Csengeri Piroska - Tóth Arnold (szerk.): A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 55. (Miskolc, 2016)

Régészet - B. Hellerbrandt Magdolna: A Gáva-kultúra települése Köröm-Kápolna-dombon

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B. Hellebrandt Magdolna

Radostyán, or Besenyőtelek-Szőrhát, yielded similar artifacts (HELLEBRANDT 1999, 219, 275,163). C. Metzner-Nebelsick suggests that such amulets were in use from the late Ha A period to the early Ha C. Beside their protective function, they were used in ritual activities as well (METZNER-NEBELSICK 1997, Fig. 6, 587-588, 595-597; V. SZABÓ 2002, 54). Amulets were also used in the early Celtic period (WARNEKE 2012, 58); such objects were recovered e.g. from Novaj- idrány (a cemetery under publication by the author).

Clay balls. Three spherical clay balls came to light at Köröm-Kápolna-domb, from features no. 77, no. 83 and no. 71 (Figs. 58. 7—9). Their diameter measures 2.5—2.8 cm. Feature no. 46 yielded an oval-shaped, 3.2 cm long clay core (Fig. 58. 10). Three features that yielded such objects, feature no. 71, no. 77, and no. 83 were situated on the eastern, western and southern slopes of the hill (Fig. 4). The northern part of the region was left uncharted. T. Kemenczei also found clay balls on the southern side of the hill (KEMENCZEI 1984, Plate CXXXVIII. 5, Plate CXL. 6).

Julius Caesar’s writings suggest how these balls were used (CAESAR 1964, 115; book 5. 43). He gives an account how the tribe of the Nervii fired red-hot clay balls and arrowheads on the straw-covered huts of the Romans to set them ablaze; the whole camp was on fire in no time. A burnt destruction layer was present at Köröm-Kápolna-domb as well, so it may be concluded that the settlement burnt down. The presence of these artifacts may indicate that such hot clay balls, hurled with slings, set the straw-covered roofs on fire. Clay cores were also present at Taktabáj (KEMENCZEI 1984, Plate CLVIII. 6, 7; Plate CLXI. 4); balls similar to those found at Köröm are known from Naunhof as well, although these were larger (BÖNISCH 2005, Figs. 5. 9-11).

Evidence forbrons^e working. The most special object among all artifacts that testify to the use of bronze is a band-ring from feature no. 51 (Fig. 59. 1). The two ends of the band do not meet. The diameter of the ring is 1.8 cm, the band is 0.5 cm wide. Until now, only rings made of thin or thick wire were known, e.g. from the Tállya assemblage (KEMENCZEI 1969, Plate XII. 20, 25). Similar rings were found in pit C 63 at the site of Piricei-Kellertag in present-day Romania (BE- JINARIU 2010, Plate 18. 2), and in grave no. 55 at Budapest-Békásmegyer (KALICZ-SCHREIBER 2010, Plate 30. 10).

One wristband was recovered from house no. 10 (Fig. 59. 6). It has an oval cross-section; one end broke off, while the other one grows thinner towards a flattened, oval-shape end. The total length is 7 cm. Another piece, probably a wire band, discovered in feature no. 36, was partly straightened; both ends have blunt tips (inv. no. 99.36.2754/A). Its total length is 10 cm. Wire wristbands with circular cross-sections were identified in the Tállya assemblage (KEMENCZEI 1969, Plate XL 17).

Feature no. 79 yielded a fragment of a conical-headed pin (Fig. 59. 2). Analogies are known from Poroszló-Aponhát (V. SZABÓ 2002, 214, Fig. 7; see also the table of typology, Fig. 4L 27), as well as from Uioara de Jos-Grui in present-day Romania (CIUGUDEAN 1994, Fig. 2. 10); the latter object was classified as belonging to the Ha A period.

A 2 cm long needle shaftfragment came to light from feature no. 69 (Fig. 59. 3); this is a small piece with an oval cross- section. A larger shaft fragment of a needle was recovered from feature no 77 (Fig. 59. 5). One end grows thin, the other broke off; the shaft has a circular cross-section and measures 9.9 cm in length. Further needle shafts were found in features no. 20 and no. 79. A bronze plate that ends in a point was found in feature no. 22a, and a triangle-shaped piece of bronze was brought to light from feature no. 70; the latter had probably broken off of an artifact.

The casting mold found in feature no. 48 (Fag. 59. 4) testifies to local bronze casting. It must have been used to cast an object with a curving end and a tip; the shape is divided into two along the axis. The mold itself is a flat, 5.5 cm long and

1.8 cm thick piece of stone. It is not clear what object it was used to cast. One option is that the piece shows the end of a sickle blade (NÉMETI 1990, Figs. 22. 4—6), although the shape may also remind one of the bronze axe from Blatnica (GALLUS—HORVÁTH 1939, Plate XXII. 4). Casting molds used to produce sickle blades were found at Muhi-3. kavicsbánya as well (KOÓS 2015, Plate 16.1—2; Plate 18.1). The casting mold found at Köröm may have served to manufacture sickles reinforced with ribs. This object type was in use for a long period (FURMANEK—NOVOTNA 2006, 50). An analogy for the Köröm specimen is known from a hoard assemblage from Folyás-Szilmeg (MOZSOLICS 2000, Taf. 74. 9, 13). J. Koós hypothesized that everyday tools were produced locally, on site (KOÓS 2015,144).

A clay tube, found in feature SNR 020 (Fig. 59. 7), may have been utilized in metal working as well; it was probably used as a bellow. The clay tube narrows towards one end and is separated into two parts by a small clay divider. The other end broke off. Bellows were found at Muhi-3. kavicsbánya, feature no. 15 (KOÓS 2015, Plate 14. 1); a refined bellow tube is known from Környe (KOVÁCS 1977, Fig. 15. 8). The use of bellows were documented in literature as well, e.g. in the Iliad (HOMÉROSZ 1974, íliász XVIII. 473-509).

A fragment of a clay trough, used in metal casting, came to light from feature no. 74 (Figs. 59. 8—12); a piece of the sidewall and the bottom was preserved. The wall’s edges are rounded on the top. The bottom and the sidewall meet in a regular rounded corner. Traces of burnishing by hand were observed on the sidewall both on the inside and outside surfaces. The object was made of clay mixed with chaff. On the outside it looks like a ceramic vessel, but the inside is sooty. The piece is 25 cm long and 9.5 cm high. Section “a—d” shown in Fig. 59. 8 is straight, while section “b—c” (Fig 59. 9) is curved and