The town beneath the city

Relics from the Roman times to the Medieval Period

Although most present-day preliminary archaeological excavations still involve open-air fieldwork, it is more and more common that excavations have to be carried out in an urban environment. These two settings differ significantly and provide different challenges for archaeologists.

The stratification of locations particularly suitable for human settlement constantly increases as more and more layers are added over centuries and millennia, resulting in the topmost layer used for the everyday life of the inhabitants becoming higher and higher. Today, the same process can be observed in organically developing cities. This results in thick cultural layers in the centres of historical towns and cities, which often obscure features from archaeological periods.

Constant human presence comes with additional difficulties for archaeologists. Construction work often heavily disturbs archaeological and historical layers beneath the surface and can occasionally displace those from their original location, which makes the interpretation of finds and features significantly more difficult.

In July 2018, the Archaeological Heritage Protection Directorate of the Hungarian National Museum conducted an excavation in the outskirts of the city of Győr in relation to the construction of a new apartment complex, during which the section of an Árpád Era settlement came to light in the form of stray features. The filling of the features contained pottery sherds characteristic of the period, and a Roman Period horse-shaped brooch (fibula) was also found in one of the trenches.

Another excavation was conducted during August–September 2018 in the city centre of Győr, in order to determine the archaeological significance of the area. Prior to the fieldwork, the cartographic data of the area was collected. Based on old maps of the city and its castle, as well as the results of previous nearby excavations, it was possible that the remains of the medieval castle of Győr could be beneath the surface. However, no other contemporary buildings were found during that excavation, which suggest that the fortification of the castle either did not extend to this area, or that it was destroyed during later construction works.

Following the removal of the foundation of the building previously present in the area, layers containing some finds from the Early Modern Period and the Middle Ages came to light. Beneath these there were Roman Period layers including characteristic finds of the period. The majority of Roman finds were pottery sherds as well as a few metal finds, including coins. Roman presence in the area is not surprising, as the former town (vicus militaris) of Arrabona, one of the most significant settlements of the province of Pannonia, with a nearby military camp (castellum) securing the border, is located under the present-day city of Győr. The formerly Celtic settlement became a regional centre after the Roman conquest and the establishment of the province, primarily due to the military outpost that was established at the crossroads of several important land routes and waterways. During excavations carried out earlier in the city centre of Győr, several Roman Period fortifications, buildings, roads, and other important finds came to light. In contrast, no buildings came to light during the 2018 excavation, only finds which testify of the characteristics of urban life in Roman Period settlements.

Melinda Eszter Szűcs, László Fekete

Győr–Amádé street 6. (excavation lead: László Fekete)

Győr–Belváros, Teleki 40. (excavation lead: Melinda Eszter Szűcs)