Somogyi Múzeumok Közleményei 15. (2002)

Honti Szilvia – Belényesy Károly – Gallina Zsolt – Kiss Viktória – Kulcsár Gabriella – Marton Tibor – Nagy Ágnes † – Németh Péter Gergely – Oross Krisztián – Sebők Katalin – Somogyi Krisztina: A tervezett M7-es autópálya Somogy megyei szakaszán 2000–2001-ben végzett megelőző régészeti feltárások. Előzetes jelentés II.

34 Rescue Excavations in 2000-2001 on the Planned Route of the M7 Motorway in Somogy County. Preliminary Report II. SZILVIA HONTI - KÁROLY BELÉNYESY - ZSOLT GALLINA - VIKTÓRIA KISS GABRIELLA KULCSÁR - TIBOR MARTON - ÁGNES NAGY f - PÉTER GERGELY NÉMETH KRISZTIÁN OROSS - KATALIN SEBŐK - KRISZTINA SOMOGYI In 2000-2001, the Directorship of Museums in Somogy County (SMMI), cooperating with the Archaeological Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA RI) started rescue excavations along the planned route of the M7 Motorway in Somogy county, between Balatonszárszó and Ordacsehi. The National Motorway Corporation (Nemzeti Autópálya Részvénytársaság) provided the financial background of the research. Until now, 290 000 m

2 was excavated in the project. Balatonszemes-Szemesi-berek (Site M7/ S-13, excavation of SMMI, 1999-2000) All in all 42 000 m

2 was researched, resulting 749 objects (Table II. 4). The investigation revealed pottery and an idol (Table III. 1-2) of the Transdanubian Linear Pottery culture's Keszthely group. Besides, some fragments of pottery from the Zseliz culture and also some note head ceramics were uncovered. Among settlement features of the Baden culture (Table I. 1-4; III. 3-4, 7), various pits and ovens, as well as material from the later phase of the culture were found, with them more idols. We discovered some multiple graves in round pits, one of them was partly cremation burial. The ceramic forms unearthed from the settlement objects of the Somogyvár-Vinkovci culture (Table I. 5; III. 6), reflects the characteristics of the next period, namely the Kisapostag culture. Finds from the late Celtic period were also located there (LT D). From the Roman period, a part of a settlement from the 2nd_3rd centuries were excavated (Table II. 1-2; III. 5), with a well, ditch, and more remains of buildings with post holes. Three richly equipped graves were uncovered from the cemetery of the German period (5th century). Farther from these burials, one additional grave was found from the same period, with poor furniture (Table II. 3). Balatonszemes-Bagódomb (Site M7/ S-12, excavated by MTA RI, 1999-2001) In total a territory of 27 800 m

2 were researched. As the direct continuation of earlier investigations, the excavation reached the edge of the settlement from the Transdanubian Linear Pottery culture in eastern and western directions, and also unearthed more than five hundred objects of the settlement in the central part. Moreover, six unequipped, contracted burials were found. The early phase of the Linear culture, and the material of the younger phase (Keszthely group) were also unrevealed by the research. Remains of a smaller settlement from the period of Copper Age, BalatonLasinja group, twenty five-thirty round storage pits were found. The excavation revealed three graves from the Middle Avar period in the eastern part of the research area. Balatonszárszo-Kis-eidei-dülő (Site M7/ S-8, excavated by MTA RI, from 2000) In 2000 and 2001, 42 000 m

2 area was investigated, resulting 4500 objects. Among the remains of the Middle Neolithic settlement (Table IV; V 1-2), twenty four buildings with post holes were unearthed, of which size varied between 8x10 and 12x25 m

2

. Their roof structure was supported by three parallel rows of posts, and in several cases, remains of two additional post-rows were also documented. Along the houses, one-one longitudinal ditches were uncovered. Fifteen contracted burials were unearthed from the period, all were situated among the houses (Table V 3). In the southern part of the research area, remains of fortification (circular ditch) were uncovered, with three entrances, each constructed by framework of posts, of which traces were found. In the material of the site, both pottery forms of the Zseliz culture, and Transdanubian Linear Pottery culture are represented (Table V 4). Traces of the medieval village Szárszó can be found north and west from the Neolithic village. The research extended only to the territory of the presumed place of the church and the graveyard (Table IV, V 5; VI.). The church was a simple, one naved construction, with straight apse ending (Table V 5; VI. 2). Around the 8x13 m

2 building that was built in the early 13

th century, in a circle of eight to ten meters, and also inside the nave and the apse, nearly two hundred fifty burials were uncovered (Table VI. 4). These graves fall into line with the church, therefore, the earliest graves cannot be earlier than the building itself. The small hill, on which the church stood, was fortified in the first half of the 14th century (Table VI. 1-2). This structure enclosed a territory around half of a hectare. Between the church and the large outer ditch, the connected system of pile-work buildings was erected, of which ground plan also support the idea that they were consciously placed (Table VI. 2, 5). In the 15

th century, the church as well as the fortified settlement around it was totally destroyed. On the place of the former buildings, new burials were sited. The presence of burials from the Early Modern Period proposes that the church survived the disappearance of the settlement, but the cemetery was not in use after the 18

th century.