Construction of residential buildings
Site IDs: 15208, 66506
Keywords: Migration Period, Late Avar, settlement, Middle Ages, 13th–14th century, village, outdoor oven
Between August 13, 2018, and January 16, 2020, archaeological monitoring, including excavation and full-area investigation, was carried out on the plot at 19 and 21 Jakab József Street, District XIII, Budapest (plot no. 25873/5, 25873/6), in connection with the construction of residential buildings
The area is of particular archaeological importance due to the presence of two previously known sites in its immediate vicinity. One is the area bordered by Árpád Bridge – Váci Road – Szent István Boulevard – Danube River, where traces of a medieval settlement were found. The other is located at the junction of Vizafogó Street – Dagály Street – Rákos Creek, which includes the plot at 19 Jakab József Street, where József Beszédes carried out a full-area excavation in the autumn of 2008. (Fig. 1) This plot directly borders 21 Jakab József Street to the south.
The area affected by earthworks at 19 and 21 Jakab József Street covered 3022 m², of which 2876 m² yielded archaeologically significant findings.
At the request of the client, the previously excavated area on plot 19 was extended, and the area designated for new construction on plot 21 was also excavated. (Fig. 2) Archaeological features appeared beneath approximately 3.5 meters of modern fill and an additional 50–70 cm of humus, starting at 100.7 above Baltic Sea level. Some features were already detectable in the humus and sub-humus layers. The site, located on a former ridge about 500 meters from the current Danube shoreline, may have been bordered by Rákos Creek to the north, the Danube to the west, and a parallel watercourse branching off the creek to the south. The eastern part of the site likely consisted of marshy, floodplain terrain. A north–south waterway approximately 500 meters from the Danube is already featured on an overview map of Budapest, Pest, and its surroundings from 1775. The excavations revealed north–south and east–west oriented ditch systems, pits, a semi-subterranean house (Fig. 3), postholes, and two free-standing ovens associated with Migration Period (especially Avar) and medieval settlements. The settlement area identified by Beszédes and dated to the Late Avar period continued within our excavation zone as well. (Fig. 4) Some smaller features could not be precisely dated due to lack of artifacts. The free-standing ovens yielded a considerable amount of ceramic and bone finds, which can be dated to the 13th–14th centuries. One of the ovens had its baking surface renewed twice, and heat retention was ensured with several hundred small stones and ceramic fragments placed under the hearth surface. (Fig. 5) The excavated ditches varied in width and depth; their fills included stones and fragments of Roman tegulae.
The archaeological work at plots 19 and 21 Jakab József Street concluded on January 16, 2020. Earthworks are also expected on the neighboring plot at 25 Jakab József Street, where archaeological supervision will be necessary, as Avar and medieval features are likely present.
Contributors: Boglárka Mészáros (lead archaeologist), Ágoston Takács (archaeologist), Andrea Ilés-Muszka (archaeological field technician), Orsolya Kangyal (drawing specialist), István Fábián (surveyor), Tibor Kovács (surveyor)
Boglárka Mészáros
References:
Beszédes 2009a • Beszédes, József: Budapest, XIII. ker., Jakab J. út – Esztergomi út – Bodor út által határolt telek, Hrsz.: 25873/5. [Budapest, District XIII, plot bordered by Jakab J. Street – Esztergomi Street – Bodor Street, Plot no. 25873/5.] Aquincumi Füzetek 15 (2009), pp. 181–182.
Beszédes 2009b • Beszédes, József: Budapest, XIII. ker., Jakab J. út – Esztergomi út – Bodor út által határolt telek, Hrsz.: 25873/8. [Budapest, District XIII, plot bordered by Jakab J. Street – Esztergomi Street – Bodor Street, Plot no. 25873/8.] Aquincumi Füzetek 15 (2009), p. 182.