There is always something new under the earth
This year in spring Aquincum became a Museum of the Year
MúzeumCafé 38.
The documented history of Budapest begins with a Roman settlement, Aquincum. A Roman garrison was established on the right bank of the Danube around the year 89 and it remained the military centre of Lower Pannonia until the end of the 4th century. The first significant archaeological excavations took place in 1778. Later the uncovered remains were displayed and at the same time the first archaeological publication about the finds appeared. On several occasions Crown Prince Rudolf and his wife viewed the remains and the procurator’s palace on Hajógyár Island. Following that, relics were found scattered across the area of Aquincum and Óbuda, and for a long time these were held by the National Museum. Then from the 1880s systematic excavations began. At that time, primarily extensive archaeological research methods were applied: they tried to uncover as large a ground area as possible following the line of the walls, mostly dealing with the surface phenomena, rarely exploring deeper levels. After the opening of the Aquincum Museum in 1894, for quite a long period there was no restricted access – it was a place of free excursion for all. Then from the 1920s an increasing amount of land was taken from the museum for public use and it wasn’t until after the 1989-90 changes that for the most part this was returned. The regained buildings, with their different appearances and functions, presented a mixed picture, so the museum faced the task of creating some kind of unity, in which process great assistance was rendered by the Pannonia Provincia Project. Thanks to an EU tender, the envisaged new buildings became a reality and were filled with the most disparate, never-before-seen items. Together they led to the Museum of the Year 2012 award.