Folia archeologica 23.
Tibor Kovács: Askoi, Bird-Shaped Vessels, Bird-Shaped Rattles in Bronze Age Hungary
ASKOI, BIRD-SHAPED VESSELS 21 culture. At the same time, a relatively large number of bird-shaped rattles emerged from the settlements of Füzesabony culture. There seems to be no doubt that these — similarly to the pieces found in the territory of Magyarád culture—are partly imported copies from the incrusted pottery culture (e. g. Madarovce, Piliny), or else locally made copies. 7 2 We can list with the latter the two rattles derived from the territory of Vatya culture (Bia, Dunaújváros) as well. On the other hand, a specific product of Vatya culture is a vessel from the cemetery of Dunaújváros and Törtei. Among the bird figures of the people of incrusted pottery, the rattles of characteristic shape are in the majority. But desides two, probably imported askoi (Kecskéd, Felsőörs), the Papkeszi askos is a lokal product. In this culture the bird-shaped vessel is represented by a piece from Almásfüzitő. On the other hand, two bird-shaped vessels in the Szeremle group, reter to the fact that here too — as in the Dubovac-Cirna culture which is in genetic relation with the former—the vessels carried the majority of bird figures. We know but a small number of rattles from the Dubovac-Cîrna culture (Cîrna, Ostrovul Mare), but not a single askos. Among the more recent, Late Bronze Age bird figures, however, there are different bronze statuettes but only a few vessels (Mohács, Székesfehérvár region, Cicarovce, bronze vessel of unknown origin). It is possible to draw the conclusion from this sketchy survey that the birdcult had persisted almost in an uninterrupted manner, from the early Bronze Age, to the early Iron Age in the Carpathian basin. This may sound true, but only if we can list the objective relics of the cult in a chronological order. In this way, it is possible to establish an unbroken instrinsic connection between them. But it also follows from what has been said above that there had been periodic changes in the significance of the bird-cult and the number of surviving objects differs considerably according to cultures as well. It is interesting to observe the relationship of the differences according to the ethnic changes to which a region or culture had been subjected. However, it is not always possible to establish direct contact between the existing ethnic changes—in this case of a South-east-European character —and the wide range of circulation of a specific form of bird representation. 7 3 Yet, to be more precise: there was one concrete instance, when in the early Bronze Age —between many other things — the bird-cult remerged in the Carpathian basin, at least in its middle and western portion—through the mediation of various tribes coming over from South-east-Europe. This is strongly supported by the fact that from the material of the late Copper Age Pécel culture, not a single bird-shape has emerged. 7 4 But it can be raised as a negative example that among the new types of objects of the late Hatvan culture, pointing towards South-easterns Europe (among them askoi as well), there is nothing that connects — at least not as evidences —to any ethnic movement directly affecting the Carpathian-basin. 7 5 '2 Cf. Note 66. 7 3 So, we can not find bird-shaped vessels in the relics of the peoples arriving from SouthEast Europe: Pitvaros group, Perjámos culture. Bóna, I., Annales Univ. Bp. Sect. Hist. 3(1961) 9. 7 4 Banner, J., Die Péceler Kultur. АН 35. (Bp. 1956) 170.; Kalicz, N., Die Péceler (Badener) . . . 67-68. ; Ka/icz, N., Die Frühbronzezeit . . . 99. 75 Ibid. 1 8 iff.
