Budapest Régiségei 24/1. (1976)

ÓBUDA, RÓMAI KORI TÁBOROK, CANABAE ÉS KÖZÉPKORI VÁROS = ÓBUDA, ROMAN CAMPS, CANABAE AND THE MEDIEVAL TOWN = OBUDA, LAGERÂ I KANABE RIMSKOJ EPOHI I SREDNEVEKOVYJ GOROD - Szirmai Krisztina: Előzetes beszámoló az óbudai legiostábor principiáján és közvetlen környékén végzett kutatásokról 91-111

KRISZTINA SZIRMAI PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE EXCAVATIONS CONDUCTED AT THE PRINCIPIA OF THE ÓBUDA LEGIONARY CAMP AND ITS IMMEDIATE VICINITY When in 1973 the foundations of the Obuda shopping centre were laid, a structure having a basement with four openings was found. Relying on the results of earlier research the site is the area of the intersection of the main thoroughfares between the porta principalis dextra and porta praetoria of the l-2nd century legionary camp. We have verified the first 30 x 35 m. court of the principia dating from Hadrian's and Trajan's age, paved with sandstone, on the pavement of which a structure with a canal of four branches and four openings, the portal (tetrapylon) was built. Its inside measurements are 22. 75 x 23 m. According to the sections of the foundation ditch, we also could observe, among others, the remains of the road which delimited the principia from the south. In the course of the excavations conducted in 1975, the second, 28 x 58 m. sandstonefloored court of the principia dating from Trajan' s and Hadrian' s age came to light. In a section of the drive-way of the Obuda shopping centre we could authentically determine the two rooms extending northwards from the line of rooms at the back of the principia, from the flag shrine (fanum). As to its function, room "a" of arched construction, is an excubitorium. Also the western wall of the principia was authentically determined, together with the 7, 5 m. wide road bordering it from the west. We know the axis of the courts of the Trajan-Hadrian age principia, however, the place of the contemporary portal is only known in theory: it was partly demolished by the rapid and mechanized works of excavation, since the portal dating from the age of Severus had been built on it in part. At the close of the 2nd century and at the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. the principia was enlarged in a northern direction as related to the axis of the portal dating from the time of Severus and also large-scale works of reconstruction could have taken place in the rooms round the flag shrine (CIL III 3526). The roads were also elevated. The principia of the 2-3rd century legionary camp of Obuda extends 110 m. in an eastwest direction. As shown by its ground-plan, it belongs to the forum type, and represents a transition between Fellman's Und and Illrd types. (Figures: 30-39, plates: 86-101) * 109