Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 33/4. (2013)
Articles
256 Zs. Nyárádi The level containing the graves was not reached in this case either during the excavation.29 In 2004, during the drainage of groundwater from the area around the church of Tarcsafalva (Romanian: Tärce^ti), a one meter wide and 1.8-2 m deep trench was excavated north of the church, which showed traces of burials in its cross-section, at a depth of 70-80 cm.30 During autumn 2010, in Tordátfalva (Romanian: Turdeni) a short rescue excavation was organized, with the objective of preventing the deterioration of the northern wall. In order to achieve this, two 50-60 cm wide drainage canals were created directly both on the inside and the outside of the wall and during this, the traces of 16 graves were documented.31 The most burials in cemeteries surrounding still standing churches in Udvarhely County, 68 in number, were documented in Székelykeresztúr in 1979, when a 22 square meter surface was excavated in front of the church’s northern frontage.32 Regarding the excavation of cemeteries, a professionally more feasible method is connected to the research of ruined churches. During the complete excavation of the interior of the church in Szentábrahám (Romanian: Avrame^ti), 176 graves were documented in the period between 1985 and 1987, and this shed light on the limits of the entire cemetery in the area.33 During the excavation of the ruins of the medieval church in Kányád, graves were discovered dating back to the Árpád dynasty and up until the 18th century, both inside and outside the building’s perimeter. During the excavations, between 2005 and 2006, we managed to document the traces of 56 burials inside four excavation pits.34 During the 2006 excavation of the medieval church in the village of Szentimre (Saint Emeric), found at the outskirts of Székelyudvarhely, which had died out during the 16th century, we documented 30 graves at a site that had been considerably damaged by tillage and agriculture. These were found very close to the surface, at a depth of 20-50 cm.35 29 Demjén - Nyárádi - Sófalvi 2008, 91-92. 30 Demjén - Nyárádi - Sófalvi 2008, 89. 31 Nyárádi - Rejtő, 2011,232. 32 Benkő 1992, 156-158. 33Benkő 1992, 220-238. 34 Derzsi - Sófalvi 2008, 271-273. 35 Nyárádi 2012, 169-171. Between 2002 and 2003, another settlement that had died out was excavated in Udvarhely County. During the excavation of the medieval church in Dobó (Romanian: Dobeni), 40 percent of the interior surface of the building was investigated. A total of 16 graves were excavated, three of which were found outside the church, on the southern side.36 We found the ruins of the church in Máréfalva (Romanian: Satu Mare) in the Botos-düllő, during the excavations done in 2007-2008, and we documented 32 burials during the excavation of the Romanesque and gothic sanctuaries, vestry and the gate tower.37 During the 18th century the church in Lövéte (Romanian: Lueta) was moved from Felső-kiáltódomb to the village center. The location of its medieval church was used as a cemetery until the middle of the 19th century, and because of this both the medieval church and the cemetery had been severely damaged so a considerable number of the 55 burials which were uncovered during the archaeological excavations in 2010-2011 , came from the modern era.38 The rescue excavation at the medieval church in Fenyéd (Romanian: Brade^ti) was done between 2010-2011 , due to the severe erosion and landslides in the area. Then, we mainly excavated the cemetery’s south-eastern part. The age of the uncovered 26 burials spanned from the Árpád dynasty up until the 17th century.39 Another 34 burials were uncovered during the excavation of the medieval fortified church in Homoródszentmárton (Romanian: Martinig), between 2011-2012.40 The medieval cemetery in Bögöz a. General features The cemetery surrounding the church was opened during the 12th century, following the construction of the first church and it was used up until the end of the 19th century. Today, it is surrounded by a slightly oval cemetery wall, stretching toward east and west, which had been build following the gothic reconstructions. During the excavation we found the remnants of an earlier cemetery wall, which can be connected to the 14th century constructions. We did not find anything 36 Bordi 2009, 227-261. 37 Demjén - Sófalvi 2009, 21-25. 38 Nyárádi - Sófalvi 2011, 6-13. 39 Nyárádi - Sófalvi 2011, 5-9. 40 Sófalvi 2012, 166-167.
