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

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

Traces indicaring the use of ochre paint were observed in nine graves. It would appear that the custom of painting the body was not influenced by the sex of the deceased. Skulls and leg bones were most often painted; small ochre lumps were sometimes scattered over the entire body. The finds from the Csanytelek graves Three of the six Szakáihát graves unearthed at Csanytelek yielded finds : a small clay cup was recovered from grave 2, a necklace from grave 3 and a breast pendant carved from Spondylus and a necklace from grave 136. The light grey thin-walled, carefully-fired clay cup (PI. 1:2) is a general type of the period and is paralleled by specimens from numerous sites, e.g. Dévaványa— Sártó,

53 Tápé—Lebő,

54 and other settlements. In the author's opinion the wide geographical distribution and frequent occurrence of this type is not particularly suitable for drawing conclusions concerning the chronology of its context. The spondylus pendant found in grave 136 raises some interesting problems. Various ornaments — beads, bracelets, pendants, amulets — made of spondylus shell already make their appearance at the beginning of the Neolithic, even though their widespread use only falls to the Middle and Late Neolithic.

55 The exact origins of this shell are still subject to controversy : it has been suggested that these ornaments were manufactured from locally found fossile shells, other proposals include the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Adriatic as possible sources for this commodity.

56 There is accumulating evidence indicating an upswing in the trade of raw materials from the Middle Neolithic, even though the process itself reached its peak in the Late Neolithic. The import of this marine shell and the export of the Tokaj obsidian clearly prove the existing trade relations involving the exchange of various commodities and raw materials between contemporary cultures and groups. Certain settlements of the Bükk culture located in the vicinity of obsidian sources show such a high level of specialisation that can be taken to imply that the collecting, mining and processing of obsidian was the main occupation of the inhabitants of these settlements.

57 The Csanytelek pendant is matched by analogous speciemens from both Szakáihát contexts (e.g. Kisköre—Gát,

58 Szarvas,

59

, Ószentiván

60

) and from contexts contemporary with the Szakáihát group, e.g. the Bükk group (Istállóskő cave

61

). 83 Korek, J., FA XIII (1961) PI. 1:5, 7. 64 Trogmayer, O., MFMÉ (1957) PI. XIII:4, 14, PI. XV:1, 3. 56 Buttler, W., Beitrage zur Fragen der jungsteinzeitlichen Handels. Marburger Studien (1938) 26—33. See also Rodden, R. J., The Spondylus Shell Trade and the Beginnings of the Vinèa Culture. Symp. Prague (1970) 411, 413; Comça, E., Parures néolithiques en coquillages marines découvertes en territoire Roumain. Dacia 17 (1973) 61—76. 58 Shackleton, N.—Renfrew, С, Neolithic Trade Routes Realigned by Oxygen Isotope Analyses. Nature 228 (1970) 1062—1065. 67 Kalicz, N.—Raczky, P., Új-e az „új régészet?" (What's new in „new archaeology"?) Valóság (1977/6) 76—94. 58 Korek, J., A tiszai kultúra (The Tisza culture). Candidate dissertation. Budapest (1974) 181, 183. 89 MRT IV/2, site Szarvas 8/1, Pl. 6:10. 60 Banner, J., Az ószentiváni ásatások (Excavations at Ószentiván). Dolg. 4 (1928) Fig. 70. 81 Korek, J., Das neolitische Fundmaterial der Höhle von Istállóskő. Acta Arch. Hung. 5 (1955) 141, Figs. 28—29. 28