KÉKKÚT County of Veszprém, Hungary.
In the Balaton highlands a large Roman settlement with villas built close together. In addition to villas, living quarters, and agricultural buildings, the site shows traces of public buildings. Most typical of these are two Early Christian basilicas. At the E end of the village, in the hollow of Maktyán, at the left side of the road leading to Kövágóörs, the outlines of one (37.5 x 16.5 m) are distinguishable. This rectangular structure was divided lengthwise into three sections by wooden pillars, standing on small stone bases. The pillars next to the walls were decorated with carved, red standstone columns. The small dimensions of the columns (trunk 88 cm, head 23 cm high) indicate that they served a strictly decorative function. The interior division of this structure was made of wood. It was built in the second half of the 4th c. The other building, larger and more elevated, stood 85 m away. Its three aisles were built at different levels, terrace-like. The building is atypical in ground plan. The excavations have established that an earlier villa was made into the Christian basilica during the first half of the 4th c. Two large, lattice-work tiles with Christ monograms were also discovered; they must have served as apertures to admit light. Near the basilicas, on the S side of the road to Kövágóörs, are mineral springs which were also used during the Roman era. Some of the many stone monuments from the settlement are found in the National Museum of Budapest and in the Balaton Museum of Keszthely.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
L. Nagy, Pannonia Sacra (1939) 80 pp.; K. Sági, “Die spätrömische Bevölkerung der Umgebung von Keszthely,” Acta Arch. Hung. (1960) 187-256; E. Thomas, Römische Villen (1964) 52-60.E. B. THOMAS