Balogh Csilla – P. Fischl Klára: Felgyő, Ürmös-tanya. A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Monumenta Archeologica 1. (Szeged, 2010)

The Avar Cemetery at Felgyő, Ürmős-Tanya

A Felgyő, Ünnös-tanyai avar kori temető 273 an iron buckle, was adorned with seven shield shaped pressed mounts of silver. Most of the mounts have crumbled away, and the small strap-end was also lost. The large bronze strap-end of Alpine type has two parallels among the Avar finds from the Danube-Tisza Interfluve: one comes from Grave 326 of the Abony cemetery (MÁRTON 1906, 59-64), the other from Grave 64 of the Kundomb cemetery (SALAMON 1995. PI. II). The origins of eastern Alpine type mounts are still debated: a Roman/Italo-Byzantine ancestry (BÓNA 1963, 59-64; BIF.RBAUER 1979, 354; DA1M 1996, 315; BÁLINT 2004, 602) and a Germanic one have both been claimed (KOCH 1966, 28; GARAM 1995, 382; STRAUB 2002, 40). Two main groups can be distinguished among the pieces found in an Avar context in the Carpathian Basin,both on typological grounds and on the basis of the associated finds. Belt sets with good quality mounts, mounts fitted with decorated rivets and sets of rectangular and small mounts can be assigned to the Early Avar period, whose use ended around the mid-7th century (BÓNA 1963). More poorly made pieces decorated with dotted circles, incomplete sets (lacking various mounts) and imitation mounts continued to be worn in the later 7th century, but no later than the end of the century (ZABOJNÍK 2000, 354). A recent study on belt sets noted that the most finely made, virtually complete sets, which are probably also the earliest, had the longest strap-ends (LÖRINCZY-STRAUB 2005, Table 1). The strap-end from Felgyő is a good quality piece and has a length of 7.9 cm. The other grave goods (earrings with large spherical pendant, quiver plaques with symmetric design) too assign the strap-end to the early group of eastern Alpine belt sets found in an Avar context. Most of the burials with eastern Alpine belt sets from the Carpathian Basin did not contain weapons despite the fact that these belts were weapon belts for a sax or spatha in the Merovingian world (MARTIN 2000). A bow and a quiver for the arrows were deposited in the Felgyő grave. In the lack of precise field observations, it is uncertain whether the belt fitted with an Alpine type strap-end had functioned as a quiver belt. The belt sets of this type found north of the Alps and in the Carpathian Basin are generally interpreted as imports or parts of booty. However, it is possible that some of these belt sets were received as gifts, an alternative explanation based on the study of the belt set from Grave 81 of the SzegvárOromdülö cemetery (LŐRINCZY STRAUB 2005, 146). Miscellaneous pressed strap-ends (Fig. 6. 2-3). Pressed strap-ends representing four different types came to light from two burials (Graves 108 and 136). The single other belt fitting from these burials was an iron buckle for fastening the belt. Grave 136 yielded a strap-end with a lattice pattern (Fig. 6. 2) and an iron buckle. The grave was undisturbed, meaning that any other adornments of the belt had either not been placed in the grave or had perished without a trace. The lattice pattern of the strap-end framed by a raised grooved border has a good analogy among the dies from the goldsmith's grave uncovered at Kunszentmárton (CSALLÁNY 1933. PI I 20). A similar design can be seen on the large strap-end from Csengele-Jójárt, on which it is combined with a dotted line motif (CSALLÁNY 1939, PI Vll 14). The goldsmith's grave and the Csengele finds allow a date in the second quarter of the 7th century for strap-ends with a lattice pattern. Grave 108 yielded three different small strap-ends (Fig. 6. 2) and an iron buckle. It is uncertain whether the three strap-ends had been part of the same belt. The strap-end decorated with an interlace pattern compares well with similar pieces from Grave 102 of the Kundomb cemetery (SALAMON-CS. SEBESTYÉN 1995, Pl. 15) and Grave 208 of the Jászapáti-Nagyállási Road cemetery (MADARAS 1994, Taf. XXXII). The earring with large spherical pendant and the bone quiver plaques found in the latter burial date the strap-end to the mid-7th century. Decorative rivets (Fig. 6. 6). Grave 62 contained a belt with many pendent straps embellished with decorated domed rivets of bronze. The belt was fastened with a lyre shaped buckle and a slender belt loop of bronze wire was also part of the set. Garam dated the domed mount imitations to the mid-7th century on the basis of the finds from Grave 7 of the Tiszakécske-Óbög cemetery (GARAM 1991, 141). Pressed disc mounts. Pressed disc mounts and strap-ends came to light from Grave 228. The mounts have since been lost, and only their description and drawing has survived. It is possible that the round bronze mount with raised rim from Grave 147, a disturbed child burial, was also part of this set. However, it is equally possible that these mounts had not been part of a belt set. Cast belt mounts of the Late Avar period (Fig. 6. 8-10). Graves 21, 63, 68 and 86 contained the burials of men wearing a belt. The graves lay scattered in the cemetery's northern part. The mounts adorning their belt represent typical Late Avar types: shield shaped mounts and pendent mounts with narrow shield shaped upper part. They are smaller than the earlier variants and were arranged in groups of three on the belt. The belts were buckled. The mounts from Graves 21 and 68 bore a tendril pattern, while the pieces from Grave 63 were engraved with a lily design and were accompanied by lily decorated openwork strap-ends. Both were popular types at the end of the Avar period, in the late 8th and early 9th centuries (Late Avar III period). The openwork mounts with stylised tendril decoration from Grave 68 can be dated to roughly the same period. The latter, however, represent a less popular type. Three of the few known similar mounts come from the fringes of the Avar Khaganate, from present-day Slovakia (Nővé Zámky, Grave 387: CILINSKÁ 1966, Tab. 59; Prague-Sárka, Prague District 6: PROFANTOVÁ 1992, Taf. 6. 2; Prsa, Grave 110: TOCIK 1963, Tab. 12) and Croatia (Smrdelji: MILOSEVIC 2000, Abb. 4. 235b). The other comparable mounts were found in the middle third of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Felgyő, Ürmös-tanya, Grave 68; Kecel-Határdülö, Grave 84: SÓS 1958, PI. 15; Szeged-Fehértó A, Grave 3a, from the Fleissig Collection: MADARAS 1995, Taf. 39). The mounts of the Felgyő belt set were all decorated with a tendril design, while only the strap-end could be assigned to this type in the case of the other belt sets. Propeller mounts of this type are known only from Felgyő and from Keszthely, the latter a more finely made variant. The leafy tendril motif is highly stylised on these mounts. A similar motif appears on the finds from Keszthely (LIPP 1885. PI. 97; H

AMPEL 1905. Taf. 151) and from two sites in Budapest, Leányka Street and Tompa Street (NAGY 1998, Taf. 130). Other belt accessories Knives. Knives were recovered from 67 graves (31%): 43 male, 21 female and 3 young adult burials. Two male burials (Graves 114 and 194) had two knives, one being of average length, the other one slightly shorter (6-8 cm). Knives were not placed in child burials. The knives deposited in male burials were slightly longer than the ones recovered from female burials. Most knives were found on the right side (42 burials) / 5 For a list of the relevant sites, cp. BONA 1962. Abb. /. LŐRINCZY STRAUB 21)05, note 24, for a list of more recent sites.