Archeological collection

The archeological collection counts the greatest number of works of art in our museum. This derives from the fact that the museum resides in a late renaissence historic building where many excavations took place from the beginnings in connection with the never ending restorations. Excavations of the inner castle („The Italian Bastia”, the moat, the inner courtyard) and the outer protective system (the gates, medieval walls and corner bastias) all effused great number of archeological findings. In the first place pottery, objects made of iron, and architectural stone fractions came to light which witnessed the everyday life of the castle. Excavations started in the 1950's when Dezső Dercsényi and László Gerő started to dig on the southern part of the „Italian Bastia”. Júlia Kovalovszky continued their work between 1958- 1963 opening up such important late renaissance objects as the bakehouse , the entrance of the dungeon , - „Italian Bastia” ; and the cellar of the gardeners .- ( now Renaissance Stoneworks exhibition ). Her observation and the pottery and stone fractions found all expanded the knowledge about the castle and enriched our archeological collection. Researchers found out new attainments about the pottery of the bronz and Árpádian-era and mainly that of the XVII-XVIII century. Wall tiles with eastern style flower patterns are particularly remarcable findings. Afterwards Vera Molnár continued the excavations on the southern part of the tower where she found a little building, the former gunpowder house. Studying the eastern wall tiles she also reconstructed the „House with bokály”- turkish tiled room; - a room on the second floor of the tower. Another considerable mass of findings came from the excavation of the crypt of the neighbouring roman catholic church in the 1960's. This meant mainly textiles and clothes from the XVII. century, rings, tombstones and carved stones. Women's costume, poling, men's coat, and the wedding ring of Ilona Országh and Gábor Perényi are all significant objects in our permanent exhibition. Red marble stone fractions from the church can also be studied in our renaissance stonework exhibition. Many other stone findings were left for the church to take care of. Zsuzsanna Lovag and than János Gömöri carried on with the saving of the finds and excavating the Temple of Muses, the inner castle and the church cemetery. A broken terracotta Madonna head was also found that time which is more than worth to mention. Later in the 1970's Katalin Dankó Jósvainé, Dr. archeologist, our former manager followed the works. The excavation of the „Italian Bastia” was an important project that time, from where many pottery and glass finds turned up. Besides pots, pitchers and glasses enriched many of our exhibitions. Nowadays István Ringer works in our museum as archeologist who started excavation works in the garden of the castle; opening up the building of the cannon factory of György Rákóczi I. since 2006 parallel with the excavations of the castle of Sátoraljaújhely since 2007. As the excavations and the protection of the archeological finds never ends, our museum preparing to hold all the irreplaceable objects in adequate conditions.