The Results of the Geophysical Survey of the Bethlen Castle in Criș (Mureș County)
The Results of the Geophysical Survey of the Bethlen Castle in Criș (Mureș County)

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the results of the geophysical survey undertaken at the Bethlen castle in Criș (Keresd, de. Kreisch, Mureș County, RO), in 2022. The measurements concentrated on two areas located outside of today’s fortification walls, on the western and southern side, since these were relatively open spaces. The survey revealed a number of unexpected features located all underground, such as several walls, possible buildings and at least one corner tower, all parts of an earlier fortification system that had existed before the one visible today. Most probably this earlier fortification functioned in the 15th or 16th centuries. Hopefully we will have a more exact dating, when the analysis of the finds is over. Furthermore, we discuss the possible interpretations and the older and newer archaeological results with the incorporation of the written sources. The excavations from the 1970s and the 1990s already revealed several segments of this earlier fortification, especially smaller fragments of walls or wall negatives. Also, an important chronological framework for the various construction phases of the castle ensemble was elaborated by M. Dumitrache, which is presented here in detail as well. During the excavations undertaken by the Mureș County Museum, between 2020–2022 we have also identified part of this ensemble, namely a southeastern corner tower with its adjoining eastern and southern walls. Above this fortification corner several other later establishments and archaeological features were revealed especially from the 18th and 19th centuries. This fortification does not appear mentioned in any of the known written sources so for now it cannot be clearly linked to any of the family members. What we know is that this fortification was dismantled latest by the seventeenth century, when the construction of the new fortification system began.

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