Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 30-31 (1985-1986) (Pécs, 1987)

Régészet - Burger, Sz. Alice: The Roman Villa and Mausoleum at Kővágószőlős, near Pécs (Sopianae), Excavations 1977–1982

66 ALICE SZ. BURGER The archaeological excavation led by the present author were started in the summer of 1977 and lasted until 1983, taking up a regular two or three months annually. Apart from the field-work, the preservation of the walls of the villa, started, in 1978, also took up several months each year. I would like to thank Prof Gyula Hajnóczi for the devising and supervision of the reconstructions, and László Áspán for the thorough and conscientious implementation of the plans. Acknowledgements are due to Ferenc Stadler and László Csikós for their indefatigable help in the exploration and reconstruction of the finds, and also to department head and chief engineer József Zámbó, who was in charge of the reconstruction of the mausoleum. I owe thanks to the directorate and staff of the Janus Pannonius Museum of Pécs, the Hungarian National Museum of Budapest and the National Directorate of Historic Monuments for their inappreciable assistance in our involved project. The restorations were carried out by the experts of the Hungarian National Museum and the Janus Pannonius Museum. Credits for the photos (articles) are due to Katalin Nádor (JPM), and for the illustration to Lia Bogdándy (MNM). As regards the future of the site, it is only to be hoped that the scientific exploration of the area may soon be started under the auspices of MÉV. Visits by Hungarian and foreign tourists to the Roman ruins 12 km of Pécs are subject to the fulfilment of the necessary conditions. My aim with the present publication was to promote these efforts, hoping that the summer of 1985 will see the completion of the preservation work. The conditions required by the excavations were perfectly ensured by Jenő Toka, director general of MÉV It was doubtlessly his devotions to science and his large-handed and far-sighted support of our cause that prevented this unique complex from complete dilapidation. This was the first instance in this country of an industrial „giant" preserving and rescuing relics discovered by accident, thus it would only be the most sufficient acknowledgement to dedicate the present paper to Jenő Toka. Budapest, May 31, 1985 I THE ROMAN VILLA „Sopianae lay in the angle formed by the Danube and Drava rivers. Its borders were the Danube on the east, the Drava on the south and the Mecsek mountains on the north. Since Pannónia was a bordre province, the two rivers did not play the same role in the life of the city. The Danube, forming the bordre, served mainly to separate the province from the left bank, from where Sopianae and the whole province was constantly threatened. The Drava did not constitute such a barrier, and the crossing point at Mursa essentially ensured the city's links with other parts of the empire. The city was located at the junction of several important roads. The Itinerarium Antonini mentions Sopianae fife times by name. Its position was basically determined by the fact that it was situated along this important military and commercial route which connected the western and the eastern part of the empire. As a matter of fact, this route linked Sirmium with Byzantium (Constantinople), and thus the eastern provinces with the Balkan Peninsula. It crossed the route from Aquileia in northern Italy, which run along the Drava valley, at Mursa. According to Mócsy (1) it led directly to Antianae, whereas according to the latest map of the TIR (2) it passed through Ad Novas and Antianae to reach Sopianae (It. Ant. 232.8.). The section of the Mursa-Sopianae route after it leaves our city leading west is not quite clear. Graf (3) and the TIR map (4) follow this route to the southern corner of Lake Balaton, and so towards Savaria and Vindobona via Limusa (Szigetvár?). Nevertheless, it seems more likely that it went via the Roman settlements of Patacs—

Cserkút— Kővágószőlős—Boda—

Cserdi—Almáskeresztúr— Almamellék, lying at the foot of the Mecsek mountains towards the north-west, i. e. towards Lake Balaton."

3 The above passages, quoted from the recently published monograph summing up the decades of researches conducted in Sopianae (today Pécs), one of the most important cities in Pannónia province, appear to be the must succinct description of the site at issue. The ruins at Kővágószőlős, situated 12 km from the central István square in Pécs, are approachable via main road M6 (Pécs—Szigetvár). The archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory of the Mecsek Metal Mining Company (Fig. I.J. The N-S oriented villa was built in an ideal geographical environment. It was bordered by the slopes of the Jakab hill on the N, and by the Kajdacsi stream on the W. The Roman road, the track of which coincided with that of the present-day road, was running approximately 2 km to the S

4

. The nearby forests (chestnuts, oaks, beeches) supplied the building material for the villa,

5 and also contributed to the prosperous animal husbandry and hunting in the area

6

. The building stones for the villa came from the nearby Cserkút quarry. Dimensions of the villa: length (N-S) = 40 m, width (E-W) = 30 m, with a bath-house at the SE corner (15X20 m). Length of the ornamental entrance at the SW corner: 25 m (the present-day fencing prevented 3 FÜLEP 1984. 12f. Figs. 1-2. 4 FÜLEPBURGER 1979. 281, 310. Map 303. 5 For the analyses, carried out by Ernő Horváth (Savaria Museum Szombathely), I express my thanks hereby. Cf. HORVÁTH 1987. For the species of tree found in Sopianae cf. FÜLEP 1984. 302 f. 6 For the results of the archaeozoological analyses cf. also István Vörös 1987. For the social aspects of the hunts in the period of the empire cf. among others : Spätantike und frühes Christentum, Ausstellung im Liebighaus Museum alter Plastik (Fr. am Main 1984) 635.