Archaeologists excavating the ruins of a medieval castle in western Hungary have uncovered an unusual stone-lined shaft showing evidence of intense heat, but its original purpose remains a mystery.
The structure was discovered during archaeological work at Essegvár Castle in Bánd, in Hungary’s Bakony region. Researchers from the Laczkó Dezső Museum have been investigating the site with university students and volunteers, uncovering evidence spanning several periods in the castle’s history.
The newly discovered shaft has emerged as one of the most puzzling finds from the latest excavations.
Stone-Lined Shaft Shows Signs of Intense Heat
Although relatively small, the shaft was carefully constructed, with large stones positioned on edge around its sides.
Archaeologists found clear evidence that the structure had once been exposed to substantial heat. Traces of burning or heating can be observed on its bottom and sides as well as within material filling the shaft.
What generated that heat — and why the structure was built — has yet to be established.
Researchers have considered whether the shaft could be connected with some form of industrial activity. Metalworking, including the processing of iron or bronze, is among the possibilities, but the excavation has produced no slag or melted material nearby that would normally support such an interpretation.
Its construction also differs from the forms normally associated with medieval brick, lime or pottery kilns.
For the moment, archaeologists are treating its function as an open question and are continuing to gather evidence. One important point has already been established: the shaft was in use before the castle walls were constructed.
Coins Help Date the Castle
The excavation has also produced evidence that could clarify when different sections of Essegvár Castle were built.
Coins dating to the reigns of Hungarian kings Béla III and Andrew II were discovered in excavated areas in the northern part of the fortress. Because these coins pre-date the construction of the castle, they provide useful chronological markers for interpreting other material from the site.
According to the archaeological team, the finds support the conclusion that the northern section of the castle may have been constructed during the second half of the 13th century.
The fact that the mysterious heated shaft predates the castle walls raises another question: whether activity was already taking place on the site before the medieval fortification assumed its later form.
Medieval Artefacts Reveal Life Inside Essegvár
The latest excavation season has produced a substantial collection of other archaeological material.
In the southern part of the castle, researchers uncovered a strongly fortified section of wall incorporating cube-shaped red sandstone blocks. Material recovered from a previously excavated embankment has been dated to the 15th century.
Finds include ceramic fragments, animal bones, arrowheads, a wrought-iron knife, silver coins and clothing ornaments. One of the dress accessories is made from gilded silver.
Archaeologists also recovered copper fittings and decorative elements associated with a Gothic door, including two fittings shaped as six-pointed stars. Fragments of decorated foreign and Italian drinking glasses were found as well.
Together, the objects offer evidence of the material culture of those who occupied the castle during the later Middle Ages.
Another architectural discovery is helping researchers reconstruct how the fortress changed over time. A narrow doorway, later deliberately blocked with masonry, was identified in the outer castle wall between a former brick tower and the stone palace building.
Archaeologists believe the feature provides evidence for a later medieval rebuilding phase.
A Castle Above the Village of Bánd
Essegvár stands on a dolomite outcrop overlooking Bánd and the Séd stream. During the Middle Ages, the fortress belonged to the Essegvár family.
Its importance eventually declined during the Ottoman wars, and researchers associate its destruction with the capture of nearby Veszprém in 1552.
Archaeological investigations at the castle have been conducted for years by specialists from the Laczkó Dezső Museum, joined by archaeology students, graduates and volunteers from Hungary and abroad. The latest community excavation attracted participants from the surrounding region as well as more distant locations, including Budapest and Debrecen.
Yet among the coins, weapons, ceramics and architectural remains, the heat-scarred shaft presents perhaps the most intriguing problem.
Its construction indicates deliberate use, while the evidence of intense heating points towards an activity that left a clear archaeological signature. With no slag or other material yet found to demonstrate metalworking, however, its precise function remains unresolved.
Further investigation may determine whether the structure represents an unusual industrial installation or evidence of another activity that took place at the site before Essegvár Castle’s medieval walls were built.
Sources : Veszprem County News Portal