A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve 42. (2003)

Simonyi Erika: Előzetes jelentés a felsőzsolca-várdombi ásatásról (1992–2001)

eastern or the north-western corners, respectively. The boulders were set in yellow clay, the plate of the oven was formed to horseshoe shape. The array of pole posts found in the houses is most variable. In two cases, one pole-post was placed at the middle of each side (Houses Nr. 2. and 5.). In one case, a ridge-pole roof structure could be observed with three poles along two opposed sides (House Nr. 1.). In Houses 6 and 7, ridge-pole roof set on two central ear-poles could be reconstructed. In the houses 3 and 4, no pole-posts were found. There were smaller holes for pegs in all of the houses but they did not show any regular array. The settlement can be dated based on the finds between the late 10

th and the 12

th century. There were only a few metal objects witch dated the settlement, a rhombic arrow-head from the 10-11

th century, S-ended hair-rings and a Byzantine type ring. There were two coins as stray finds, one is dated to the rule of King Béla II (1131-41) and the other is Béla III (1172-96). Villages of similar structure and houses with stone ovens are known from Visegrád-Várkert, Esztergom-Szentgyörgymező, Edelény-Borsodi földvár, Karos-Tobolyka and MezőkeresztesCethalom. According to the archaeological evidence, the small motte-type fortress was built in the second half of the 13

th century. The name of the hill takes after this fortress. We have no immediate data on the owners of this fortification. The fortress belongs to the rare lowland type called motte. The place of the construction was set on the highest, north-eastern extensions of the hill protruding from the marshy environment. The area with approximately 70-80 m diameter was encircled by a ditch in an irregular square form. On the side of the ditch, a wooden palisade could be erected standing on stone basement, because we have found at the bottom of the ditch several limestone boulders falling inside. The earth from the ditch was used to stilt the hill and the yellow base soil was spread over the top of the hill. On the plateau of the hill, a dwelling tower was erected from logs on stone basement. At the western corner of the ditch surrounding the fortress, charred bars, burned stone boulders were found. It is supposed that these were remains of the defence construction belonging to the motte, remains of a gate or a bridge. The finds originating from the excavation of the ditch and the wooden tower can be dated between the end of the 13

th and the turning of the 15-16

th century. Erika Simonyi 133