A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve 43. (2004)

Simonyi Erika: Középkori templom és temető Felsőzsolca-Nagyszilváson

During the excavation we found the remains of St. Michael church and 189 graves of the churchyard (Fig 2.). Only the bottom of the foundation-ditch has come down to us from the building (Fig. 4.). The outer length of the church is 16,5-17,5 m, the nave is about 12 m. The sanctuary was semicircular and raised (Fig. 3.). The walls of the church were made from broadstones. By reason of its style and measurement the church could be dated to the 12- 13

th century. It is likely that the mentioned church was not the first religious structure, because the foundation cut some graves, for example Nr. 163 that is dated from the 11—12

th century by a pair of S-ended hairring (Fig. 5.1.). The set-up of the churchyard is similar to the rural cemeteries of the period (13—16

th century), as most of the graves and also the richest ones were on the south side. Burials are oriented mostly to the West only with two exemptions (Nr. 28 and 49). From the 14

th century the dead were mainly buried in wooden coffins and with their arms crossed (Fig. 6-7.). At least 8% of the burials contains jewellery, dress ornaments or grave-goods. Only in two cases we found coin in the graves: Nr. 27 had a Baltic coin from the middle of the 15

th century (Fig. 5.2.), and an unidentifiable cooper coin from the 1700's was in the 129 grave (Fig. 10.1.). Remains of the 16-17'

1 century women attire (pearly coronets, silk bodices) was found in the 162., 180. graves (Fig. 8-9.). Superstitious habit - probably connected with witchcraft - could be the reason of burying jug and fragments of a pipe with the old woman of grave Nr. 129 (Fig. 10.). Erika Simonyi 197