Budapest Régiségei 24/1. (1976)

PESTI ÁSATÁSOK = EXCAVATIONS CONDUCTED IN PEST = RASKOPKI V PEST - Irásné Melis Katalin: Beszámoló a középkori Pest város területén végzett régészeti kutatások eredményeiről 313-348

KATALIN I. MEUS REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN THE AREA OF THE MEDIEVAL TOWN OF PEST In the course of the earthworks carried out in the area of the central district of Budapest in the period between 1960-75 a considerable quantity of relics of the medieval history of the city was found also. The most significant results were brought by the exploration of the town walls; by completing these with the other data at disposal, the outline of the topographic development of the city could be drawn. Town wall No. I. dating from the Arpad age began in the north at the bank ot the Danube in the plot No. 2. Apácai Csere János Street, Budapest V. Advancing eastwards, it turned into Városház Street at Martinelli Square and, proceeding along this, towards the Franciscan church, Crossing Ferenciek Square at the intersection of Reáltanoda Street and Károlyi Street, it turned in south-western direction and continued in Cukor Street. At about the middle of that street it bent towards the west, in the direction of the Danube. Its last, southern section could be perhaps the part of a wall extending along the southern side of the plot No. 47 Váci Street. Significant archaeological researches were conducted also at Március 15. Square, Budapest V. To the southwest of the City Parish Church, at former No. 2. Duna Street, the walls of a two-storied medieval wing of a building turned up. In the corners of the upward walls, which enclosed a quadratic inner space, the traces of the spring of a medieval arch were found. Also the outer medieval levels of the quadratic space and tower, as well as the beginnings of the adjoining wing came to light. In the trench dug at the western side of Március 15. Square also the section of a repeatedly rebuilt large-size furnace dating from the Arpad Age turned up among a number of medieval walls. This find fits in with the 13th century system of building found earlier round the City Parish Church. The medieval researches connecting to the exploration and presentation as an architectural monument of the Roman wall, conducted at the northern side of the square brought important results as well. It appeared that the wall of the camp had a determining part in the trend of the medieval conditions of land possession; by the evidence of the sections it was the filling of the cellars joining the camp wall, which was found. Along the outer, northern side of the camp wall refuse pits, dating from the Middle Ages and from the period of the Turkish rule were aligned. In the course of the earthworks preceding the construction of Erzsébet bridge also several, mostly late medieval parts of walls came to be uncovered near the Pest bank pier. Within the area of the central district of Budapest further architectural details worthy of mention were found at Ferenciek Square, Bécsi Street, Bárczy István Street, Váci Street, etc.

, the exact arrangements of the ground-plans of these are as yet unknown. (Sites No. 11-19). For conducting research on town wall No. II. of the late Middle Ages a fair number of possibilities presented themselves. The most important results were achieved through the examination of the town gates. It could be stated that each of the three gates, the VÁC, the Hatvan and the Kecskemét gates, one had been built according to the same arrangement of the ground-plan; still, the dates at which the round bastions erected in front of them were built are as yet uncertain. During the research preceding the reconstruction of the ancient monuments not only the medieval artistic froms could be studied, also numerous valuable data on the recent-time history of the town could be obtained. (Sites No. 20-42). 343