Medieval and Ottoman Period (14th–17th c.) Archaeology in the Drava River Region, Hungary. Results of an Interdisciplinary Project (with L. Bartosiewicz, K. Éder, E. Gál, Zs. Miklós, M. Rózsás, A. J. Tóth, Cs. Zatykó) (original) (raw)

Medieval and Ottoman period (14th–17th c.) Archaeology in the Drava River region, Hungary

Acta Archaeologica, 2014

The paper is a short summary of the main archaeological outcomes of an interdisciplinary project in a section of the Drava river crossing the territory of Somogy county, in Hungary. One of the study areas is the vicinity of Berzence where medieval settlement patterns, land use and economy have been reconstructed on the basis of historical sources and an archaeological field survey. A comprehensive review of architectural history and material culture of the Ottoman Period stronghold in Barcs was the other area under investigation. Research there was based on written sources and the archaeological assemblage recovered from the palisaded fort. Zooarchaeological research at this site revealed some significant culture historical aspects of this stronghold. Underwater archaeological investigations carried out in the Drava river itself and aerial exploration of the study areas also supplied valuable archaeological results.

Animal remains from the Ottoman-Turkish palisaded fort at Barcs, Southwest Hungary

2016

Four small-scale test excavations were carried out in the area of the Ottoman-Turkish palisaded fort at Barcs between 1989 and 1994.1 An opportunity to excavate a larger surface followed in 2002–2003,2 resulting in one of the richest Ottoman-period animal bone assemblages in Hungary. The significance of this project is shown by the fact that previously only one single Ottoman-Turkish palisaded fort had been completely excavated at the site of SzekszárdÚjpalánk (Yeni Palanka),3 located over 100 km northeast of Barcs. Both the construction and destruction dates of the Turkish fort at Barcs are known. Following the 1566 fall of Szigetvár, Iskender Bey, commander of Szigetvár, had a fort built on the left bank of the Drava River at Barcs in 1567. Barcs was thus designated to become a satellite fort to Szigetvár, securing the port on the Drava and controlling traffic across the river. In administrative terms, the Barcs fort belonged to the Szigetvár sandjak in the vilayet of Buda until 1...