A Sarmatian settlement is being excavated on the southern bank of the Rákos Stream not far from the Bosnyák Square market, in the 14th District, by the staff of the Budapest History Museum – writes Boglárka Mészáros, lead archaeologist, in a report published on the archaeological website regeszet.aquincum.hu.

Archaeological excavations are taking as part of preparations for the construction of the Zugló City Center project. Several sites from archaeological periods are known in the immediate and more distant surroundings of the current dig site, on both the northern and southern banks of the Rákos Stream.  A trial excavation in 2008 showed that settlement artefacts from the Sarmatian and Árpád periods were extant in the area with indications of  Sarmatian graves surrounded by circular ditches. 

Based on the new finds, the excavated part of the settlement can be dated to the  2nd-3rd centuries, and the Sarmatians connected to imperial Rome. So far, three half-dugout houses have been excavated. Grain and garbage storage pits and ditches have also been documented in the area. The ditches may also have served as drainage and area demarcation lines. In addition, a free-standing furnace and its work-pit have been found.

Bronze medal from the earth filling the half-dugout (Photo: regeszet.aquincum.hu)

The finds from the pits and houses paint an exciting picture, as the many Roman ceramic fragments (terra sigillata, amphora) among them suggest an active connection between the population of the Roman province and the barbarians living here.

Fragments of glass, glass beads, some fibula (clothespin) fragments and a few metal items (fittings, pendants, fragments of silver and bronze, iron objects) were also found.

The area presumed to be hiding Sarmatian tombs will be excavated after the current dig ends.

Read the full Hungarian article here.

Source: regeszet.aquincum.hu

Cover photo: Archaeologists uncover Sarmatian ruins in Zugló (Photo: regeszet.aquincum.hu)