Villa rustica (Szentendre-Skanzen)

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Floor plan of the Villa Rustica with the excavation results.
Overview from the northwest.
View from the west into the living area of ​​the oldest construction phase.

The Villa rustica Szentendre-Skanzen with its 5200 square meter mansion is one of the most important archaeologically excavated Roman estates that have been found in the area of ​​the former Pannonia . The almost completely exposed and accessible foundations of the main building of the Villa rustica in the Hungarian ethnographic open-air museum Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum (Skanzen) near Szentendre are located around 4.5 kilometers northwest of the Roman fort Szentendre on the upper reaches of the Öregviz stream at 178 meters above sea level, near the Szabadság source.

In Roman times, a road crossing the Pilis Mountains led past the estate into the Danube Valley. The villa rustica was discovered during the planning of the museum, which was then being built, and was uncovered during a rescue excavation under the direction of Judit Topál (* 1943) between 1973 and 1975. As early as 1955, the archaeologist Sándor Soproni (1926–1995) assumed that Roman buildings would be found at this point. This opinion was reinforced by subsequent observations in the field.

With a footprint of 67 × 78 meters and 52 rooms, the Szentendre-Skanzen mansion was the largest of its kind in Hungary at the time of the excavation. In 1981 an international construction warehouse was set up to preserve the original foundations, which had been exposed to wind and weather until then. This measure was completed by 1984.

Phase 1 and 1a

At the beginning of the 3rd century, the rectangular main building with living and working rooms in the northern part was erected on a flat ridge. A large inner courtyard, bounded by a wall, was connected to the south. A little later, the owner converted the previously simple property into a portico villa. To do this, he placed a columned walkway in front of the southern narrow side and the western long side. The long west portico now also served as a representative front. At both ends in the north and south it was bounded by a semicircular apse .

Phase 2 to 4b

Remnants of frescoes from the villa.

In two subsequent construction phases, the core building was expanded to the west and south. Mediterranean house structures emerged, as they are also known in particular from ancient urban housing. This included a central courtyard ( atrium ) with a fountain, 25 × 15 meters in size, attached to the western portico , which is counted as part of the third construction period. Due to numerous coin finds, its construction can be dated between 280 and 330. This inner courtyard was bordered by a corridor ( peristylium ) which was built as a portico with windows (Porticus fenestrata) . Half-columns in the Corinthian style divided the architecture between these windows . A representative reception room, the tablinum, was built north of the inner courtyard . This room had a large semicircular apse in the north. To the west was another, not quite as large, rectangular room, which was also equipped with a semicircular apse and also offered the convenience of underfloor and wall heating . On the south side of the peristyle, another representative room, the auditorium, was excavated, the semicircular apse of which was reinforced from the outside with two supporting pillars. In an exposed staircase, the first three steps made of stone were still preserved, the remaining part, made of wood, has passed. The most important rooms of the villa were furnished with terrazzo floors . All rooms were used continuously until they left the complex around 380–390 AD. It is noteworthy that this villa rustica was not burned down, but fell into disrepair over time due to natural weather and erosion influences.

  • Swell stones

  • Swell stone from the peristyle to the oldest building wing.

  • Swell stones at the entrance from the peristyle to the atrium.

Finds

The almost four-liter mixing vessel recovered from the atrium with the Trier saying cups.

Almost 1500 finds were secured during the excavations. For the archaeologists it was remarkable that only four vessels could be put together from the found glass fragments. Compared to the findings from Pannonian graves that are not too richly furnished, this small proportion of glass objects is striking.

Other finds included, among other things, around 270 imported Trier saying beakers , which were placed in the floor in the northern corner of the atrium around 290 and apparently formed a service together. This service included a large, almost four-liter mixing vessel with a damaged inscription and three drinking cups. From a fourth or even a fifth cup, only very small, indeterminate remains remained.

There was a bird figurine in the southeast corner of the atrium . The majority of ceramic vessels filled with grain, which had apparently been kept in wooden chests, were discovered unbroken. The ruins of the villa also contained remains of frescoes from the 3rd / 4th centuries. Century.

During the period of exposure in 1975 and with the conservation in 1984, fragments of clay models representing various Roman towers were found in the central courtyard of the villa on the ancient level. The researchers assume that these are lighthouse models that once stood on the roof of the entire peristyle at a distance of three to four meters. Due to traces of fire, it is believed that a light could burn inside these towers.

Web links

Commons : Villa Rustica Szentendre-Skanzen  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

literature

  • Györgyi Csete: Villa rustica. A szentendrei skanzen két évtizede. In: Magyar Művelődési Intézet 1989/2. Pp. 26-35.
  • Judit Topál: Toronymodellek a szentendrei római villából. (Tower models from the Roman villa in Szentendre). In: Studia comitatensia. Régészeti tanulmányok Pest Megyéből. 17, Budapest 1985. pp. 303-325
  • Judit Topál: Feliratos boroskészlet a szentendrei római villából. (Wine service with inscription from the Roman villa of Szentendre). In: Archaeologiai Értesítő 111, 1984. pp. 218–224.
  • Judit Topál: The Roman Villa of Szentendre. In: Balácai Közlemények. 3rd International Meeting on Roman Villas, 1994. pp. 321-335.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Villa rustica Szentendre Skanzen at 47 ° 41 '38 "  N , 19 ° 2' 54"  O coordinates: 47 ° 41 '38 "  N , 19 ° 2' 54"  O .
  2. ^ A b Judit Topál: Tower models from the Roman villa in Szentendre. In: Studia comitatensia. Régészeti tanulmányok Pest megyéből. No. 17. Budapest 1985. p. 303.
  3. ^ A b Judit Topál: Tower models from the Roman villa in Szentendre. In: Studia comitatensia. Régészeti tanulmányok Pest megyéből. No. 17. Budapest 1985. p. 312.
  4. ↑ a b Judit Topál: The import of the so-called Moselle wine ceramics in Pannonia. In: Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautorum Acta 27/28, 1990, p. 177.
  5. ^ Judit Topál: The import of the so-called Mosel wine ceramics in Pannonia. In: Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautorum Acta 27/28, 1990, p. 183.
  6. ^ Judit Topál: The import of the so-called Mosel wine ceramics in Pannonia. In: Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautorum Acta 27/28, 1990, p. 181.
  7. ↑ Renate Pirling : A Trier saying mug with an unusual inscription from Krefeld-Gellep. In: Germania 71, 1983, p. 398. Fig. P. 397.
  8. ^ Judit Topál: Tower models from the Roman villa in Szentendre. In: Studia comitatensia. Régészeti tanulmányok Pest megyéből. 17, Budapest 1985, p. 323 Figs. 15-16.