Two thousand-year-old memories of Hungary\u2019s capital were recently unearthed in the heart of Budapest, close to the banks of the Danube River. Remains of a Roman wall, a medieval well and hundreds of coins from the time of Matthias Corvinus were found in the courtyard of the Buda Hospital of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, which is currently being renovated.<\/p>\n
The results of the excavation were proudly reported at the beginning of this year not only by archaeologists<\/a>, but also by the main contractor of the construction, Grabarics Kft. \u201cWe are glad that this construction brought to surface such objects and knowledge that might have never been unearthed if the hospital yard had remained in its old condition,\u201d the company wrote in a statement.<\/a><\/p>\n However, it was not reported that a similarly valuable site had already been destroyed during construction two years earlier in an area just a couple of meters south of the hospital yard.<\/p>\n Here, at the corner of Frankel Le\u00f3 Street and Vidra Street, as part of the hospital renovation, a new wing was erected with a three-storey underground garage that required the excavation of a more than 15-meter-deep pit. Prior to that, an archaeological excavation should have been carried out on the entire construction site, but in the end it was not possible: by the time the archaeologists started working in the spring of 2018, \u201cpart of the area had been excavated by heavy machinery,\u201d said dr. Orsolya L\u00e1ng, Deputy Director General of Archaeology of the Budapest History Museum. Thus, an area of hundreds of square meters was lost, which could have been an \u201carchaeologically organic continuation\u201d of the artefacts recently unearthed in the courtyard of the hospital.<\/p>\n The civil engineering works of the project were carried out by Bauer Magyarorsz\u00e1g Kft. \u2013 the company that was recently commissioned for earthworks related to the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant.<\/p>\n To our question, however, Bauer wrote that during the hospital investment, their company \u201chad no obligation to ensure the exploration and preservation of the archaeological material,\u201d this was the task of the investor.<\/p>\n Neither the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, nor the competent government office, nor the main contractor Grabarics Kft. answered our question about who is responsible for the damage caused during the construction.<\/p>\n The district of Felh\u00e9v\u00edz, where the Buda Hospital is located, was a densely populated area already during Roman and medieval times. From this location, always \u201cvaluable archaeological treasures can be unearthed,\u201d according to the experts of the Budapest History Museum. This is why they think it is \u201cvery unfortunate\u201d that a full excavation could not take place in the vicinity of the hospital.<\/p>\n Protecting such finds is not only important for archaeologists and historians \u2013 international conventions and the current Hungarian legislation also oblige everyone to do so. “Our cultural heritage is an irreplaceable, unique and non-renewable source of our country’s past and present”, and “any damage to such values (…) causes irreparable loss”, writes the Act on the Protection of Cultural Heritage and its justification.<\/p>\n The building permit for the renovation and expansion of the also emphasized that the investment takes place on a highly protected archaeological site. It was stipulated that archaeological excavations should be carried out on the entire area affected by the earthworks, and the archaeological finds should be preserved, and, if possible, also presented on the site.<\/p>\n However, when the new wing of the hospital was built, the heavy machinery were quicker archaeologists: much of the approximately 3,000-square-meter building area had been excavated before experts could have started to work there. Upon noticing this, archaeologists were only able to start excavation in a smaller area (on 500-600 square meters) in April 2018. In two months, a medieval layer, a medieval kiln (with 14th-century finds in it), a Roman pit and prehistoric finds were also unearthed here, said dr. Orsolya L\u00e1ng.<\/p>\n Archaeologists planned to continue excavation in June, in a previously untouched area of about 200 square meters, under the ramp leading to the construction site. However, they were halted once again: by the time the archaeologists returned, machines had already demolished this area.<\/p>\n
\nBecome a supporting member now!<\/a><\/div>\nNot just a few pieces of stone, but a highly protected archaeological site<\/h2>\n