Cseri Miklós, Tárnoki Judit szerk.: Népi építészet a Kárpát-medencében a honfoglalástól a 18. századig - A 2001. október 9-10-én Szolnokon megrendezett konferencia anyaga (Szentendre; Szolnok: Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum; Szolnoki Damjanich János, 2001)
BENKŐ Elek: Régészeti megjegyzések a székelyföldi lakóházak középkori történetéhez
After the excavations in Seklerland (and also in Székelykeresztúr) carried out in the 1970-80s it is considered as a proven fact that the population in Eastern Transylvania used to live in the Arpadian age in undivided, rectangular, half dug-out houses, which were heated with ovens. These finds put an end to the ethnographic discussions of several decades, since it became clear that the idea of the older ethnographic research (Zsigmond BÁTKY), saying that early houses of the Seklers were built exclusively with open fireplaces, is groundless from the archaeological point of view. The excavations provided proof of the fact that the houses of the Arpadian age were equipped with clay-ovens unlike the houses of the similar dug-outs of the late migration period (of the Avar and Slavic times), in which mainly remains of collapsed stone ovens were found. We suppose to recognise in a half dug-out house with unusual structure, built with hewn timbers and heated with a brick oven from the 13 th century, the building of a small Saxon community settled down in Székelykeresztúr during the late Arpadian age and destroyed under violent conditions. The 14 th century constituted a turning point in the history of the medieval dwelling houses in the environs of Székelykeresztúr. During this century houses built on the surface replace dug-outs. The new houses had one or two rooms, daubed log-walls and round clay ovens heated them. Their remains were unearthed in the inner area of Székelykeresztúr but also in the nearby Fiatfalva. Our finds and the written sources inform about further important changes in the history of the dwelling houses of Seklerland occurred during 100 years from the end of the 15 th century. The most spectacular novelty is the appearance of the heating devices covered with tiles and concave tiles. Following our archaeological observations, early concave tiles are present from the second half of the 15 th century, and the earliest tiles appear from the end of the century. They are present in many sites in the inner Székelykeresztúr as well as in the surrounding villages. Their frequency suggests that not all such finds cold be related to manors. Another new element besides the tile-ovens is the regular presence of cellars under the houses. The market towns played an important role in the development of this newest houses with a more complicated gound-plan, since the inhabitants, and especially the well-to-do inhabitants living around the market square used to keep a tavern and to store wine. Furthermore, they used to carry out craft's activities - beyond the agricultural production - and they needed store-rooms and workshops. Still, the forerunners and models of these houses could be not only the houses of the market towns, but also the manors in the villages and market towns. The most outstanding result of the archaeological research in Székelykeresztúr during the last years was the complete excavation of the foundation of a stone manor from the 16 th century (in Kriza street 23.)
