Budapest Régiségei 30. (1993)

TÖRTÉNET, TOPOGRÁFIA = GESCHICHTE, TOPOGRAPHIE - Szirmai Krisztina: Archaeological observations in the northern section of the so-called vicus of Albertfalva, 1973-1977 = Régészeti megfigyelések az ún. albertfalvai vicus északi részén, 1973-1977 87-118

Krisztina SZIRMAI ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THE SO-CALLED VICUS OF ALBERTFALVA (1973-1977) Major constructions were launched in Óbuda in 197374 and, accordingly, it was also there that the Budapest Historical Museum (BTM) has been carrying out most of its excavations. Alongside that major task, the museum implemented rescue excavations in several districts of the capital city and, what is more, even carried out archaeological work in relation to construction in the vicinity of the auxiliary camp — vicus — of Albertfalva.

3 Boundaries of the North-Eastern quarter of the vicus are as follows: the line of Hunyadi János street in the 11th district to the West, the Buda plant of the Capital City Gas Works on the North, the Danube to the East and the Northern defense system of the auxiliary camp of Albertfalva to the South, extending down into a grassy, vacant plot. Excavations have been ongoing in the North-Eastern area of the vicus for several decades now and the results have been published in excavations reports and the capital city archaeological abstracts. As these data suggest, remnants from constructions of several periods have been found here, some of which relate to the forum, while others are mainly of industrial origin or had economic functions. ' The rescue excavations carried out in 1973-77 will be described through illustrating the most important finds for each locality, providing an analysis of the stratigraphie situation and, finally, offering a summary of the results. Location No. 1: 18 Hunyadi János út., Xlth district, site of the Capital City Sewage Works, Pump Plant. Surface No. 1: Direction: East-West, size: 49,50x2 m, Southern section: recent fill extending down to an average depth of 70 cm below the surface. At places only 10-15 cm width of the lower part of the Roman fill mixed with Roman brick rubble remained at a height of 101.25 m above the Adriatic level. This fill rests on an undisturbed black earth layer of 25-30 cm wide. The black earth is followed by yellow, raw sand, which was dug to an average width of 20 cm. Find: From the mixed Roman fill: Rim and body sherd of a dish, with a thin groove below the rim, along the inside. Painted red.

6 BTM Inv. No. 75. 4. 1. The Roman origin of the surface fill and the find unearthed suggest a settlement. Surface No. 2: Direction: North-South, size: 19.50x2 m. Eastern section: Earth works preceding recent fill in activities destroyed all archaeological remains to the full depth of the excavation. No finds were recovered. Surfaces Nos. 3-9: It may be seen in the section that recent earth works have destroyed any layers of archaeological remains to the full depth of the excavation down to the undisturbed layers. No finds unearthed. Research preceding the construction of the pump plant suggests the existence of a Roman settlement (vicus) could be documented in the Roman fill in only one location (Surface No, 1). This reflects - according to level data - a settlement pattern typical the era following the Marcomannic wars. However, it was not possible to document either features or level from this area. Location No. 2. (18. Hunyadi János út, Xlth district), area of the Casting Plant, foundation of a DVKU 18-type building. 7 (Picture 1). Surface No. I: Direction East to West, size 21.30 x 2 m (Picture 2). Northern section: at an average depth of 75 cm below the recent fill a stony layer appeared at an average of 100.60-100.78 m above Adriatic level, along almost the total length of the surface (Picture 3). Below it, after a mixed, gray and thin fill a very thin, white, sand-stone layer appeared on top of the black, undisturbed earth. In additional openings of the Northern parts of the trench, a stony surface also appeared at the levels already mentioned, which belonged to the stony surface pertaining to the road. Major finds: Just over the stones, from cleaning the stones: the knob of a lid. Gray, grainy clay. BTM Inv. No. 81.6.1. Body and inverted rim sherd of a dish. Orange coloured paint layers on the self-coloured surface inside and out. Inv. No. 81. 6. 2. From the road section: South-Gaulish Samian ware from the Domitian-Traianic era. Inv. No. 81. 6.16. South-Gaulish Samian ware from the Traianic-Hadrianic era. Inv. No. 81. 6. 40. Sherd from Rheinzabern dated to the second half of the 2nd century. Inv. No. 81. 6. 41. Orange and brown colour-coated potsherds. Inv. Nos. 81. 6. 21, 25, 37. From the section of the white, sand-stone layer: body sherd painted red. Inv. No. 81. 6. 7. Based on data, 5 m wide remnants of a double-layer road running in an approximately East-West direction appeared on Surface No. 1. The evaluation of the remnants suggests that the road was built in the first third of the 2nd century. The remnants of the cobbling to the North of the road may have belonged to a dismantled support wall and the pertaining stony level. (Picture 4.) Surface No. II: Orientation: North-South. Size: 33 x 1,75 m. Western section as viewed from the East: 50 cm below the recent fill, layer of a stony walk-level, disturbed several times by Roman digging. At the level 87