Budapest Régiségei 37. (2003)

Bencze Zoltán: Előzetes jelentés a volt Állami Nyomda épületeinek területén folytatott régészeti kutatásokról 113-135

ELŐZETES JELENTÉS A VOLT ÁLLAMI NYOMDA ÉPÜLETEINEK TERÜLETÉN FOLYTATOTT RÉGÉSZETI KUTATÁSOKRÓL PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED ON THE SITE OF THE BUILDINGS OF THE FORMER STATE PRINT It is very likely that some houses could have already been built along the inner side of the city wall of King Béla IV

th

, on the northern part of the Castle Hill after the foundation of the city of Buda, in the 13

th century. Based on written sources referring to the area Vidor Pataki identified four plots on the northern part of the mediaeval Szombathely Square. The row of houses localised here by András Végh consists of seven houses. Unfortunately the site these mediaeval plots are related to is too large to be localised at our research area. In the Turkish period the neighbourhood of the buildings of the former print was part first of the Szombathely mahalleszi then of the Toprak kuleszi mejdani. There is an open area in the map of Marsigli (Fig. 1.) at the northern end of Hamam joli dir (Bath Street) indicated by number 59 down to the inner city wall. In the plan of 1687 made by Joseph Haüy (Fig. 2.) the extremely large plot, number 217, can be found to the north of the choir of the Church of St Mary Magdalen, that can be identified with 7-9 Peterman bíró Street. Unfortunately the plot system to the west of number 217 is not indicated. In 1696 the first register of the plots of Buda Castle ("Zaiger") was made. The area at the northern end of Úri and Országház Streets , i.e. the present Kapisztrán Square is called Kayserliche Prêche, i.e. imperial breach, as imperial troops intruded into the Castle from here in the coures of the recapture of Buda in 1686. The small street leading from the present Kapisztrán Square to Bécsi kapu Square was called Blueth Gässel, Blood Lane. Its houses were burnt down in the fire of 1723. This name survived until 1739, then it was renamed St John Street as it was leading to St John Church of the Franciscans. Later it was called Ferdinand Street, then Nándor Street. Sincel954 it has been Petermann biró Street. The register of 1696 does not indicate any building at 9 Petermann biró Street. The earlier building must have suffered such serious damages after the recapture in 1686 that by 1696 it had been pulled down. The Zaiger says of the building nr. 168 (7 Petermann Biró Street) that it is a corner building in Blueth Gässel and has good walls, vaults and cellar and it is owned by Mihály Bössenbacher turner. The building at 1 Kapisztrán Square must have been built by the building master Lajos Kimnach for himself and his heirs sold it to the Exchequer in 1855. It was extended and rebuilt according to the plans of József Amon for the purposes of the State Print. The building at the eastern side of Országház Street, at 9 Petermann Biró Street was joined to the State Print in 1954. Archaeological research involved the building complex of the State Print at 33-34 Országház Street and at 1 Kapisztrán Square and the section of Országház Street bordered by them. It was our preliminary expectation that serious results can be expected mainly in Országház Street, in the yards of the wings at 33 Országház Street and Kapisztrán Square. However in the course of the research significannt wall remains and other archaeological objects were found at the cellar level too. . At the northern end of Országház Street the city walls came to light (Fig. 5, 6.) and somewhat to the south the details of a mediaeval house. (Fig. 7.) In my preliminary report I will focus on the city wall. THE ARPAD AGE (I.) CITY WALL. The Arpad Age city wall could be traced along almost entirely from the western wall of the building of the Hungarian Power System Operation Company to the eastern wall of the Institute of Military History. The first city wall was built along the edges of the rock surface, or at times on humus that filled up rock pits. The city wall built of larger broken stones was plastered at some places. (Fig. 8-9.) The stones are glued by mortar rich in gravel and poor in lime. At some places reconstructing can be observed on the wall. At the section of the city wall at 33 Országház Street waterspouts were also discovered. In the cellar of 34 Országház Street the water was lead out in a stone paved channel. (Fig. 10.) Along the inner side of the city wall of the period of King Béla IV rock-pits and cellars came to light. The walls of the cellars were attached to the city wall later. The inner or outer walking level of the city wall of the period of King Béla IV being 260 cms wide at the foundation was also discovered at some places. There was a tower attached to the first city wall both at 33 and at 34 Országház Street. (Eg. 9. and 11-12.) It is perhaps the same tower that had been mentioned by Ferenc Salamon writing that there was an old gate found in the middle of the yard of the second building of the Print. The northern part of the semi circular tower at 33 Országház Street has already been demolished by constructions in modern times. In the horseshoe117