Scientific Report of University of Pécs (PP6) for the period between October 1, 2008 and March 31, 2010. Published research report by the University of Pécs
  47. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 5 at about 46 ° 48 '31.42 "  N , 18 ° 55' 40.02"  O
  48. ^ Tibor Nagy : Roman ceremonial weapons from Pannonia on the occasion of the review of a new book. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae , 27, 1975, pp. 205-213; here: p. 210.
  49. ^ Edit B. Thomas : Roman legionary dagger from Dunaföldvár. In: Folia Archaeologica , 20, 1969, pp. 25-46; here: p. 25.
  50. ^ Edit B. Thomas: Roman legionary dagger from Dunaföldvár. In: Folia Archaeologica , 20, 1969, pp. 25-46; here: p. 38.
  51. ^ Tibor Nagy: Roman ceremonial weapons from Pannonia on the occasion of the review of a new book. In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae , 27, 1975, pp. 205-213; here: p. 210; Edit B. Thomas: Helmets, shields, daggers: studies of Roman-Pannonian weapons finds. Hakkert, Amsterdam 1971, pp. 142, 143 (plates)
  52. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , pp. 110-111.
  53. ↑ Limesstrasse at 46 ° 44 ′ 25.87 ″  N , 18 ° 52 ′ 59.05 ″  E
  54. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 12 at 46 ° 44 '29.62 "  N , 18 ° 59' 3.12"  E
  55. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 6 at 46 ° 44 '54.57 "  N , 18 ° 53' 11.49"  E
  56. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 86.
  57. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 87.
  58. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 7 at 46 ° 44 '14.82 "  N , 18 ° 52' 52.86"  E ; Limes Street at 46 ° 44 ′ 25.87 "  N , 18 ° 52 ′ 59.05"  E ;
  59. ↑ a b c Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 111.
  60. ^ Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH), Nomination Statement, Vol. 2 , National Office of Cultural Heritage, Budapest 2011, p. 89.
  61. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 8 at 46 ° 43 '17.8 "  N , 18 ° 53' 3.26"  E
  62. ↑ Limesstrasse at 46 ° 44 ′ 25.87 ″  N , 18 ° 52 ′ 59.05 ″  E
  63. ^ Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH), Nomination Statement, Vol. 2 , National Office of Cultural Heritage, Budapest 2011, p. 85.
  64. ↑ a b c d Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 88.
  65. ↑ Zsolt Visy: A Danube Limes program régészeti kutatásai 2008–2011 között , PTE BTK Régészet Tanszékének, Pécs 2011, p. 164.
  66. ^ Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH), Nomination Statement, Vol. 2 , National Office of Cultural Heritage, Budapest 2011, p. 57.
  67. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 16 at 46 ° 41 '50.29 "  N , 18 ° 53' 11.24"  E
  68. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 11 at 46 ° 41 '19.65 "  N , 18 ° 53' 32.87"  O
  69. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 89.
  70. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 9 at 46 ° 41 '4.49 "  N , 18 ° 52' 59.59"  O
  71. ↑ Limesstrasse at 46 ° 41 ′ 7.87 ″  N , 18 ° 53 ′ 3.7 ″  E
  72. ↑ Burgus Annamatia 10 at 46 ° 41 '52.87 "  N , 18 ° 53' 59.44"  E
  73. ↑ Fort Lussonium at 46 ° 39 ′ 20.67 ″  N , 18 ° 52 ′ 55.4 ″  E