A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve, 1978/79-1. (Szeged, 1980)

Hegedűs, Katalin: Two New Enthroned Idols from Szegvár-Tűzköves

bearded face of the number II. anthropomorphic vessel from Szegvár.

22 The last is a phallic figure incised on the side of a vessel.

23 It must be said that these vessels, statues and incised, painted or applied anthroppomorphs are problematic in that their sex is not always directly represented. Furthermore the the features are often crudel yor primitively executed which further complicates sex discrimination. If we take into account the large cult storage jar from Hódmezővásárhely—Kökénydomb which bears the portrayal of either a dancing couple

24 or a scene of the sacred union

25 then there seems to be an increasing support for a god totally independent from the established goddess. Also speaking in favour of this theory is a male representation from Villánykövesd,

26 a site of the contemporaneous Lengyel culture. As a whole these males underwrite the extent to which the godly pair was known to the cultures contamporaneous with the Vinca С horizon. The cultic artifacts as well as other features of the Körös-Starcevo complex are characteristically homogeneous from its southernmost extant in Thessaly to its northernmost occurrence in present day Hungary. On the other hand with the subsequent Linear Pottery Cultures there is an observable regional diversity which obscures any direct relationships with the South. The late Neolithic (more or less) in situ cultures or groups developed increasing local differences which even further complicates the task of the archaelogists. Therefore it seems oversimplified to attribute Middle- and Late-Neolitihic enthroned deities to a direct influence from Greece via the Balkans.

27 The above described idols dating from the Szakáihát sphere of influence points to the fact that in situ developement of this art form must not be neglected, that the flowering of cultical artifacts at the end of the Neolithic cannot wholly be explained by external factors. It is considered of utmost important to recognize that the growing examples of male idols albeit fewer in number originating in Szakáihát strata are the predecessors to those of the Tisza culture. Of primary interest are the newly discove red slab-like idol of Tüzköves, the Ilonapart idol of the Leiden Musem and the painted representation from Szentes—

Ilonapart previously known from the literature.

28 It is unnecessary to discuss in detail the question of the identity of the deities since this problem was dealt with excellently by J. Makkay in his Villánykövesd publication.

29 In short some of the males may depict either the son or the „paredros" of the Great Goddess and not necessarily the Great God himself. In fact it is probable that the earliest examples cm assigned to the previous categories. The potence of the later gods, namely those of the Tisza culture is significantly higher as shown by the unique sickle bearing Szegvár statue and the other (their number is five) male portrayals of the same site. In conclusion it is hoped that the two herein described male examples from Szegvár shed some light upon the problem.

30 22 Csalog, J., Acta Arch. Hang XÍ (1959) 14, Plate 3. 23 Makkay, J., JMPÉ 13 (1968, appsared in 1971) 56, Plate 3, number 6. 24 Korek, J., A tiszai kultúra. Manuscript. (1973) 355. 25 /. Makkay, JMPÉ 13 (1968, appeared in 1971) 43, Plate 4, no 4. 26 J. Makkay, JPMÉ 13 (1968) 39, Fig. 1. 27 Höckmann, О., JRGZ (1965) 5. 28 First quoted by /. Csalog on the Third Archaelogical Conference at Szeged (1965) in his paper: The informations gained by the excavations on Szentes—

Ilonapart." First published by Gimbutas, M, The Gods and Goddesses of Old Europe 7000—3500 ВС. (1974) London. 185. Fig. 180. 29 Makkay, J., JPMÉ 13 1968 47, 54. 30 Thanks to Miss A. Ferenczy for translating the text. 295