Zalai Múzeum 15. Horváth László 60 éves (Zalaegerszeg, 2006)

H. Kelemen Márta: Késő kelta és kora római kori hamvasztásos sírok Esztergomból

Késő kelta és kora római kori hamvasztásos sírok Esztergomból 239 Late Celtic and early Roman cremated burials from Esztergom In the vicinity of Esztergom, the favourable geographical position of the area led to the development of an important settlement during the Celtic period with an oppidum (Várhegy) in its centre. The settlement is situated next to an important water course and at the cross-road of land roads. Romans recognised the strategic importance of Várhegy, which is situated north of the river crossing of the Danube and they established one of the early military camps of the Danube limes. The first castellum of Solva was built during the time of Vespasianus at the latest; its first garrison was cohors I Augusta Ituraeorum. The assessment of almost four hundred graves from late Roman cemeteries excavated during the last few decades has recently been completed. The grave goods of the cremated graves that are outlined in this paper were found in two late Celtic cemeteries and in three late Celtic early Roman cemeteries (Fig. 1.). I. Bánom: In 1978 at Mártsa Alajos street 5 during a house building two cremated burials came to light. The first grave (1.) had an oval shape and its sides were burnt. In this grave a coin of Trajan was found from AD 100 (BMC 740). Also an iron plate, an iron torque fragment, iron nails, an iron mount, „Soldatenteller", „Faltenbecher", two-handed red painted vessel and a lower part of a „firmalamp" were found (Fig 2. 1-10.). The second (2.) grave was rectangular-shaped, also with burnt sides. In this grave apart from one iron nail late Celtic ceramics were found such as bowls with an S profile, secondary burnt graphitic pots with smoothed and combed surface, and some Roman sherds from a broken plate with an inverted rim and also fragments of a brownish-reddish painted bowl (Figs. 2. 11-16.; 3. 1-5.). After examining the area only traces of disturbed graves were found showing calcined bones and as a scattered find a small handleless cup was also collected (Fig. 3. 6.). The hollow iron plate and a fragment of an iron torque from the first grave (1.) are not considered to be a part of the grave. It is assumed that they belonged to an earlier grave and were left at the place where the dead were cremated. Later they became incorporated into the examined grave (1.) together with the remains of the bonfire. The first grave (1.) can be dated to the beginning of the 2

nd century. The first (1.) and second (2.) graves represent an early cemetery of the late Celtic oppidum of Várhegy and early cemetery of Solva castellum. II. Eastern slope of Bánom mound: In the excavated late Roman cemetery, a cremated late Celtic grave was found that was disturbed by a later burial. In the presumably oval grave there was an urn, a bowl with inverted rim, a small handmade cup and a pot with combed decoration. In the bowl there was a little calcined bone and above the bones there were two iron bracelets (Fig. 3. 7-12.). In the vicinity of a late Roman burial (grave 85), but outside any grave, iron objects were found such as a spearhead, a razor and a pair of scissors (Fig. 3. 13-15.). These three objects are characteristic grave goods of late Celtic burials although in the examined cemetery these finds cannot be associated with a grave. Thus they cannot certainly be considered as grave goods although there is a possibility that they may have been part of a symbolic grave. In excavating the late Roman burials of the cemetery, further finds came to light such as a well preserved spiral-looped bronze wire fibula (Fig. 3. 16.) and late Celtic secondary burnt pottery fragments (Fig. 4. 1-29.). These objects belong to cremated burials which were disturbed during the Roman period and modern Age. The finds can be dated to LT-D and probably represent a small late Celtic cemetery that was used only by the Celts. The existence of this cemetery was unknown to researchers prior to this excavation. III. Bajcsy-Zsilinszky street 5: In 1994 three cremated burials came to light during building construction. The vessels of the first (1.) and second (2.) graves were found by workers but the third (3.) grave was excavated after removing a gravestone which was found close to it. In the first (1.) grave there was a handmade, shell-tempered, egg-shaped urn with finger-impressed rib decoration and a cup the handle of which was missing. Within the urn on top of the calcined bones there was a blue (Isings 8. type) balsamarium (Fig. 4. 30-32.). In the second (2.) grave there was an urn with a biconical body decorated with smoothed wavy lines (Fig. 5. 1.). In the urn calcined