Folia archeologica 44.

Gedai István: Dr. Kralovánszky Alán régészeti tevékenysége az ásatási jelentések alapján

FOLIA ARCHAEOLOGICA XLIV. 1995. BUDAPEST PALAEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT TRACES NEAR PÜSPÖKHATVAN Éva CSONGRÁD

I-BALOG

H - Viola T. DOBOSI Ferenczy Museum, Szentendre-Hungárián National Museum Topographic position of Püspökhatvan (Fig. 1 ) The Galga valley is a characteristic small geographical area of Northern Hungary, lying at 124-255 m above sea level, with an undulating relief. Its peculiar geographic features of transitional character made it favourable for human settlement already during the Paleolithic. From a geomorphological point of view the N part of the Galga valley belongs to the Csernát Mts, a part of tne Northern Hungarian Mid-Mts., its middle part belongs to the Gödöllő Hills, while its southern margin belongs to the Great Hungarian Plain. The valley system of the approximately N-S direction Galga valley had been developed during the Pleistocene and most probably it was a link between the rivers Ipoly and Zagyva.

1 The Galga brook which springs from the vicinity of the village Bercel in Nógrád county, increased also with the water of brooks running southward from the Cserhát Mts. flows in its asymmetric valley of tectonic origin which valley is growing wider after the village Püspökhatvan. From the slope debris accumulated in the Galga valley during the Ice Age river terraces with gravel had been developed. Here and there several meters thick loess deposited over these terraces. The terraces of the Galga valley and also the valleys and plateaus on the row of hills along the two sides of the valley provided very favourable conditions for Paleolithic settlement in the region.

2 Among the higher terraces at best the loess-covered No 3 one could be identified. In this area instead of the usual No 2. terrace, Paleolithic sites are found usually on the No 3 terrace.

3 A short history of excavations: Püspökhatva7i-Diós On the basis of Imre Kiss' report the site was identified during a field survey by P. Patay and V. T. Dobosi in 1985.

4Till the May of 1990 thr site was recorded erroneously under the name Püspökhatvan-Májoka, when it became clear that the 1 Csongrádiné Balogh É., 1990., Magyarország Kistájainak Katasztere 1990. 2 Csongrádiné Balogh É, 1991/a. :

l Magyarország Kistájainak Katasztere 1990, 778. 1 RF I. 39. 1986. 24