Municipium Aelium Salla

Aelium Salla municipium is a Roman‑period settlement located in the present inner area of the town of Zalalövő in the Transdanubian region. It is a partially excavated, visitable archaeological site, near the northern bridgehead of the ancient Amber Road (also called Amberstone Road, Bernsteinstrasse) crossing the Zala River. On its territory the north‑south Roman Amber Road intersected with the west‑east so‑called Zalamenti road.

History

Even the finds from Celtic times show the beginnings of some settlement – still difficult to identify according to current knowledge – but there is no evidence that a permanent settlement was established here. In Roman times, because of the crossing of the Amber Road and the Zala River, the area quickly became an important place and therefore naturally developed into a settlement. Today it is still unclear whether the settlement resulted from the indigenous population’s habitation or from the appearance of legions settled here by Hadrian.

The appearing Roman legions established a camp on the north bank of the Zala River at the beginning of the 1st century, beside (or around) which a village settlement developed. This began a rapid development of the settlement, also evidenced by the emerging stone buildings. In 124 the emperor Hadrian granted the settlement city status, and its name became Municipium Aelium Salla. However, this settlement was destroyed by invading Germanic tribes in the middle of the 2nd century. In the 4th century the Salla municipium revived for a short time. New stone buildings were erected, including an inn (guest house), but in the 5th century, after the withdrawal of the Roman legions, the settlement was depopulated again.

Traces of a more substantial human settlement at the site of the formerly important settlement did not appear for a long time. The occurrence of Roman-era settlement traces was noticed during the 20th century. Archaeological traces were excavated in the 1980s‑90s. A significant part of the finds can be studied in the representative exhibition of the Göcseji Museum in Zalaegerszeg.

According to a 13th‑century charter, only royal archers – bowmen – were settled on the area of the Roman‑era settlement. The name Lövő of the settlement probably derives from this. (See the further history of the settlement under the place name Zalalövő.)