Forschungen im südostnorischen Vicus am Saazkogel (Steiermark): Die Grabungen der Jahre 2002-2005

Paperback. 4to. (30 xx 21 cm). In German. 328 p., b/w ills. and 36 b/w plates. The roman vicus at the Saazkogel represents with an expansion of about 9 ha one of the largest so far well-known Roman settlements in eastern Styria, beside the vici of Gleisdorf and Kalsdorf it can however be designated as one of the best investigated vici in southeast Noricum. Based on the results of the excavations of 2002 to 2005 and an approximately surface covering geographical investigation a detailed overall view of the settlement can be sketched. Without a doubt the plant of the settlement is due to the traffic-geographically position at the inlet of the Saaz- into the Raab-valley. Here the road in the Raab-valley, which connected Savaria-Szombathely over the vicus of Gleisdorf with central Noricum, meets the southwest road from Flavia Solva. If one regards the structure of the vicus of Saaz, then its pronounced multipartness is noticeable including the entire hill. The settlement can be pursued at the south slope of the Saazkogel on a length of at least 600 m with a gravelled slope-parallel road. North and south this road group building complexes of different size, but very similar in the sketch on artifical terraces. Approximately in the centre of the settlement the greographical prospection shows a larger place-like open space. In the western part the road is flanked by graves, under expanded grave districts were remainders of older buildings of graves, which are probably to be assumed as building in hill graves. This ensemble from actual settlement and grave road with hill graves and younger monumental buildings of graves in Roman manners is to be confronted to the large hill grave field at the north slope of the Saazkogel. The oldest settlement horizon of the Flavian-Traianic period is characterized by timber constructions. The development in stone and the associated restructuring of the settlement with a system of property units oriented uniformly in slope drop direction is