Csengeri Piroska - Tóth Arnold (szerk.): A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 54. (Miskolc, 2015)

Régészet - Tóth Krisztina–Szabó Ádám–Homoki Balázs: Archaeological research at the Twin-barrows near Onga (Northeast Hungary in 2015)

A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve LIV (2015), 275—292.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AT THE TWIN-BARROWS NEAR ONGA

(NORTHEAST HUNGARY) IN 2015

Krisztián Tóth*-Ádám Szabó**-Balázs Homoki*

‘Herman Ottó Museum, Miskolc—“Hungarian National Museum, Budapest

Abstract: Along the Hernád valley in Northeast Hungary, a group of barrows can be observed on the left terrace of the river. The southernmost group of this cluster stands near settlement Onga called Zsolcai-halmok, or Twin-barrows. In recent years due to ongoing natural science investigations like aerial photographs and magnetometer surveys other presumed graves with circular ditches were discovered in the area of these barrows. In August 2015, we opened two probes on the northernmost hypothetic grave chosen by the results of the magnetic survey. The aims of this paper to introduce the historical sources of the barrows, newer geophysical survey and the method of the excavation.

Keywords: barrows, geomagnetic survey, excavation

Onga village is situated between the Sajó and Hernád rivers, 4-5 kilometers from them, 6 kilometers from Miskolc to the east in Northeast Hungary {Map 1. A—B). The settlement is on the northern part of the microregion called Sajó—Hernád plane, which is an alluvial plain between 89.5 and 160 meters above sea level. The terraces of the rivers above Szikszó blend into the alluvial terraces, which are built from gravel to west from the Sajó and more fine sediments to the east from the same river (DÖVÉNYI 2010, 214). Where the mountains and the loess and loess-like sediments of the terraces connect, chernozem brown forest soils were formed which mechanical composition is generally loam (DÖVÉNYI 2010, 217). The area of the microregion is a herniation of the Great Hungarian Plain into the mountains; so the northern part where Onga can be found is also surrounded by mountains.

The archaeological site called Zsolcai-halmok (mounds of Zsolca) is situated on the western edge of the terrace between the two rivers, 1 kilometre from Onga to the west {Map 1. C). Both barrows rise from their environment around 5—5.5 meters high, making them well identifiable landscape elements. Their tops are badly disturbed. The surrounding ditches can be well observed on the ploughed fields around them. Despite their impressive size, literature barely dealt with them. In 2008, landscape ecological research was carried out

on their 0.8 hectare surface. The publishers classified the mounds as so-called kunhalom (cuman barrows) and assumed they could be tell settlements from the Bronze Age (NOVÁK-NYILAS-TÓTH 2009, 161). Although their extension is rather small, a number of protected species are located in the area; simultaneously, the effects of the surrounding agricultural areas can be strongly detected in its fauna composition (NOVÁK-NYILAS-TÓTH 2009, 171). Their fauna is vulnerable due to the small size and the low numbers (NOVÁK-NYILAS-TÓTI1 2009,172). Later, within the framework of his thesis Péter Klein examined the barrows in terms of comparing paleo soils. Soil drillings were performed during the investigation. They developed the drilling gauge at the upper third of the northern mound and the results were subjected to laboratory tests (KLEIN 2012, 39). It turned out that on the barrow, chernozem soil has developed; however below that was paleo soil with properties typical to that of forest soil. On the basis of this information, it can be presumed that at the time of the construction of the mounds a temporary soil was characteristic for the environment, bearing forest soil properties (KLEIN 2012, 39). In 2012, the results of the complex investigations conducted on the mounds were published along with the geomagnetic measurement of the northern barrow (TÓTH-PETHE-MOLNÁR 2012, 897-904).