Preparing the Publication: The Roman Vicus of Kalsdorf

Research project P 14329 Preparing the Publication: The Roman Vicus of Kalsdorf Gerda SCHWARZ 06.03.2000 The Roman vicus of Kalsdorf - in the southern part of the Grazer Feld and close to the Roman municipium Flavia Solva - has been excavated by the Institute of Classical Archaeology, University of Graz during 1990 and 1995. The Roman Vicus was settled from the third quarter of the 1st century a.c. to the third century a.c. The results of the building periods and the material of the excavations are investigated. During the last years there have been many smaller investigations in the vicus-area. This year the archaeological activities on this field have been finished as far as possible. The new results and the new material must be investigated now. After that the results must be overworked and they must be insert into the current manuscripts. The object of this project is to prepare the publication of the building result and the material, to show the structure of a small Roman vicus in the province Noricum far away from the large trade routes.

During the last fifteen years the Institute of Archaeology in Graz charged with the investigation of civile settlements of the Roman period. From 1988 to 1990 a great part of a Roman vicus was excavated in Gleisdorf in Eastern-Styria. Directly after excavations started in the Roman vicus of Kalsdorf close to Graz/Styria. The settlement was placed about 40 kilometres from the municipium of Flavia Solva to the north. The excavations took place from 1990 to 1995 on Parzelle 421/1 on an area of 4.000 m 2 . Shortly after the investigation of the finds started. The publication of the Roman vicus of Kalsdorf bei Graz deals with the history of research since the end of the 19th century, the interpretation of the excavation (layers, buildings periods) on Parzelle 421/1, smaller excavations until the year 2000, questions to the social, economical and religious life of the inhabitants of the settlement. After that some find-kategories like terra sigillata, imported ceramics, bronzes, glass and coins, which where found during the excaviations on Parzelle 421/1 are presented. The last chapter shows a summary of the history of the settlement. The area of the Roman vicus has been settled since prehistoric times. Under the Roman layers about 40 graves of the Urnenfelderzeit have been excavated. There are also many finds (coins, ceramics, terra sigillata), which shows settlement from the beginning oft the first century A.D. Because of the romanization of the province Noricum since (latest) the middle of the first century A.D. the settlement has been build up systematically after a concept. The first period, which can be dated neronic- flavian shows the remainings of wooden buildings. They are connected with a long-running wall. After the buildings were renewed and built up with new technical methods in stone (two phases). The last period shows a new structure of building, which are only known from settlements (Gleisdorf, Kalsdorf) in south-east Noricum: there is a quadratical main-room and around this room runs a narrow gallery. The earliest time of the beginning of the first building period can be set in neronic time. The peak has been in the second half of the second century A.D., while the end of the settlement can be set in the fourth century A.D.