A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve 46. (2007)

Veres János: Adatok Északkelet-Magyarország szkíta korához. Kisgyőr-Bubtető szkíta kori temető közöletlen anyagának feldolgozása

THE SCYTHIAN AGE IN NORTH-EASTERN HUNGARY. EVALUATION OF THE UNPUBLISHED BURIALS OF THE SCYTHIAN CEMETERY AT KISGYŐR-BUBTETŐ A glancé at the Scythian finds and sites in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County shows a rather peculiar picture, which in many respects reflects the generál state of Scythian studies in Hungary. With a few notable exceptions, our knowledge of Scythian burial practices in north-eastern Hungary is based on evidence from burial grounds with a handful of graves, most of which came to light under uncertain circumstances, and on information from earlier excavations. The few professionally cxcavatcd cemeteries (Alsótelekes-Dolinka domb, Kesznyéten-Szérűskert, MuhiKocsmadomb, Sajószentpéter-Homokbánya, Szentsimon-Kenderföldek) offer reliable evidence for drawing a more accurate picture of Scythian burial customs (Map 1). The low number of settlements compared to cemeteries is alsó striking (Map 2). More recent research and the examination of the location of Scythian sites have shown that the distribution of Scythian sites shows a strong correlation with the location of irón ore deposits in north-eastern Hungary (Map 5). This settlement pattern can be explained by the nced to control the irón deposits in the Gömör-Szepes Mountains and the exploitation of these resources. Obviously, geographic and environmcntal factors too influenced settlements patterns, as did subsistence strategies, and the research lacunae and uncertainties must alsó be borne in mind. The Kisgyőr-Bubtető site represents an early site of the Scythian Age in the Carpathian Basin, which can be dated to the laté 7th or the earlier 6th century BC, and is thus roughly co-eval with Alsótelekes-Dolinka and Sajószentpéter. Its dating is based on the lack of wheel-turned pottery and the find of a bronzé mirror. Evén though the finds from the site are not particularly rich or outstanding, their publication conlributes to a better knowledge of the early Scythian Age and the dating of the Olbia-Berezan type bronzé mirrors. János Veres 85