A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 53. (2014)

Régészet - L. Hajdú Melinda: Újabb késő neplitikus lelőhelyek Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén megyében

Újabb késő neolitikus lelőhelyek Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén megyében

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Pottery displaying characteristics of the Tisza Culture (flowerpot-shaped vessels, oval bowls, incised meanders, geometric ornamentation, organic coating, black stripes decoration) was found in greatest numbers at the site of Inárcs-Dombrét. Elements of the Tisza Culture are predominant, although components typical for the Lengyel culture also appear (e.g. yellow paint, biconical cups). No white-and-red paint or stroke-ornamented wares were identified. The settlement is dated to the early classical — classical period of the culture (Tisza I/II—II). The sites of Aszód-Papi földek and Tiszaladány- Nagyhomokos are analogies.

Fragments collected at Hernádcéce-Miszlonka (also located in the northern part of the studied area) testify to the presence of the Lengyel culture, although one vessel associated with the Tisza culture was also found. Red-and-white painted pieces or Tisza vessels with incised decoration were not found among the stray finds.

Typical elements of the Tisza culture (Ináncs-Bélus Stream, Borsodszirák-Egres-dűlő), as well as of the Lengyel and the Malice cultures (Hernádszentandrás-Csárda) were observed at sites which yielded only a few fragments. However, the small sample size makes it problematic to connect these sites to the above mentioned cultural complexes with certainty. It is crucial to point out that the results of the typological analysis and the conclusions must be handled with caution because of the small number of findings.

Based on the presented archaeological sites, the following statements can be formulated about Late Neolithic settlements in the Hernád and Sajó Valleys:

1. The number of archaeological sites dated to this period has grown due to new research. Late Neolithic (Tisza culture) communities arrived to the area following the course of the Hernád and Sajó Valleys. No settlements associated with these groups have been found along the southern sections of these watercourses so far. Cultural influences from Lesser Poland were also observed. Although the typological analysis of pottery suggests a chronological overlap between the sites of Gönc-Kenderföldek and Ináncs-Dombrét, the connection between these settlements is difficult to grasp. The same is true for the two sites at Ináncs, the one at Hernádcéce, and the sites that yielded only a few fragments. The results suggest, however, that the settlement network was denser than hypothesized before. The analysis of pollen samples collected at the Mohos Lakes of Kelemér also support this theory (Sümegi et al. 2008, 49). New research, both on a regional and on a settlement level, is needed to test this hypothesis.

2. These settlements are typically located on fluvial terraces and elevated river banks, and are single-layer sites. Fieldwalk observations suggest that three of them (Hernádcéce-Miszlonka, Hernádszentandrás-Csárda, Ináncs-Bélus Stream) are not larger than 0.5 hectare. The site of Gönc-Kenderföldek seems to cover a larger area of 1.5 hectares, based on the dispersal of surface finds. It was impossible to determine the exact size of the sites of Borsodszirák-Egres-dűlő and Ináncs-Dombrét. The latter is not only a Late Neolithic site but also a tell dated to the Middle Bronze Age, whose Neolithic precursor was impossible to locate as only a test excavation was conducted. Therefore, more research is needed on this issue.

3. The cultural impact of the Tisza, Lengyel, and Malice cultures, and the Samborzec-Opatów group was observed in the examined region, and finds reminiscent of the Csőszhalom-type pottery were found. However, the analysis made it clear that these sites cannot be associated with these cultures exclusively. The sample is small but certain trends are noticeable. In some cases (e.g. Ináncs-Dombrét) the Tisza culture, at other settlements (e.g. Gönc-Kenderföldek) the Lengyel culture made the greatest impact on the life (or a phase) of the settlement. At the same time, elements of the Csőszhalom culture and influences from Lesser Poland were also present to some extent. The pottery material shows a great variability in shapes and ornamentation. The region must have played a role as a place of transmission, which is also suggested by the varied raw material of flint tools recovered from here (Attresová 2010, 353; Kalicz 1994, 270—271; Kovács 2013a, 394—397, Figs. 15—16). This supports the hypothesis already formulated by several scholars, that this region served as a place of cultural interaction (Gönc, Hernádcéce, Ináncs-Dombrét; Attresová 2010, 353; Kalicz 1994, 270—271; Raczky et al. 1994, 240, 2007, 61—66; Zápotocká 2007, 212). Cultural mixing, observed on the level of material culture and its context, must have been present on the level of settlements and burial customs as well. However, to explore these, a more comprehensive regional analysis of the settlements in the Hernád and Sajó Valleys is needed. [Translated by Kyra Lyublyanovics]

L. Hajdú, Melinda