Tanulmányok Budapest Múltjából 31. (2003)

RÉGÉSZETI ÉS RESTAURÁLÁSI ELŐZETES JELENTÉSEK - Kárpáti Zoltán: A Szent Zsigmond-templom és környéke : régészeti jelentés 205-240

KÁRPÁTI ZOLTÁN The St. Sigismund Church (Archaeological Report) The 1988-1996 excavations on the northern part of Szent György Square and the southern courtyards of the former Ministry of Defense, completed with the uncovering of the western part of Színház Street revealed both the history of the St. Sigismund church and of those buildings and lots, that once could be found in he area of the provostship. Due to the great natural ditches of east-westerly direction on the northern part of our area, the traces of the first medieval inhabitants have been preserved. Though the structure of the settlement has not yet been clarified, edifices built on top of each other (edifices Ilia.—III.) and renewed ground levels (edifices I., Ill) indicate that the community of the settlement lived here for a relatively long period. When building their houses the people followed the configuration of the terrain. The edifices of ascending walls were built on the surface of the ground. Object V.a. presumably was used for an oven. Imported utensils were quite common in the everyday life of the settlement, even ornamental vessels could be found in the households. Paths taking shape on the natural ground connected the buildings and parts of the settlement. The line of Jewish Street (Zsidó utca), existing in the period of the town, presumably evolved in the place of one of the paths. According to data gained from stratum analysis the age of the settlement can be dated to the first half of the 13

th century. The abandonment and ruin of the settlement may have been effected by the Mongol invasion. During the construction of the founded town these edifices vanished for good. In the second half of the 13

th century stone buildings were erected in their places, which is proved by written sources and the existence of building 1. Significant part of the finds in pits C and D might be the witness of this time. In the next period, ending with the construction of the St. Sigismund church, the area between Jewish Street and St. John Street (Szent János utca) was also parceled out. Most of the lots were covered by the already common „transversal" houses (buildings 3, 4, 6), yet, a few houses of irregular location were also erected. In all likelihood building 5 was built parallel with the street. The length of the front of the lots is identical with the measurements of the division observed on the northern side of Castle Hill (buildings 4, 5). The depth of the lots, pressed close between the two narrowing streets, is less than the depth of the lots by the town wall. In the back of the lots usually pits and dung-holes were dug (objects B, D) From 1410 the appearance of the area changed, since the construction of the St. Sigismund or Virgin Mary chapel, serving as the church of the collegiate church of royal founding, began. From the area lying south of the church to the king's palace in town, an open space was created between the two streets. 240