Ancient windows from Stupava

The book Ancient windows from Stupava.

The oldest evidence of an earthquake in Slovakia

deals with finds uncovered during archaeological

excavations of a building complex from the Roman

Period in Stupava. Attention was drawn especially

to the masonry, which did not crumble away grad-

ually as in medieval castles, but fell to the ground.

Similar finds are known from the nearby ancient

Carnuntum, where they were interpreted as the

consequences of an earthquake from the middle

of the 4th century AD. The earth tremors also de-

stroyed the estate in Stupava, less than 20 km away.

The book brings information about the historical

background of the construction of this estate, the

relationships of the Romans with the Germans

living in the vicinity, and archaeological finds tes-

tifying to its demise after the mentioned natural

disaster. The reader will also learn about the rescue

and restoration of one of the walls, which included

two windows – the oldest known windows from the

Slovak territory – as well as about other exceptional

archaeological finds from Stupava, which bring the

building complex into a broader context.