A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve, 1982/83-1. (Szeged, 1985)

Régészet - Hegedűs Katalin: The Settlement of the Neolithic Szakálhát-Group at Csanytelek–Újhalastó

wattle and daub. Sterile layers of yellow clay alternated with fill layers of brownish fragments of burnt wattle and daub and charcoal. We had to cut through six such basal linings until we reached the floor of the pit. On the basis of these renewed basal linings it would appear that the pit was originally used as a grain bin, the volume of which decreased considerably owing to the numerous daubings and could finally not fulfil its original function, and was subsequently filled with kitchen refuse. This pit yielded an extremely rich ceramic material including several fragments of a vessel with human face representation, pottery sherds with red-painted, incised patterns, loom weights and the fragments of a clay bench with an incised geometric design. Pit 3. Oval pit with steep sides onto which adjoined a smaller, shallow pit on its southern side. Perhaps this step-like smaller cavity made an entrance to the pit possible. The pit contained an extremely large amount of burnt wattle and daub fragments. At a depth of 1.58 m we observed a thick burnt layer on the floor of the pit which can perhaps be taken to imply that there was a hearth at the bottom or that the pit was occasionally used for smoking. Vessel fragements with incised patterns occurres among the finds of this pit. These fragments bore curvilinear patterns composed of horizontally placed interlocking S-motifs; the surface inside the pattern was carefully polished, the background was covered with red paint after firing. Pit. 4. Slightly beehive-shaped pit with dished bottom on which lay large fragments of burnt wattle and daub and a 27 cm high, bichrome painted cylindrical vessel with a human face representation (PI. 3) as well as a jug with elbowshaped handles, the rim of which was fragmented. Pits 5—10 and 12—18 were very similar, but showing slight differences as regards their dimensions. Their diameter ranged between 1—1.5 m, their depth varied between 0.25 and 1 m. They usually had steep sides with slightly rounded bottoms. These small steep-sided pits occurred in great number all over the settlement. They were probably used for quarrying clay or daub material. Pit 11. This pit differed from the small shallow pits described in the foregoing as regards its shape and perhaps also its function. A step-like entrance led into this oval, 1.75 m deep pit on its western side. The pit narrowed towards its bottom. On the basis of its form and depth, it was probably used for storing foodstuffs. Its floor was lined with yellow clay. House 2 (excavated by M. Galántha). This house was uncovered in quadrate 103 on the territory of the Scythian cemetery (Fig. 4). A 20 cm wide bedding trench was observed under a shallow Neolithic pit. This trench-like discolorification could be followed for с 1.5 m, after which there was a sharp turn at rightangles to the north. It is the opinion of the author that this was the south-western corner of a Neolithic house. After uncovering this corner, we produceeded to excavate a part of the southern long wall which survived to a length of 2 m. The short nothern back wall which was 10 m long and was also embedded into the virgin soil to a depth of 0.11 m could also be uncovered. The foundation trench of the northern long wall could be traced to an extent of 2 m. The bedding trenches were filled with greyish earth spotted with yellow clay. House 3. Part of a Neolithic house observed by M. Galántha, excavator of the Scythian cemetery, in quadrate 105. A 6 m long section of the house fell into the excavated area and it was possible to uncover a 3.5 m long section of the foundation trench dug for the eastern short wall. The foundation trench was out into the yellow clay subsoil to a depth of 33 cm (measured from the discolorification indicating 12