Folia archeologica 23.

Tibor Kovács: Askoi, Bird-Shaped Vessels, Bird-Shaped Rattles in Bronze Age Hungary

IO T. KOVÁCS The earliest bird-shaped vessels in Hungary from the Bronze Age are connected with the Hatvan culture. The defective vessel from Bökénymindszent (Fig. I. no. 6) and the fragmentary pieces retrieved at Szentes-Tés and Szihalom have been dated by Nándor Kalicz to the late Hatvan culture. He connected their emergence with a South-east European impulse, mentioned when we discussed the askoi.

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6 The same concerns the Wietenberg fragment, whose reconstruction in drawing was attempted by K. Horedt.

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7 A fragmentary vessel richly decorated by carved spirals and garlands was reproduced by Bódog Milleker from I

/attina (Fig. i. no. y). According to his description there must have been—surmized from the fragmentary traces—a solid head and the bird-shaped vessel was standing on two legs.

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8 The bird-shaped vessel emerging from the Starcevo settlement was considered by D. Garasanin to represent a pigeon. On account of the former and a supposed double-axe motif on the top of the vessel, Garasanin believes connections pointing to Cretan-Mycenaean bird symbols.

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9 The vessel is listed by M. Garasanin as belonging to the pieces of the Pancevo-Omolnica phase of Vattina culture.

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0 In the cemetery excavated at Almásfüzitő of the North-Transdanubian group of the people of incrusted pottery, there emerged another bird-shaped vessel (Fig. I. no. /J.

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1 From the neck of this fragmentary piece, it would be impossible to state with precision whether a solidly shaped head had joined to the vessellike body. Among numerous bird-shaped objects made by this group (see below), this is the only one which can be called a bird-shaped vessel. Among the Hungarian finds, perhaps the most interesting one is a bird-shaped vessel (Fig. j) recovered from a grave in the cemetery adjoining the DunaújvárosKos^ider settlement.

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2 István Bona believes it possible that the lidded vessel, supported by two forward and two backward-looking human feet, symbolized a bird resting on a table or an altar.

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3 The vessel can be considered as belonging to the Late Vatya culture.

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4 From a cemetery at Szeretnie dating from the end of the Middle Bronze Age in Hungary (Koszider period), there emerged two bird-shaped vessels

—without any direct connection with the grave (Fig. i. nos. 8-р).

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ъ 46 Kalicz, N., Die Frühbronzezeit . . . 128, 154, 171. 4

7 Horedt, K., op. cit. 125., Fig. 12. no. 1., Fig. 11. no. 5. ; Sehr oiler, H., op. cit. Pl. XI. no. 10. 4

8 Milleker, В., A vattinai őstelep. (Temesvár 1905) 44., Pl. XX. nos. 2a-b. 4

9 GaraSanin, D., Une vase en forme d'oiseau. Rad 1(1952) 68., 64. Figs. i-ia. 5

0 Garasanin, M., Neolithikum und Bronzezeit in Serbien und Makedonien. BRGK 39(1958) 79., Pl. XVII. no. 3. 5

1 Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum, Budapest (Hungarian National Museum)-subsequently : MNM Inv. no.: 54.i.87.-According to stocktaking record it could belong only conditionally to grave 5. 5

2 I. Bona describes the vessel which was found in grave 779 of the Dunaújváros Middle Bronze Age cemetery, in ashesm beside a mug and the fragment of a bronze pin: A középső bronzkor ... 116. 5

3 Bona, /., Magyarországi művészet. . . 14., Fig. 13.; Bóna, /., Sztálinvárosi (Dunaújváros) helytörténeti kiállítás vezetője. io.-The vessel's design is given after I. Bóna. 5

4 For late Vatya culture, see: Kovács, T., Arch. Ért. 96(1969) i66ff. 5

5 Hampel, J., Antiquités préhistoriques de la Hongrie. (Esztergom 1876) Pl. XX. no. 1., Wosins^ky, M., Az őskor mészbetétes díszű agyagművessége. (Bp. 1904) 47-48., Pl. LXIX. nos. 5-6.; Bandi, G. - Kovács, T., Acta Arch. Hung. 20(1970) 36., Fig. 6.