BTM Aquincum Museum

H-1031 Budapest, Záhony u. 4 - Hungary

E-mail addresses: h8692zsi@ella.hu; lang.orsolya@iif.hu

The growing number of investments in archaeologically protected areas mean greater challenge for archaeologists all over in Hungary.

It is especially true in the case of Budapest, where building activities bring to light the ruins of Óbuda, Buda and Pest. The primary intention of investors, even if they are interested in archaeology, is to have the excavation done by the Museum as soon and as cheap as possible. The demand is similar when constructing public utilities or in case of public transport. Museums can only adapt themselves to these demands if they apply new techologies in documentation and survey.

The Budapest Historical Musem has long been trying to apply these technologies. Photogrammetry, geophisical survey and laser-scanning were sometimes used as completing traditional documentation.

Testing these new technologies in reality has first been carried out this year. The reconstruction of the railway-line of the Szentendrei HÉV required special attention as it crosses the Civil Town of Aquincum. Comparing the plans of the transport company (BKV Rt.) to our informations of previous excavations, it became clear that the reconstruction could affect roman layers. The strictly built up project only allowed 16 hours for archaeological work to be done.

Taking up the tracks meant that a circa 400 m long and 10 m wide stripe of the roman settlement came more or less to light. The first step was the geophisical survey, which revealed walls of buildings of different orientations. Following the survey, cleaning of the surface was done when remains of buildings of unknown purpose came to light together with traces of terrazzo and heating channels. The documentation of this building together with other wall-fragments was carried out by laser-scanning during the night and also in rain.

This type of documentation carried out in a few hours, not only helped the archaeological research, but also resulted new informations: so far undefined data, deriving from previous years excavations in the Civil Town of Aquincum, could be explained and we can complete the topographical-chronological picture of the roman town.