A Roman Structure from Hurbanovo, SW Slovakia: Multiproxy Investigation of Unique Waterlogged Deposit

Abstract

The paper presents results of analyses of various types of organic remains recovered from a waterlogged fill of the sunken structure from Hurbanovo (SW Slovakia) dated to the Early Roman period (1st and 2nd century AD). The structure represents a unique find – the only archaeological feature with waterlogged infill at the site and one of nine known from the Roman Period “barbaric” territory of modern day Slovakia. The waterlogging enabled the preservation of a wider spectrum of organic remains and taxa as known from contemporary Roman period sites in the region. Here are discussed charred and waterlogged seeds and fruits, waterlogged wood, charcoal, animal bones, molluscs and insects. Floral and faunal data yield evidence of crop and animal husbandry, domestic/household activities at the site, and convey information on the surroundings and human-exploited landscape. Taphonomic analyses indicate that the majority of ecofacts from the pit are in the secondary position, and therefore cannot be used for ascertaining the original function of the structure. This has been done solely on archaeological analyses of the contextual data and by use of analogy. IANSA 2018 ● IX/1 ● 43–69 Mária Hajnalová, Zora Bielichová, Ján Rajtár, Denisa Krčová, Tomáš Čejka, Zbyšek Šustek, Jana Mihályiová: A Roman Structure from Hurbanovo, SW Slovakia: Multiproxy Investigation of Unique Waterlogged Deposit 44 Figure 1. Hurbanovo-Štrkovisko; geographic location (47.86027°N, 18.18335°E). Map of 2nd Military survey (1806 – 1869). http://www.mapire.eu Figure 2. Hurbanovo-Štrkovisko; plan of the excavation. Legend: 1 – Roman period; 2 – Early Middle Ages; 3 – other prehistoric periods; 4 – unknown. 0 1 km 0 1 km IANSA 2018 ● IX/1 ● 43–69 Mária Hajnalová, Zora Bielichová, Ján Rajtár, Denisa Krčová, Tomáš Čejka, Zbyšek Šustek, Jana Mihályiová: A Roman Structure from Hurbanovo, SW Slovakia: Multiproxy Investigation of Unique Waterlogged Deposit 45 ca 1 km, from the southern limit of the town to the village of Konkoľ. The ridge runs north to south and in the west borders with a terrain depression, the eastern margin of a marsh of the recently-channelled Hurbanovo stream (Figure 1). Aerial and field prospection has documented that the whole extent of the sand dune and nearby terrain has been exploited and densely occupied throughout prehistory, protohistory and the Middle Ages (Hanzelyová, Kuzma, Rajtár, 1995, p. 55; Kolníková, 2002; Rajtár, 2002, pp. 360–361, Figures 1–2). Hurbanovo lies 15 km north of the Danube, which in the Roman period formed the northern frontier of the Roman Province of Pannonia. Even though the area was close to border at the time, it still belonged to barbarian territory (Figure 1). The rescue excavation in 2003 was limited to a sounding of 55×30–35 m just below the planned building (Rajtár, 2004). It covered the area from the lower slope of the dune (altitude 121.1 m asl) to the depression (at 119.5 m asl), a rise of 1.5 m. The archaeological situation in the sounding was complex (Figure 2). A network of (probably modern or late-medieval) parallel and criss-crossing ditches along with a layer, formed by the erosion of settlement debris accumulated during its long-term occupation, covered the unclear traces of settlement pits and other structures outlined in the subsoil. The earliest phase of occupation of the site within the sounding area dates to the Eneolithic. The infill of features 8 and 26 yielded distinctive pottery and other finds (e.g. a sledgehammer) of the earlier phase of the Baden culture, the so-called Boleraz Group (Němejcová-Pavúková, 1979). Feature 17 provided pottery and animal bone finds assigned to the Early Iron Age (Vekerzug Culture). The largest proportion of the uncovered features (11, 16, 23 in Figure 2) and the artefacts are from the Roman Period occupation of the site. The Middle Ages are represented by the remains of two sunken huts (5, 6) with finds dating to the 9th and 11th–12th century AD. 2.1 Excavation Pit no. 23 (Figure 3) was situated on the lower elevated western limit of the sounding, in the terrain sloping down towards the inundation depression. The area was wet, and since the excavations took place between the end of October and mid-November, the surface was often frozen to a depth of 10 cm. The oval ground plan of the pit and its dimensions of 200×180 cm and dark infill appeared at a depth of 30–40 cm from the present-day surface. Next to its eastern edge was a shallow oval pit of 50×35 cm with brown infill (probably the bottom-most part of a post hole?). The southern half of feature no. 23 was excavated first. The upper 40 cm of the fill consisted of a dark grey-brown sandy layer with small pebbles (Figure 3.1). Artefacts retrieved by hand comprised a small number of ceramic fragments and an iron spur (Rajtár, 2004, pp. 292–294, Figures 113–115). Below was a 15-cmdeep layer of lighter colour, with small stones, fragments of Figure 3. Hurbanovo-Štrkovisko; profile section of feature no. 23 from the excavation surface. Legend: 1 – sandy layer with small pebbles; 2 – layer with small stones; fragments of calcium concretions and daub; 3 – layer rich in organic material; 4 – ashy layer; 5 – silt; 6 – charcoal; 7 – waterlogged wood; 8 – animal bone; 9 – bedrock; 10 – ground water level. 0 1 m IANSA 2018 ● IX/1 ● 43–69 Mária Hajnalová, Zora Bielichová, Ján Rajtár, Denisa Krčová, Tomáš Čejka, Zbyšek Šustek, Jana Mihályiová: A Roman Structure from Hurbanovo, SW Slovakia: Multiproxy Investigation of Unique Waterlogged Deposit 46 calcium concretions and daub (Figure 3.2). It overlaid another dark grey-brown layer, which reached down to 80 cm and yielded a few larger daub fragments, stones, two fragments of bronze plate and some charcoal fragments. At the level of ca 70 cm from the excavation surface, the underground water started to flow into the feature (Figure 3.10). Next was a 5-10-cm-deep brown-red layer rich in organic material, the majority being probably partly-decomposed plant matter (Figure 3.3). In its eastern part, it was overlaid by a thin, light-grey “ashy” layer (Figure 3.4). Apart from the organic matter the brown-red layer also contained larger fragments of ceramic vessels, a well-preserved vessel with fibre, waterlogged wood, and animal bones (Figure 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 and Figure 4). The constant inflow of the water and the absence of a proper pumping device made the excavation a challenging affair and disenabled the proper excavation, documentation and retrieval of finds. For this reason, part of the fill was taken in bulk and placed into large plastic bags. The inflowing water was drawn out by buckets. The remaining fill formed a 40-cm-deep, grey-yellow or greenish silt (Figure 3.5). Its upper part was “shovelled out” of the pit and searched for finds. From this were retrieved pottery, animal bones, charcoal and numerous wood fragments. The remaining fill was thus put into plastic bags for a later, moredetailed retrieval of finds and water flotation. The obtained profile (vertical cross section) of the feature showed that the pit had perpendicular walls, slightlycurved in their lower part, and a flat bottom. Its depth was 180–190 cm from the modern terrain, and 150 cm from the level where it has been recognised. The cross-section revealed that the lower part of the walls, and probably also the bottom of the pit, were lined (?) with wood (branches) or some disentangled wooden construction (?). The excavation of the northern part of the feature was also complicated by the constant inflow of water. First, the topmost (more sandy) 70 cm of fill was taken out, and then, by hand, were retrieved from it ceramic fragments and larger pieces of daub. The lower, waterlogged fill layers (after drawing out water by buckets), were sampled in bulk and placed into plastic bags. Unfortunately, the bulk samples were not numbered or labelled, and their order or spatial/contextual information was not recorded. Similarly, no labelling or contextualising has been performed for the recovered wood, animal bone, ceramic, daub or iron finds. All materials and samples have been treated in the field, brought to the laboratory and processed as if originating from a single-event context. Despite the clear archaeological evidence of at least three different layers (contexts/events), the individual samples had to be evaluated as one composite sample (sensu Pearsall, 2000, p. 71), which, in a way, limits the interpretation of the results. All wooden finds, prior to the analyses, were treated in polyethylenglycol (PEG).