Folia archeologica 47.

Csongrádiné Balogh Éva: Tipológiai és traszeológiai vizsgálatok rézkori és bronzkori pattintott kőeszközökön

TI PO LOGICAL AND MICROSCOPIC INVESTIGATIONS ("TRACIEOLOGIE") ON COPPER AGE AND BRONZE AGE CHIPPED STONES TOOLS 1. The analysis of Copper Age material On tHe majority of the studied Copper Age finds (from Bodrogkeresztúr, Kisvárda, Pusztaistvánháza, Tápiószentmárton, Sárazsadány, Máramaros, Marosgezse, Jászladány, Tiszavalk-Kenderföld) use-wear was not visible during microscopic investigations (Fig. 3). Typologically these finds are long, narrow, unretouched blades characteristic of the Early and Middle Copper Ages and made of different local raw materials as well as of import flint. Besides them retouched blades are noteworthy in the material, other types are present only in a very small number. It is to be remarked, however, that if during microscopic analysis no visible traces of use are found on a given object it does not mean automatically that the found on a given object it does not mean automatically that the object in question was not used at all. This absence can be explained either by the short duration of its usage, or on the contrary by a prolonged use of the object when it was re-sharpened, re-touched and during this process the intensively used parts were removed.

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1 At the same time I am convinced that it is no mere chance that no traces of use were found in graves even under a high magnification his seems to corroborate the idea that in this period chipped stone tools, in addition to their everyday function or even independently of it had already some prestige value, that is why they were put into the graves. On the majority (10 pieces) of the chipped stone tools from the TiszavalkKenderföld cemetery ( 17 pieces), too, there were no traces of use. This group consists of 8 unretouched blades, a retouched blade and a flat burin. The other 7 tools, on the basis of their microwear were used to do some butchery work, and to cut and scrape dry hide. Very interesting observations were made on a tool from the grave No. 22. of this cemetery (Fig. 8. 2). It is a blade, retouched on both edges and made of a greyish brown transparent flint. Microwear analysis revealed that this blade had got into direct touch with at least three different materials; traces of cutting dry hide were found on the left side of the tool, on the proximal part of its left side traces of woodworking were observed while on its dorsal face onDoth sides traces of boring bone/antler were observed. At the distal tip on the ventral face of the tool there is a scar similar to the one created by the impact during burin snapping. According to Brian Adams this tool was a "deadly weapon" which was most probably in a leather sheath, had a wooden haft, and the traces on it originating from contact with bone may derive from the skeleton of the victim when he/she was stabbed by the tool. This can be corroborated also by the damage on the distal tip. Nevertheless I think it is useful to remember for the moderate comment of the Swedish expert K. Thorsberg. According to him "if for example in the grave of a young girl a blade with traces of cutting meat is found this information in itself is not sufficient to decide whether this blade was the everyday household tool of the girl, used e.g. in the kitchen to kill a kitchen, or it was the blade which was used to kill the girl, herself, when she was ritually sacrificed.

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2 The retouched blade point 4

1 Bácskay, 1995. manuscript 4

2 Bácskay 1995, manuscript