T. Láng, Orsolya

BTM Aquincum Museum

The growing number of building investments on archaeologically protected areas, represents an ever increasing challenge for archaeologist throughout in Hungary. The situation is especially critical in Budapest, where building activities bring to light the finds and ruins of Óbuda, Buda and Pest. The primary intention of investors is to have the excavation carried out by the museum as soon and as cheaply as possible. Museums can only adapt themselves to these new demands if they apply new technologies in documentation and survey.

The Budapest Historical Museum has long been trying to apply new methods in archaeological research. Photogrammetry, laser-scanning and geophisical survey were used for completing traditional documentation methodes so far.

Their first application in reality took place last year. The reconstruction of the railway line for the Szentendrei HÉV required special attention as it crosses the Aquincum Civil Town in north-south direction. Comparing the plans of the transport company (BKV Rt.) and data from previous excavations made it clear that the reconstruction could affect roman layers. The strictly sheduled project only allowed 16 hours for the archaeological work to be done. The first step was to carry out geophisical survey in the track-line, later the walls of a roman building that came to light were documented by laeser-scanning. These technologies were of great help, and not only in fast documenting but also in producing new information: thus far unexplanied data from previous excavations in the Civil Town of Aquincum could be explained.

Other research was connected to a pipe-line construction on the Danube -bank, north-east form the Civil Town of Aquincum. Late roman lime-kilns and part of a building decorated with frescoes datable to the 2nd-3rd c. AD. came to light there. Since ruins extended further outside the line of the pipe, these could only be traced by geophisical survey. This helped to complete the groud-plan of the building and the whereabouts of the lime-kilns. Laeser-scanning helped to document walls that were difficult to reach and wall-structures. The results of these methods could be compared to each other as well as to the traditional documentations, so a more complete picture can be drawn of the roman topography of the site.