Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 27 (1982) (Pécs, 1983)

Régészet - Ecsedy István: Ásatások Zók-Várhegyen (1977–1982)

ÁSATÁSOK ZÓK-VÁRHEGYEN (1977-1982) with copper-traces in it. The butt is convex. Reddish-brown. Length: 14,3 cm (matrix: 12,8 cm) Width: 8 cm (cutting edge: б cm) Thickness : 4,5 cm (diam. of the shaft : 2,5 cm) Pis. IX/2, XII/1, XIV/0. 10. Mould for a shaft-hole axe. Apart from the measurigs it is in every respect similar to mould no. 9. Length: 14,8 cm (matrix: If,

4 cm) Width: 8,3 cm (cutting el.ge: 6,9 cm) Thickness : 4,5 cm (diam. of tne shaft : 2,9 cm) Pis. IX/3, XII/2, XIV/2. 11. Mould for a shaft-hole axe. Broken, restored from fragments. Outer side is rounded, greyish-brown with black patches. Matrix with imprint for the shaft core and incised sign on the shaft-hole (presumably to make the choice of the right valve easier). The casting hole is at the lower part of the cutting edge, near to the blade-tip. The matrix is slightly channeled, made for an axe with faceted surface. On the under-side, seven short incisions can be seen (for the gases?), the inside of the matrix is corvered with lime and copperoxide remains. Length: 15,8 cm (matrix: 13,5 cm) Width: 7 cm (cutting edge: 5,2 cm) Thickness: 3 cm (diam. of the shaft : 2,4 cm) Pis. X/l, XIII/3, XIV/3. 12. Mould for a shaft-hole axe. Outer side is rounded, reddish-brown. Casting-hole on the under-side near to the blade-tip. The shaft-core was hald by an imprint and the matrix of the shaft-hole part was bordered by a flat rim enveloping the lower part of the shaft-core. Traces of lime and copperoxide in the matrix. Length: 13,7 cm (matrix: 12,4 cm) Width: 6,8 cm (cutting edge: 4,9 cm) Thickness : 3,5 cm (diam. of the shaft : 2,2 cm) Pis. IX/1, XIII/2, XIV/5. 13. Fragment of a mould - not determinable part. Greyish-brown. Pl. XI/2. 14. Fragment from a shaft-core of cylindrical section. Traces of lime on the surface. Diam.: 1,9 cm Pl. XI/6. 15. Fragment from a shaft-core of oval section with slightly faceted sides (from the pit XII/7 - 1979). Diam.: 2,3x1,8 cm Pl. XI/5. 16. Fragment of a mould for a shaft-hole axe. Greyish-brown. (From the upper layer of the block VII/1977). Thickness: 3,7 cm Fig. 41/1. 17. Fragment of a mould for a shaft-hole axe with the small part of the flat rim of the lower part of the shaft-hole. Greyish-brown (from the pit XII/7 - 1979). Thickness: 3,6 cm Fig. 41/2. 18. Crucible, restored, with rounded bottom and spouted rim. Incisions of net-like pattern carved into the inside surface. Greyish-brown with traces of lime. The fragments of this crucible were found in the upper part (partly disturbed) of the block II-V/1977 and among the remains of the house VII/17. Diam.: Í7,3 cm Height: 6 cm Thickness : 0,7 cm (rim) Fig. 42. 19. Fragments belonging to a crucible of the same type as the crucible no. 18. The fragments came from two different spots : upper layer of the block XII/1979 and the pit XII/3 (Fig. 43.). 20. Crucible of small size with rounded bottom and spouted rim. Reddish-brown (from the pit XVII/10.). Diam. : 6,6 cm (rim) and 3,6 cm (bottom) Height: 4,4 cm Thickness: 0,7 cm (rim) Fig. 44. 21. Fragment of a mould for a shaft-hole axe (part of the blade with the cutting-edge). In the matrix a layer of lime and traces of copper-oxide. Found in the Nagy ár pád-Dióstető site belonging to the Somogyvár - Vinkovci Culture (excavation of Gábor Bandi). Width: 5,9 cm (cutting edge: 4 cm) Thickness: 2,4 cm Inv.: JPM 0. 72. 66. 904. Fig. 45. 22. Shaft-hole axe made of copper with convex cutting-edge and concave under-side. Traces of casting-defects on the surface. The axe is an accidental Und from a ploughed area near Majs. Length: 12,9 cm; Length of the cutting-edge: 5,2 cm Length of the shaft-hole part: 3,6 cm; Diam.: of the shaft: 2,4 cm (under-side) and 2,6 cm (upper-side) Inv.: JPM 0. 73. 9. 1. Pis. IX/4, XIV/4. With regard to the details of metallurgical activity, the first difficulty arises in connection with the origin of the metal. The azurite and malachite, found in the nearby Mecsek mountains in a minimal quantity only, could not possibly serve as ores. Considering the stable and well-organized nature of the Vucedol-Zók Culture which is reflected in the far-reaching homogeneity of the material culture as well as in the very productive metallurgy known from every excavated settlement,

30 we must reckon with a continuous, even, organized material supply though no ingots from the territory of the culture are known.

31 Traces of smelting at the Zók settlement could not be found. It can be presumed, however, that the ingots transported there were, by way of resmelting, cleaned and refined in clay crucibles with rounded bottom. Chalky concretions coming from deposits of the Pannonian Age or a limey sandstone which are found locally could have been used as a flux. In one of the crucibles there was a thick layer of this material. In order to cover the whole of the inner surface of the crucible with this material they» made deep incisions on it. Apart from functioning as flux, the lime applied to the inside of the crucible may have served as a heat insulator. In this way the temperature necessary for casting was maintained in the phase when the crucible containing the melted copper was taken out of the fire, thus preventing its lower layers from cooling down inmediately and solidifying.

32 Also the pulverescent quartz sand, found locally in the Pannonian deposits and the easily friable greyish white sandstone may have been used as a flux (several smaller pieces of the latter were found in pit 1977/36). The slag-forming role of silicates added to copper is well-known and their utilization is suppor-