Folia archeologica 47.

Hargita Oravecz: Középső újkőkori temetkezések Tiszaföldváron

MIDDLE NEOLITHIC; BURIALS 57 Total nr. of graves Gender-age Grave goods male female adult child unknown exist no No infor mation 211 19 16 34 27 115 83 86 42 100% 10% 7% 16% 12% 55 % 39% 41 % 22% Fig. 7. Distribution of Middle Neolithic burials in the Tisza region according to gender, age and grave goods 7. ábra Tisza-vidéki középső újkőkori temetkezések eloszlása nem, életkor és mellékletek szerint Trinkets are the most common grave goods at Tiszaföldvár. These are occurring in the graves of ALBC in the Tisza region in higher ratio than pottery (around 66 % of all graves, i.e., in 55 burials). Belt with disc-shape ornament. Two disc-shaped ornaments were found on the Tiszaföldvár settlement. Only one of them is known to be found as grave goods

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. Both of them are complete pieces, made of recent pickled oysters (Spondylus gaederopus). The exemplars are worked, pierced at two spots near the basis. Discs made of Spondylus shell typically occur around the waist of the deceased. They were probably fastened to the belt

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. Altogether 7 pieces are known from the Tisza region, mainly from burials

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7. String of beads. Two deceased used to wear necklaces made of Spondylus-shells, another one made of Spondylus-shells and marble beads. The beads are different in size and shape: flat, cylindrical, double conical or pentagonal. String of beads were typically made of one type of raw material (shell or stone), but combination with other raw materials was also common, e.g., with copper, gagate, marble, teeth or bone

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. About one third of the burials of ALBC with pottery contained Spondylus-shell beads as well

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9. "Clay bead. "This find type was found at Tiszaföldvár in one grave only. Pierced, double conical object resembling a stone bead, perhaps a trinket, found at the waist of the deceased. Clay beads were typically found in the burials as single items and not complete strings. Copies of beads, made of fired clay were donated very rarely, only in 6 % of graves to tne dead person as grave goods

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. V Age and gender of the deceased The age of all the six dead persons are known, gender could be established in five instances. Skeletons used to belong to two men, two women, one girl and another adult person with uncertain gender (See Appendix by Balázs Mende and Fig. 1.). 1 ' The other occurrence cannot be considered authentic, due to the Sarmatian disturbances. According to the field notes, it was found together with sherds and bones (debris?) from the bottom of the Middle Neolithic pit. This is fairly unusual because of the high value of the shells. It is possible that this find used to belong to a destroyed grave. 1

6 It was found in original position at Mostonga. Karmanski 1977, Abb. 1.; or in Aiterhofen-Ödmühle, grave 32. Nieszery-Breinl 1993, Abb. 11. 1

7 Szilvásvárad-Istállóskő: 2 pieces. Korek 1955, 141-143; Nagykálló-Strandfürdő: 1 piece, Korek 1957, 17; Csanytelek-Újhalastó, 1 piece, Hegedűs 1982-83/1, Fig. 13; Kompolt-Kistér. 1 piece, Bánffy-GogoltanHorváth-Vaday 1999, 13-128. 1

8 Csongrád-Bokros, grave 7 or Csanytelek-Újhalastó, graves 3 and 136. Hegedűs 1982-83/1, Fig. 14-5. 1

9 Among 83 graves with grave goods, 24 contained string of Spondylus beads. 2

0 The published pieces are unambiguously copies of beads. 2

1 Chapman 1981, Figs. 100, 167.