Ostalo
Archaeological-Conservation Research of The Medieval Vrbovec Castle in Klenovec Humski in 2007
Tatjana Tkalčec
orcid.org/0000-0003-3963-7706
; Institut za arheologiju, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
In the period between 14th and 25th May and from 4th to the 13th September 2007 the Institute of Archaeology continued a systematic rescue excavation of the Plemićki grad Vrbovec site (Veliki Gradiš, Veliko Gradišće in Klenovec near Hum na Sutli), known in historical sources from 1267 until 1497 (Fig. 1).
Precise archaeological excavations took place on a carefully chosen trench in the north-western part of the site, alongside the wall SJ 062, on an area of 32 m2 and on the north-eastern part of the site (east of SJ 066, SJ 051 and SJ 050), on an area of 60 m2.
The aim of the research on the western side was to explore the foundations of the wall SJ 062 in order to complete conservation works on the corner of the castle where the walls SJ 062 and 064 meet, and to reconstruct the foundations. The work conducted in the trial trench was very precise, with the sifting of excavated soil due to complex stratigraphy and a great importance of cultural layers. The trial trench has been explored all the way to the bedrock providing important insights into the oldest layers of the castle. However, we did not get the expected result with respect to what the foundations looked like. The bedrock here was high and the wall of the castle simply sat on it abolishing the need to construct a higher foundation.
The trial trench on the west was situated between the quadrants A6 and A5 and measured 4 m in the direction west (slope) – east (alongside the wall SJ 062) and 2 m in the direction north-south. We determined that on this area the layers of “sterile” yellow clay and cultural layers with finds interchange. All the layers are very thin, somewhere only 3 cm, elsewhere 15 cm, depending whether the layer is preserved on a flat area or on a slope where it is likely to thin out or disappear. On the other hand under the same circumstances it may have thickened, if a stone has kept the layers from sliding downhill. On the average, we can say that the layers were 5 – 10 cm thick. Inside them we noticed the remains of vertical pillars. Sometimes the pillars are round in cross-section, sometimes these are rectangular beams. Their dimensions are greater in the upper layers. In the bedrock their dimensions are much smaller and the cross-section is round, giving an impression of a stick stuck into the ground or maybe a pointed tip of a pole (Fig. 2). It is undeniable that a wooden construction stood here, and that for some reason the layers of yellow clay were deliberately placed on top of sedimented cultural layers. Further archaeological explorations are necessary to explain this phenomenon.
On the eastern side the excavations were continued on an area alongside the eastern defensive wall, specifically its segments SJ 066 and SJ 051. Below the humus of SJ 001 we found layers in different state of preservation. The entire material was sifted through a screen. The cultural layers yielded fragments of pottery, tiles, occasional piece of glass, forged iron nails and animal bones. Chronologically, they belong to the earliest phases of habitation on the site. This year’s exploration of this area defined the structure SJ 067 which was formerly thought to be a buttress. It turned out to be a wall whose dimensions and direction are still not completely defined. Another wall has been discovered which runs alongside the eastern bulwark of the castle in the north-south direction – SJ 167 (Fig. 3).
We conducted conservation and consolidation works on the walls SJ 066 (wall extension and final cover), SJ 065 and SJ 055 (pointing of the face, consolidation and final cover).
Ključne riječi
castle; 13th – 15th century; profane architecture; Gothic period; archaeological research; conservation of architecture; Klenovec Humski; Hrvatsko Zagorje
Hrčak ID:
34058
URI
Datum izdavanja:
19.3.2009.
Posjeta: 1.745 *