Straub Péter szerk.: Zala megye régészeti kincsei : válogatás a legszebb leletekből (Zala Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, 2010)
Karoling-kor
The Carolingian Era Around 830 AD Priwina, who was expelled from Moravia, after his baptism became the vassal of the East Frankish king, Louis the German. Then around 840 Priwina has settled in Lower Pannónia, at the lower headwaters of the river Zala, and built his headquarters at Zalavár-Vársziget. Thanks to the continuous and well developed scientific research since 1948, we have a detailed knowledge of this centre of the easternmost marquisate of the Carolingian Empire. It is called the town of Priwina (civitas Priwinae ) or 'Moss Castle' ( Urbs Paludarum, Mosaburg ) in the sources. It matched the contemporary criteria of a town. Priwina established a fortified manor-house at the southern tongue of the L-shaped island. It has been separated from the rest of the island by a wide and deep ditch. Along the road leading to the manor-house a timber church was built in Honour of John the Baptist. The purpose of this church was important in the mission among the Pagan population. Close to the that church, in the middle part of the island a three-naved, pilgrim church with a rounded apse and a crypt was built around 853-855 in the honour of St Adrian. The closest analogies for this building, are the churches of Corvey, Halberstadt, Hildesheim és Vreden in Saxony. The extensive (30 x 16 m) building, which has been planned on the bases of a uniform measuring system (the Carolingian foot, which was 34 cm long) shows the high artistic skills of its builders. This is well proved by the fragments of painted glass windows, by the carved capitals, by a rood-screen, and by the mold of the biggest known bell of that time. The architectural program of the pilgrim church, which based on the cult of the martyr is unique within the whole eastern periphery of the Carolingian Empire; hence with the building of this church Pannónia became as important part of the imperial Church as the other regions of the Empire. The monks, who served the spiritual needs of the pilgrims, visiting the grave of the martyr, lived in the monastery, attached to the western façade of the church. For the archbishop and his attendants two huge two storied timber palace has been built south of the pilgrim church. The town (civitas ) itself has been separated from the rest of the island by a pallisade, with corridors along the pallisade, made of chestnut oak, which provided safety to the defenders. The nobility of the marquisate of Mosaburg had family ties with the Frankish and Bavarian aristocracy, and also with the Slavic aristocracy of the surrounding areas. On the islands around the island of ZalavárVársziget (Zalavár-Récéskút, Zalaszabar-Borjúállás) following the example of the Carolingian curtes the nobles built some imposing private churches, which had been consecrated by the archbishops of Salzburg. In the cemeteries around these churches only the women of the aristocratic strata could have been buried with jewellery. The jewellery, has been found there shows the outstanding professional skills of the goldsmiths. The male aristocrats have been buried with spurs, which showed their social rank. However, the majority of the burials contain no jewellery or dress accessories according to the Christian practice. The servants, who served Mosaburg settled on the outer islands and on the hillsides along the Zala river (Balatonmagyaród, Garabonc, Nagyrécse, Esztergályhorváti etc.), where the manors of the nobility were. For the burials of the servantry, poorish dress accessories and Pagan burials practices were common. Our region took part in the power struggle between the popes and the emperors - which became more and more intensive from the mid ninth century - through the mission of Saints Cyril and Methodus; Mosaburg, for a short time became the headquarters of the Archbishopric of Pannónia. However, the process of becoming part of the contemporary, learned European society interrupted by the conquering Hungarians in the beginning of the tenth century.
