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 - P. Hartyányi Borbála: Késő római kori növényi maradványok a II-III. századi aquincumi legiostábor retenturájában 125-135

BORBÁLA P. HARTYÁNYI LATE ROMAN FLORAL REMAINS FROM THE RETENTURA OF THE 2-3rd CENTURY A.D. LEGIONARY CAMP OF AQUINCUM In the late Roman layer uncovered at No. 21. Vörösvári ut, Budapest III. remains of flora turned up. The find consists of 18 g Sambucus nigra L (elder-berry). Besides, as sporadic finds there were also other species represented: 14 sp. Vitis (grapes), 2 Chinopodium (goose-foot), 1 Polygonum (black blindweed), 6 Mercurialis annua L (annual mercury) and 1 Stachys annua 1. The elder pits are not charred, their colour is yellowish brown. They probably got into the layer as waste matter after the ripe elder-berries had been fermented. This explains why the outside of the pits remained intact in spite of their insides being empty. The remains of the fruit of this plant are present in finds from Hungarian excavations from the Middle Ages on, though in western and northern countries they appear much earlier. The berries of the plant were probably consumed as fruits. Beginning in the Middle Ages its therapeutic use is generally known too. In places it was also used for colouring and flavouring light wines until quite recently. The juice of elderberries lends the wine a muscatel flavour. In Hungary the use of elderberries for improving the quality of wine is forbidden under the Act of 1893 on wine growing. (Plates: 106-111) . 133