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

164 ALICE SZ. BURGER pottery vessel was found in the villa. It was during the renovation of the damaged walls that the fragments of the earlier frescos, columns and ornamental floortiles got into the binding materials in inferior quality. The door-stone in room V in the W wing was abandoned and subsequently a wall was erected on it, while in room К in the E wing a door-stone (Td7) was set up above the underground heating space. The villa had been in constant use for decades in the period after the turn of the 2nd-3rd centuries. Third century inflated coins were found scattered about a comparatively large area, even outside the walls of the villa. Marbled wares were prevalent in the material of finds dating from this period. The nearby forests were used not only as grazing lands, but also as hunting grounds - this was indicated by the more than 2800 animal bones coming from the area (cf. Vörös, 1987). According to recent researches, "in this territory, characterized primarily by small-scale farming, the existence of medium-sized farms and large estates may be presumed as early as in the lst-2nd century after the conquest, but the genuine system of large estates — either private or imperial — appeared only at a later stage, as is indicated by the scarceness of the epigraphic relics perpetuating slaves or freemen"

23

. In our view, however, the lack of epigraphic relics does not preclude the possibility of the existence of our latifundium in this area from the mid-2nd century onwards. Of the developments in the 3rd century we learn that "this century saw the accelerated concentration of the estates, presumably also resulting in the formation in this area of larger estates, and the building of large villa rusticas (Hosszúhetény, Kővágószőlős, Mecsekjánosi)."

24 It is to be remarked that this process in our case started sometime in the mid-2nd century. It was in all likelihood the proximity of Sopianae that had brought about this course of events (of the three settlement, Kővágószőlős was lying nearest to Sopianae : 12 km). Relying upon the data gathered 100 years ago, Fiilep says: "To mention only the closest and most significant ones, there were the villa found at Kővágószőlős, and the painted burial chamber",

25 i. e. this assumption was fully borne out by the results of the excavations carried out between 1977-1982. Another source, also relating the developments in the 3rd century, makes mention of another Roman villa in the area: during earth moving in 1975 the remnants of a Roman building were uncovered SE of our villa. "The building is situated at the foot of the S slopes of the Jakab-hegy, partly overlying a prehistoric site (HA/B). We have uncovered part of the SE wing of the villa, and also the foundations of the columns in the portico. The upper humus layer has yialded large 23 FÜLEP- BURGER 1979. 300. 24 FÜLEP 1984. 275. 25 Ibid. 26 G. Kárpáti- В. Maráz MNMA XV. 185/1977. - RF Ser. I. No 29. Budapest, 1976. 40. quantities of mosaic flags, fresco fragments and 3rd4th century coins.—In the N part of the excavated area the remnants of a 4-5th century dug-out house (with post holes in the middle of the N and S sides) were unearthed. In the NW corner of this house a fireplace with brick-set bottom was found. The site has also yielded remnants of dug-out and wattle-and-daub construction houses and refuse pits, all dating from the Late Roman settlement. In one of the houses a cameo gold fmgerring was uncovered."

26 The material of finds excavated at the site is still untreated (except for the archaeozoological material, cf. Vörös, 1987) but, regrettably enough, the exact localization of the site is no more possible

27

. The Roxolan incurdions in 259/260 affected primarily the town of Sopianae, leaving the villa relatively undisturbed.

28 However, it brought about thorough-going changes in the proper use of the rooms. The majority of the coins dating from the 4th century can be connected with the rule of Constantine I, and especially with that of Constantius II. It is just possible that in this period the owner of the villa removed to the "villa with mosaic flooring" found in 1975, fitting out the "Herrensitz"'

29 complex under discussion for primarily farming purposes. The large number of iron objects and the makeshift smitheries found in the rooms and among the brick hypocaust pillars all seem to support this assumption. Mention must be made here of the marking iron discovered in "room" U: the letterd P and Q on it (Fig.102) were in all likelihood the initials of the one-time owner of the villa. The latest, still datable coin from the villa comes from among the brick hypocaust pillars in room I in the E wing: a Siscian mint of Gratian, dating from 367375 A.D. (No 117). The perdition of the villa may have been caused by a conflagration, as was indicated by the thick layer of burnt rubble covering—and for centuries protecting—the full surface of the area. The huge hunting dog, the complete skeleton of which was found also in room I (cf. Vörös, 1987) must also have been killed by this fire. The flagged courtyard N, covered with the broken fragments of the fallen in roofing, has yielded the finest article in the material, the small-sized bronze figure of a horseman (emperor) used as a mounting on a carriage (Figs. 110a—b)

. However, the above described buildings, i. e. the 2nd-4th century central building of the large Roman latifundium at Kővágószőlős, excavated between 1977— 1982, and the "villa with mosaic flooring" discovered in 1975, can by no means be considered as representing the whole of this villa complex. We have found no traces of a stone wall or a dyke enclosing the area, we could not locate the horreum, the other farm build27 The accurate mapping of the site was not carried out during the excavation. The percolation covering the area was already thick in 1977, at the outset of our work. 28 FÜLEP 1984. 274. et al. 29 HAJNÓCZI 1975. 17f. - SMITH, J. T. in: TODD, 150.