Folia archeologica 23.
Tibor Kovács: Askoi, Bird-Shaped Vessels, Bird-Shaped Rattles in Bronze Age Hungary
IO T. KOVÁCS It is surprising that the figurai pottery of highly developed Middle Bronze Age culture of the Tisza region was extremely barren. 8 4 It seems the anthropomorphic presentation —and the adjoining cultic content —had lost its significance in the first half of the Middle Bronze Age (the Füzesabony, Otomani, Gyulavarsánd, Perjámos cultures). It is mainly the art of Vattina culture in the southern part of the Carpathian basin which deserves mention, where a greater number of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic pottery has been found. 8 5 From the early phase of Vatya culture only a few pieces of pottery survived: from Iváncsa a pedestalled vessel, from Kiskőrös the fragment of a larger horsestatue. 8 0 Note that it seems to belong to the genetic antecedent of the Vatya culture that anthropomorphic and zoomorphic shapes do not exist at all in the material of the Nagyrév culture. 8 7 However, to an essential change in style refer the artistic relics from the last phase of the Middle Bronze Age ("Koszider period"). For the parts of the human body embossed technique is used in pottery which makes the treatment less rigid —a feature noticeable even in the richly decorated statues of the early Bronze Age. We get fine examples of attempts for a realistic treatment in the anthropomorphic pieces deriving from the period: such is a fragment of vessel adorned with a human face from Tószeg, 8 8 head of a male statuette from Tószeg as well 8 9 fragments of anthropomorphic urns with daggers on their surface from Dunaújváros and Mende-Leányvár, 9 0 vessel standing on two human legs from Kunszentmárton, 9 1 plastic hand from Igar-Galástya. 9 2—On the ground of its treatment, we conditionally add an askos found at Tiszafüred as well.— Relics from the Transdanubian region of the middle Bronze Age call our attention most pronouncedly to the importance of a close study of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic pottery. The artistic relics of two territorial groups of the people of incrusted pottery 9 3 which make up one cultural unit, differ considerably from each other. Although the north-Transdanubian group produced many birds, not a single anthropomorphic pottery has occurred. At the same time, in the region of the southern group, some idols or fragments represent the art 9 4 of this part and two bird-shaped rattles must by all means be attributed to the northern group (Lengyel, Harc). One of the finest examples of south-Trandanubian art is an altar (?) pedestalled on human legs which emerged from a cemetery at Dárda 8 4 We have made our observation relying on the collection of the Hungarian National Museum, in preparation for an exhibition of prehistoric art. 8 5 Milleker, В., op. cit. 64-67.; Garaíanin, M., op. cit. 79. 8 6 Tompa, F., op. cit. 81., Pl. XXV. no. 3. - Iváncsa. ; MNM Inv. no. : 12.1947.4.-Kiskőrös. 8 7 Bóna, /., A középső bronzkor ... - He refers to a vessel in cemetery of Kulcs, incised by animal-shape. 8 8 Mozsolics, A., Acta Arch. Hung. 3(1952) 40., Pl. V. no. 6. 8 9 MNM Inv. no.: 85.1902.16. so Kovács, T., FA 24 (1973) in press. 9 1 Damjanich János Múzeum, Szolnok. Inv. no.: 63.270.1. 9 2 István Király Múzeum, Székesfehérvár. Inv. no.: 66.32.11. 9 3 For origin and emergence of its territorial groups, see: Bdndi, G., JPME 1965. 61-74.; Bândi, G., A dunántúli mészbetétes edények népe kultúrájának elterjedése és eredete. Dunántúli Dolgozatok 4. (Pécs 1967) 3-39.; Bándi, G., JPMÉ 1967. 25-33. 9 4 Wosinszky, M., Az őskor mészbetétes ... Pl. LXXX. nos. за-Ь.
