Road construction
Site ID: 66780
Keywords: Prehistory, Migration Period, Sarmatian, layer finds, Middle Ages, settlement, layer finds
Between 17 February and 27 April 2020, archaeological monitoring was carried out during mechanical earthworks related to road construction at the above location. The roadbed and pavement surface, removed to a depth of 40–60 cm, cut through varied, utility-disturbed soil layers. The elevated ridge rising between Zsemlékes Road and Veres Péter Road from the alluvial zone of the Szilas Stream climbs from 145.90 a.B.S.l. to 157.32 a.B.S.l. at Album Street, then descends gradually toward Andocs Street (156.46 a.B.S.l.), reaching Farkashalom Street at 154.31 a.B.S.l.. (Fig. 1)
At the Nógrádverőce Road junction, soil layers were disturbed due to previous infrastructure work, and the humic topsoil was only visible in small areas. Between Nógrádverőce Road and Ajak Street, greyish-brown to brown humic sandy topsoil was observed, containing a relatively high number of prehistoric, Sarmatian, and medieval pottery fragments. (Fig. 2) Although the density of finds did not match that observed along the Nógrádverőce stretch, archaeological period land use was clearly indicated. Within the depth of the trenching, two or three uncertain archaeological features could be distinguished. (Fig. 3) These may have been medieval cut features, suggested by a concentration of pottery and daub fragments in brown sand. However, because this area typically contains artefacts mixed into the humus, the identification remains tentative. Excavation into these possible features was not feasible.
Between Ajak Street and Farkashalom Street, occasional stray pottery sherds were found, but no features were identified. The base of the humic layer displayed root mottling, indicating that this area may once have been part of the adjacent field under agricultural use. Around Album Street, the roadbed was cut into yellow, gravelly sand showing signs of frost-related soil movement; further on, near Andocs Street, reddish-brown gravelly sand reappeared. Between Andocs and Farkashalom Streets, only traces of the natural humus layer remained, and earthworks mostly affected soils mixed with modern debris.
Along the southeastern side of the road, a 1–1.5-meter-deep drainage ditch lined with turf blocks was also monitored. This too revealed evidence for higher archaeological density toward the Nógrádverőce Road section.
Contributors: Gábor Gyenes (archaeological field technician)
Gábor Gyenes