Budapest Régiségei 24/1. (1976)

KUTATÁSTÖRTÉNET = HISTORICAL SURVAY OF THE RESEARCHES = ISTORIÂ ISSLEDOVANIÂ - Póczy Klára: Az aquincumi legiostábor és katonaváros romjainak a feltárása és a műemléki bemutatása 11-30

KLÁRA POCZY INVESTIGATION OF THE AQUINCUM LEGIONARY CAMP AND THE RESTORATION OF ITS RUINS This paper surveys the history of the excavations of the Aquincum legionary camp since the beginning, 1778, that is from the first archaelogical investigations, then it summarizes the results of the two years between 1973 and 1975, marking the inevitable further steps as well. About the current investigations the following can be said. The topographical situation of the Aquincum legionary camp during the second and third century A. D. has been cleared up. The new archaeological excavations brought manifold results even during this relatively short period, because many isolated, previously known data could be coordinated and authenticated. These details, wall remnants, or other phenomena presented themselves by their isolation very well for combinations. Many previous publications bore highly contradicting opinions about the topography of the camps at Óbuda. The position of the three gates, the construction of the fortification system (vallum, wall, fossa) of the legionary camp of the age of Trajan and Hadrian can be outlined, applying the old data. New knowledge was also obtained about the edifices within the camp. The first to be mentioned is the principia,and most important that a decorative gate with four openings belonged to this, during the third and fourth centuries. Remnants of its multistoried tower came to light. The ground plan of the presumed "fabrica" has been known previously north of the "praetorium". As a counterpart, workshops, among others a block containing a press came to light on the western side of the "via principalis sinistra". The ground plan of the hospital, the baths, and three store-rooms are known today. Barrack blocks can be outlined in the "praetentura" and the "retentura". Paved streets came to light at several spots, the drainage system, and the aqueduct for almost the entire inner area of the camp. In the course of the recent excavations in the last years (1973-75)eight essential periods of the history of Aquincum could be distinguished in the area of the legionary camp and in the adjoining canabae. Most data are known about the stone camp built under Domitian and Trajan and a later re-building in Severan times which can be reconstructed with the least ambigutity. The determination of the system of the late Roman fort with its special foiled wallsections, horseshoe-shaped bastions and large magazines can be considered quite a new result. The purpose of the building dating from the late imperial period found under the Parish Church in Templom Street still needs to be cleared up; possibly it could be an early Christian chapel. In any case, the time of its construction may be put at the last decades of the fourth century A.D. To sum up, it can be said that in Aquincum the localization of the castra which were often pulled down has not much altered between the end of the 1st and the beginning of the 4th centuries A. D.The location of the north-south main road and some streets leading from east to west determined the direction of the changes. The subsequent camps were at all times built more back, i.e. more to the west of the Danube, at the same time the canabae got farther and farther - from the civilian town. / 27