Murányi János szerk.: A Csíki Székely Múzeum Évkönyve 2007-2008. Humán-és Természettudományok (Csíkszereda, 2008)
RÉGÉSZET - BOTÁR ISTVÁN: A csíksomlyói Szent Péter és Pál plébániatemplom régészeti kutatása (2002-2005)
A CSÍKI SZÉKELY MÚZEUM ÉVKÖNYVE 2007-2008 17-74 BOTÁR ISTVÁN A CSÍKSOMLYÓI SZENT PÉTER ÉS PÁL PLÉBÁNIATEMPLOM RÉGÉSZETI KUTATÁSA (2002-2005) Abstract: [Results of the archaeological excavations of Saint Peter and Pal parish church (2002-2005) in Csíksomlyó (Hung.; - Rom.: Sumuleu-Ciuc)] The medieval building was first mentioned in 1332 and demolished in 1800 when the building of the actual church began and only a few carving in secondary emplacement show the existence of the old temple. The archaeological research revealed the ruins inside the present church under the floor and identified five building periods of the old church between 12 th century and 17 th century. The researched area is placed in the northwestern part of the actual church, the examination of the other parts was not possible. The first stone phase was not located yet. These still latent remains are out of the researched area probably also on the church hill. Parts of it (carved stones, pieces of a fresco, mortar) were found in secondary position in the foundation of the succeeding period. From the second period we excavate the north wall of the ship (inside length 13.8 m) and a small part of the sanctuary, without its eastern part. The date of the earliest phases around the 12 th century is based on the results of the C14 analysis of a grave, findings and a piece of ceramic in the mortar of the second period. After the demolition (?) of the Arpadian-age building a new one was built, which ship was a bit longer (16 m). Its sanctuary was reconstructed during the fourth period around the 15-16* century, when a gothic sanctuary was built with brick-vault in equal breath with the old ship (8.6 m). The dendrochronological analysis proved the correctness of the written and epigraphical sources about the building of the late-gothic stile bell tower by the west façade in the second part of the 17 th century. In the early 18 th century a family crypt was built in the north-west corner of the ship which had been utilized by the Sándorfamily till the end of the century. During the excavations more than 70 graves were documented which had shown several burial customs. Although the archaeological research had limited possibilities and many question are still open, the early phases are the main argument for the existence of a ecclesiastical organization in this region already in the 12 th century. This is an extremely important data in the case of this period and area, because no written sources had been preserved for this era. Based on the strong connection between the archedeaconate and political organizations in the Arpadian period in the Hungarian
