Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
230 R. ZÄGREANU-ZS. NYÁRÁDI regarding the other roman forts from the limes and their purpose, and the fact that it is not an ala fort, it was not necessarily a large camp; and if there were no ancient ruins, maybe the medieval fortress would have been built larger. The first excavations inside the fortress were made in 1981 (30 July and 8 August) by I. and G. Ferenczi, who studied two areas. The first one was opened in the western bastion and had a size of 6 X 10 m, reaching a depth of 3.5 m. For safety reasons the excavations were suspended. The second trench with the dimensions of 5 x 10 meters was opened in the central court. At the depth of 1.5 m were found traces of several graves and cloister walls. Because of the medieval graves stratigraphic observations could not be made here. From these two trenches rich Roman ceramics and some imperial coins were collected, lost from the museum’s collection. In 1982 the research was carried on by four trenches. S3 was opened at the old entrance, S4 on the eastern part of the western bastion, S5 in the eastern bastion on the right side of the entry and S6 on the north-eastern side of the southern bastion. In the next year only S5 and S6 were excavated. In 1984 the research extended in the south-eastern bastion, and later this work was continued also in this trench (Ferenczi 2002, 60-63). The finds consisted of roman period pottery: pitchers, pots, bowls, cups, glasses, caps, plates and broken handles (PL 5/16-20; 6/1-9; 7/1-12). The investigations were resumed in 2002, when a restorations project was done at the bastion, including archaeological researches consisting of six trenches. Roman materials have emerged very sporadically (Marcu-Szőcs 2002). In 2009 a small archaeological research focused on the original entry of the citadel. Trenches of 3 x 6 m were drawn on the outside of the fortress. The layers of padding were removed to a depth of 2.25 m. In these levels were not found Roman materials (Sófalvi 2009). After these researches no clear evidence about the location of the Roman camp was found under the medieval city. Instead rich archaeological materials were unearthed, including many tiles (Pi. 16/1-12) and hypocaust fragments (Pi. 16/8), indicating the existence of nearby Roman buildings. The medieval fortress has 105 x 120 m and an entire Roman fort could not fit under it. Normally a part of the Roman fort should lie outside the medieval walls and one can correlate these assumptions with the walls observed by I. Paulovics on Kornis Str. The setting of these medieval buildings on the site suggests that the earlier Roman buildings were overlapped by the Dominican cloister and the city fortress, built after 1562 (Sófalvi 2007, 64-65). In this location three pieces of bronze harness were accidentally discovered. An oval shaped, 4 cm long bronze buckle dated to the 2nd-3rd century AD was broken (PI. 11/12). The 1.2 cm in diameter and 4.5 cm long bronze strap terminals were plate with a split in the side where the belt was introduced, which is not preserved, continuing with a ring and a part of the body part (Pl. 11/13). An analogy dated to the 2nd-3rd century AD can be mentioned from Porolissum (Gudea 1989, 657, no. 36, pl. CCXIII; Bishop-Clouston 1993, 183, fig. 118), Räcari (Bondoc-Gudea 2009, 210, no. 516, pl. XCVI). A 4.5 cm long bronze belt fitting (PI. 11/14) with rectangular mounting link and body thickened towards the end and finished with a button has also analogies at Porolissum dated to 2nd-3rd century AD (Gudea 1989, 659, no. 28, pi. CCXIII). 14. Szoborpark (Parcul statuilor) On 21-22 April 2004 during the erecting of foundations for statues, pits of 60 x 70 cm width and 50-60 cm depth were dug. From these pottery from various periods was collected without proper archaeological observations, among which a Roman vessel and several pot handles. In the present this material is in a private collection.
