Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 46-47 (2001-2002) (Pécs, 2003)

Régészet - Katalin T. Bíró–Zsolt Schléder–Judit Antoni–György Szakmány: Petroarchaeological studies on polished stone artefacts from Baranya county, Hungary II. Zengővárkony: Notes on the production, use and circulation of polished stone tools

1 Biró, Schléder, Antoni and Szakmány: Petroarchaeological studies on polished stone artefacts from Baranya county, Hungary IL 55 xenomorphic feldspar lath that contains inclusions as well (composition: oligoclase-andesine). Biotite occurs as tiny, 50-100 mm sized, idiomorphic-hypidiomorphic tabular crystals. It usually turns to opaque minerals. The sample contains idiomorphic apatite laths, even as large as 1 mm. It often occurs as inclusion in feldspar, kaersutite, but may grow into them as well. Opaque minerals (ilmenite and titanomagnetite) are frequent, the size about 0,5 mm. were determined under the microscope. They always turn into leucoxene. Zics, Somogy county, without inv. nr. Phonolite (Szamárhegy type) The macroscopic and microscopic fabric of the sample (Plate IV/5-6.) is very similar to sample to Zengővárkony: JPM N-l/160-1949. As the recognition of the phonolite/phonotephrite element in the Hungarian stock of polished raw materials is fairly young we can expects a considerable growth in the amount and territorial distribution of this material in the southern parts of the Carpathian Basin. Macroscopic survey of Croatian material and some pieces of Zala county along the M7 motorway indicate that a thorough investigation of polished stone tools, completed with pétrographie studies, will reveal more items from the Mecsek sources. Conclusions Our survey concerning petroarchaeological information on the Zengővárkony polished stone tools contributed essentially to the knowledge on the possible connections of the site (Map 2.). A revision of petroarchaeological data by macroscopic analyses allowed to point at uncertainties of this approach and formulate further questions. For the time being, instrumental analyses were concentrated on phonolite and macroscopically similar rocks. Phonolite was used up to 10% of the total polished stone tool inventory at Zengővárkony. Tephrite, phonotephrite of very similar pétrographie characteristics add up another 10% to this amount. The contribution of local basalt is very difficult to judge; the pieces we have analyses so far (SCHLÉDER-BIRÓ 1999) seem of young Tertiary age, from distant location (Balaton highland or Nógrád-Gömör region). The investigations of J. FÜRI made it clear, however, that Mecsek basalt was also used (FÜRI et al. 2002, in press). The use of alkaline vulcanite of the Mecsek Mts. can be definitely proved and occurrence of both Kövestető and Szamárhegy phonolite could be clearly demonstrated in the form of raw materials, half products and ready-made tools. The use of the Kisújbánya-Szamárhegy exploitation region therefore can be supported by the indirect evidence of archaeological utilisation. At the same time, this craft adds us to the already well established artisan skills of the Baranya county Lengyel-culture population known from Zengővárkony. Comparing the macroscopic data and the tool types and size, as well as occurrence of different raw material types in burials and settlement context, certain conclusions can be drawn on the production and use of polished stone tools. Igneous rocks were typically used for shaft-hole axes. Broken pieces and complete axes can be differentiated in the size distribution graphs of the settlement material while half-products and (complete) grave-goods do not differ essentially. Sedimentary rocks were more typical for chisels, quite often using soft, „symbolic" materials for the graves. At Zengővárkony, local (Mecsek) materials dominate the polished stone tool inventory though the contribution of more distant (young Tertiary) basalts is to be studied further. Metamorphic rocks (greenschist, hornfels, serpentinite and other, so far not specified rocks) denote more distant contacts. The geographical dimensions of these contacts can be determined for most cases only tentatively. We are more or less confident on the use of Felsőcsatár greenschist and metamorphic rocks from the Banat (banatite, hornfels) and Papuk (Croatia); the exact determination of the sources, however, needs further basic research. The use and exploitation of local Cretaceous vulcanite, specifically phonolite, was proved and the connection of the Zengővárkony Late Neolithic settlement and the exploitation area spotted at Kisújbánya-Szamárhegy can be considered highly probable. Some initial efforts were made to trace the distribution of Mecsek phonolite on prehistoric archaeological sites (Map 1). Apart from the stray finds of unknown age, the existing imports date to the same period (Late Neolithic Gorzsa; the Lengyel connections of the site were already demonstrated by other aspects of the archaeological material, i.e., Mecsek radiolarite (BIRO 1998a) and pottery (HORVÁTH 1987). References ALMADY-ANTONI 1986 ANTONI 1982 ANTONI 1990 Almády Z. - Antoni J., Petroarchaeological study of the polished stone artefacts of Csabdi, settlement and cemetery of the Lengyel Culture. Sümeg Papers (1986) Budapest 277-287. Antoni J., Őskori elődeink Csabdiban (Our prehistoric ancestors in Csabdi) Régészeti kutatások a Dunántúlon. Exhibition Guide (1982) Tata 1-. Antoni J., Neolitikus eszközkészítés és használat. (1990) Budapest. PhD.Thesis