Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 34-35. (2014-2015)
Articles
132 Z. Győrfi We have succeeded at best in reducing the chronological frames of armour plates. All around Europe armour plates similar to the ones found in Bistra are dated by written and pictorial sources, as well as by archaeological finds to the period between the second half of the 14th century and the middle of the 15th century. Nonetheless, their later use cannot be excluded since these are simple and efficient armours. As mentioned above, different types coexisted already in the first half of the 14th century.120 As far as horse equipment is concerned only the spurs can be more precisely dated. The find includes also a few objects that are neither weapons nor parts of horse equipment, these may also serve as strong basis for dating. Two knife blades with master stamp are Central European imported products, and their age is roughly the same as that of the weapons’. One can date them to the 14-15th century. A grooved padlock is a well-preserved specimen of the otherwise rarely found locks, even its key has been preserved. Its precise analogy is unknown but on the basis of its almost perfect copy on a painting in Austria we can date it to the 15th century.121 Based on the well-dated weapons and other finds, we date the Bistra material to the 14-15th century with maintaining the possibility that further research could modify this. The medieval fortress (dating, owner, function) We can only give short and by no means definite answers to each of the questions raised in the subtitle. There is no known medieval mention of Bistra, and even the 18th century Habsburg military survey didn’t find traces of a settlement. Its population must have settled here at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Therefore no medieval written evidence could have been preserved from Bistra fortress. Deda, lying close by was mentioned at the end of the 14th century for the first time in a document,122 the surrounding smaller settlements also turned up in written sources in the second half of the 15th century, or at the beginning of the 16th century.123 120 Kalmár 1971, 289-290; Marek 2008, 116. 121 IMAREAL, Bild Nr. 002166, <http://tethys.imareal.sbg. ac.at/realonline/images/7002105.JPG> (10.02.2015) 122 1393: Ub III, 62-63. 123 Pietris/Kövesd: 1461 (Csánki V, 718), Moräreni/ Monosfalu: 1509 (Kmjkv II, 295, nr. 3519), Filea/Füleháza (KmJkvII, 295, nr. 3519) Starting from the 13th century, the Losonci family enlarged their estate in the region which most probably was part of Torda County in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 14th century the sons of Dénes, Deseu, Tamás and István divided the Széplak or Régen property among themselves. The piece closest to our territory consisted of Magyaró and Oroszfalu settlements and was received by Tamás, son of Dénes and reeve of the Szeklers.124 The document of division from 1319 contained the name of Menteu fortress belonging to castellan magister Balázs. Specialized literature identifies this name for today’s Aluni§ (Magyaró).125 Géza Entz identified the settlement below the fortress mentioned by sources as Warallya with Aluni§, because during his field work local people identified the hill above the village as the location of the ruins of former fortress.126 On several occasions during the last century it was mentioned as a Roman fortress, mainly on basis of floor tiles found among the ruined walls.127 In his blog dedicated to fortresses, József Dénes linked the name of Horodete baulk shown on the first military survey at Aluni§’s boundary with the Slavic Horodiste and placed the medieval Mentővár here.128 A few years ago the same person raised the issue of Menteu/Mentew fortress being identical with Bistra fortress, identifying Váralja settlement mentioned by sources with Deda. In his opinion 16th century sources mentioned the Bistra fortress in Aluni^’s boundary, because the territory was probably part of the Magyaró estate.129 Overviewing our medieval sources, it turns out that the documents mentioning Menteu/ Mentew fortress do not locate it accurately. The most expressive document is the one from 1333130 which informs us that the fortress was built in an undivided and empty spot in the mountains by Tamás Losonci at his own expense with no help from his brothers. The name of the settlement below, cited by this same document is only 124 EOkm II, 144, nr. 342. 125 Entz 1996, 31; Rusu 2005, 502. 126 Entz 1996,31. 127 Neigebaur 1851, 252; Ipolyi 1861, 243 {'old walls and namely the frequent 8 shaped mosaic bricks’), Martian 1909, 337. The name Várbérc in Mure? County’s archeological repertory (RepertoriuMS 1995, 46, punct G) is incorrect, because the data taken over from Károly Benkő is related to Nyárádmagyaros in Maros Seat, see: Benkő 1869,202-203. 128 <http://www.erdelyivarak.hu/magyar/oldalak/ varkutatas_mentovar/ > (10.01.2015) 129 Karczag - Szabó 2012,156. 130 EOkm II, 287, nr. 787.
