Budapest Régiségei 39. (2005)

T. Láng Orsolya - Grynaeus András: Fa építőanyagok Aquincumban : régészeti és dendrokronológiai eredmények = Wooden constructing material in Aquincum : archaeological and dendrochronological results 89-109

FA ÉPÍTŐANYAGOK AQUINCUMBAN: RÉGÉSZETI ÉS DENDROKRONOLÓGIAI EREDMÉNYEK WOODEN CONSTRUCTING MATERIALS IN AQUINCUM: ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL RESULTS Over the last 40 years of archaeological research in Aquincum - especially because of more precise excavation methods - an increasing number of wooden posts and (reused) barrel-staves have come into the collections of the Aquincum Museum. Since 2001, dendrocronological and xylotomical research have been carried out on all these remains. The purpose of the present work is to compare the absolute dendrocronological data to archaeological information and try to fit these results within the chronological framework of Roman Aquincum. At present, this work only concerns the wooden-construction materials. The numbered and documented pieces were discovered in both the civil and military settlements of Aquincum (Fig.l.) The posts coming from the area of the canabae (Budaújlak, Bécsi Road - Bokor Street) which were probably swept away in an enormous flood, were from trees cut down in the middle of the AD 1

st century (Fig. 3). This data corresponds well with the opinion of the excavator based on archaeological observations, who dated this layer to the end of the 1

st century Rows of wooden posts were observed in 2001 when water levels in the Danube were low, on the western banks of the so-called Hajógyári-lagoon (Hajógyári island) in the area of the governor's palace. Systematic research was carried out on these wooden remains in 2003 (Fig. 4-5). According to the dendrocronological data, a part of the posts were from trees chopped down in AD 130 while others were from trees felled in AD187. Thus the construction, which was renewed at least once, also corresponds with what is known about the building history of the palace: the complex and its adjacent areas were built during the AD 2

nd century while later rebuilding took place up until the last third of the AD 3

rd century Opposite the northwestern corner of Hajógyár island, on Mozaik street, stone walls resting on a foundation of wooden posts came to light in 1979. These were problably the remains of a bridge-head, part of the northern approaches to the island from the canabae (Fig. 6-7). The carefully tapered posts were cut in AD 78 at the earliest. Beside the intact posts, a fragment was also discovered with the name of the legio II Adiutrix carved into it leaving no doubt as to the role of the army in the construction. The absolute dates derived from dendrochronological research supports the idea of the excavator, also based on the archaeological finds and historical data: the bridge was probably constructed slightly after the legio had been stationed here. The closest analogy - from the technical point of view - can be found in Chester, the previous station of the legio II Adiutrix. In the area between the canabae and the Civil Town of Aquincum in the area of the so-called Filatori gát, excavations carried out between 1999 and 2000 revealed parts of an early AD l

st-2

nd century military type construction, a later bath-building, a few graves from the nearby Roman cemetery semi-subterreanean houses and other feaures from a village, dated to the Migration period (Avar). The wooden remains of pine (black pine) and oak (pendunculate) found here were unfortunately not datable. Research was carried out between 1959-1964 in the area of the water-sources north of the Civil Town, near the so-called Római Swimming pool. Sources with wooden well-houses and channels were discovered here. These fed the most important north-south running Aquincum aqueduct. The wooden construction material of the houses was in good condition at the time of the discovery (Fig. 8) although the oak (pendunculate) posts in the museum's collection, probably belonging to these houses were not datable. Similarly the new excavations carried out in the same place between 2001-2002 brought to light huge, pointed, taped pine (spruce) and oak (durmast) could not be dated. They probably also belonged to some destroyed well-houses (Fig. 9-11) Other observations can also be made based on the above mentioned wooden materials: most were carefully tapered with square or semi-circular cross-sections, which - based on the manufacture wear - were formed in the same way, although nothing remained of certain kinds of equipment (for example: securis, dolabra etc.) (Fig. 12-15). The wooden posts found and examined so far, were mostly of pendunculate or durmast oak, rarely of spruce or black pine. (Fig. 16) Because of the different environmental preferences of pendunculate or durmast oak (wet and dry areas) it is probable that they were transported from the wider territory of Aquincum depending on the requirements and functions of the intended constructions. Wooden constructing-materials were found both in the Civil and Military parts of Aquincum. The archaeological dating of the sites listed above seems to be supported by the absolute dates derived from dendrocronology 99