K. Palágyi Sylvia szerk.: Balácai Közlemények 2005/9. (Veszprém, 2005)

T. LÁNG, ORSOLYA: Control Excavations in the Territory of the Civil Town of Aquincum: the so-called „Testvérhegy-villa"

ORSOLYÁT. LÁNG CONTROL EXCAVATIONS IN THE TERRITORY OF THE CIVIL TOWN OF AQUINCUM: THE SO-CALLED „TESTVÉRHEGY-VILLA" Introduction and Topography

1 Between 2002 and 2004 the Aquincum Museum conducted rescue excavations at the site of the „Testvérhegy" villa. The area belonged to the municipal territory of the Civil Town of Aquincum, where more than 40 villa-site complexes have come to light during more than 100 years of excavation (Fig. I)

2 The „Testvérhegy" site is located in the part the Solymárvölgy-valley, where the main northwest-southeast running Roman road connected Aquincum to Brigetio (Fig .2)? This route represented one of the most important diagonal inner roads and we know of several villa-estates constructed nearby.

4 The large-scale research works, preceeding the construction of a modem housing-estate revealed segments of the above-mentioned diagonal road with graves lining the road and parts of a settlement-complex (villa-buildings, an entrance-unit with gate, an internal road and a building used for economic purposes). Prior to this work these had only been partially known from previous research. Although the excavtion is still not finished and the evaulation of the find material as well as the excavation results are still awaiting it seemed reasonable to introduce the latest results of this work, with the already known parts and the „new" elements as well. Research History The area of „Testvérhegy" was first excavated by S. Garády in 1934. At that time, the hill and the foot of the hill was used for wine-cultivation with only minimal construction. Garady identified segments of a „Roman and Medieval" road lying „side by side" (!) at the foot of the hill. Both ran more or less parallel to the modem road,

5 and remains of what he thought to be three different buildings on the slopes, facing the road. He also found a well and graves of which the famous grave-yard enclosure of Bithinia Severa is well known.

6 Based on these very well documented excavation the complex was identified as a villaestate, which had probably been owned by a family of Eastern origin and had been built at the turn of the AD. 2

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rd c. remaining untouched for practically the next 60 years. The 2002-2004-Year Excavations The new, extensive research that has been going on since 2002 and will be continued again in 2005, brought to light new areas in this complex.

7 Segments of a seven-layered