Folia archeologica 48.
István Vörös: Az aquincumi castrum mithraeumának állatcsontleletei
FOLIA ARCHAEOLOGICA XLVIII. 2000. BUDAPEST ANIMAL REMAINS FROM THE MITHRAEUM OF CASTRUM AT AQUINCUM István VÖRÖS In the Legion Camp at Aquincum, on the right bank of the Danube at Budapest, the Tribunus Laticlavius house was excavated in 1978-79 1 . The Mithraeum was found in the north-eastern tracts of the Tribunus house during the excavation. Finds comprised a large quantity of animal bones as well (874 items). There were 70 more animal bone finds within the Tribunus house and in the Early Empirical layers and the walking levels of the Via principalis excavated in its vicinity a more modest quantity of 96 animal bones were found 2 . The animal remains dated to the 2-3 r d century A.D. were located in the northwestern corner of the sanctuary, west of the parental main altar, behind the socalled Snake altar in a sacrificial pit as well as the area of the sanctuary which was walled off in the middle of the 3 r d century A.D. They were in the central aisle as well as in the parvis of the Mithraeum (Fig. 1., Table 1). The most significant assemblage of animal remains, both from the aspects of archaeozoology and history of religion was found in the Mithraeum, comprising 6 domestic animal species - cattl e (Bos taurus L.), shee p (Ovis aries L.), goa t (Capra hircus L.), pi g (Sus domesticus Erxl.) he n (Gallus domesticus L.) and goos e (Anser domesticus L.) - and 4 hunted animal species - aurochs (Bos primigenius Boj.) red deer (Cervus elaphus L.), roe-deer (Capreolus capreolus L.), hare (Lepus europaeus Pall.) as well as fishes of different kind and size (Pisces sp. ludet.). From the central aisle of the Mithraeum, 5 pieces of riverine shell (Unio sp.) and one oyster shell (Ostrea sp.) were also found (Fig. 2.) 1. Animal bone remains 1.1. Mithraeum Sanctuary - north-western corner - sacrificial pit - at the western side of the foundation main altar: cattl e 2 pieces - sin. and dext. Frontale with the horn core - to the west of the foundation altar, behind the snake altar, below: cattl e 16 pieces - 6 costa fr. (on five there were cutmarks), 1 ph. I., 3 ph. II., 2 ph. III., 4 sesamoideum sup. shee p 3 pieces, maxilla dext. fr., dp 3, ph. I. (inf.) pi g 180 pieces - 4 basioccipitale fr., 2 sin. - 1 dext. occipitale fr., 2 dext. frontale fr., 4 dext. zygomaticum fr. (1 bolonging to 1-month old, 2 belonging to 8-10 1 Kocsis 1991 2 Vörös 1991, Preliminary report. Due to editing mistake, the comprehensive Table 1. was missed from the publication.
