Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 10. 1969 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1969)

Közlemények – Mitteilungen - Kovács Tibor: Prehistoric Horse-Bits of Antler Found in the Carpathian Basin Recently. – Újabb őskőkori agancszabla leletek a Kárpát-medencében. X, 1969. p. 159–165.

KÖZLEMÉNYEK —MITTEILUNGEN PREHISTORIC HORSE-BITS OF ANTLER FOUND IN THE CARPATHIAN BASIN RECENTLY The accessories of horse-trappings made of antler represent a special archaelogical material of European Prehistory. On account of their qualities divergent from other finds, since their structure is immediately connected with the way of harnessing, they may perhaps indicate commercial relations extending to large areas or ethnical movements. This is why the recent years have witnessed several significant endeavours to define the connections between the horse-bits uncovered in Europe and the Near East. This is especially valid for the recent work of Hans Potratz on this subject, dealing with the horsetrappings of European Prehistory in the second and the first millennium in relation to similar finds from the Ancient East.

1 In a paper published lately, István Foltiny investigates the Near Eastern connections of European bits in Prehistory, especially in the Bronze Age.

2 After two studies by Amália Mozsolics dealing with horse-bits of antler,

3 and the papers of Gábor Bandi on the bone plates for the arrangement of reins, and on the horse harnessing in the Middle Bronze Age,

4 this kind of archaeological material of Hungary may be regarded as published on the whole. This is why we deem the publication of the cheek-pieces of antler necessary which were uncovered in the last years, even if the finds presented below are no more than a modest contribution to the study of prehistoric horse harnessing.

5 1. Százhalombatta — Brick Works Left cheek-piece of deer antler, the point is cut off straightly. Length: 9 cm. Diam.: above 1,3 cm, below 2 cm. (Fig. 1, Fig. 6.2.) Hung. Nat. Museum. Inv. no.: 66. 17. 1402. From the centre of the upper end the diploe has been removed till the hole pierced at about the upper third from inside. The 1 J. H. POTRATZ, Die Pferdetrensen des Alten Orient, Analecta Orientalia, 41,1966. 2 ST. FOLTINY, The Ivory Horse Bits of Homer and the Bone Horse Bits of Reality, BJb, 167, 1967, pp. 11-37. 3 A. MOZSOLICS, Mors en bois de cerf sur le territoire du Bassin des Carpathes, A. Arch. Hung., 3, 1953, pp. 69 — 109; ID., Die Herkunftsfrage der ältesten Hirschgeweihtrensen, A. Arch. Hung., 12, 1960, pp. 125 — 135. 4 G. BANDI, Középső bronzkori lószerszám-szíjelosztó csontlemezek kérdése a Kárpát-medencében. (The Problem of Bone Plates for the Division of the Reins of Horse-Trappings in the Middle Bronze Age in the Carpathian Basin)

, AÉrt, 90, 1963, pp. 46 — 60; ID., Pferdegeschirre mit Knochenbestandteilen aus der Mittleren Bronzezeit im Karpatenbecken, A. Ant.et Arch. 8, 1965, pp. 87-95. ß

The chance of progress seems to lie in the treatment of the significant settlements and cemeteries of the Bronze Age discovered in the recent times and, in connection with it, the well-based definition of the origin, movements and relations of the peoples living in the Carpathian basin in the Bronze Age. upper part of the rein was pulled into the contiguous tube, made up of two parts at right angles.

6 Judged by the mark of wearing at the small hole, the rein entering there was pulled out and knotted at the upper end of the cheek-piece. The two major oval holes, 12 and 13 cm long, are piercing the body of the cheekpiece from the side. The opening which serves for the fixing of the mouthpiece occupies a central position. Traces of wearing may be observed on the lower arches of the oval holes. On the lower part of the cheek-piece the body is pierced by the small round hole, serving for the immission of the lower rein, in a plane at right angles with the oval openings. The ornament of the cheek-piece: at the upper end, in two bands bordered by incised lines running round, a so-called band of undulating lines (Wellenbandmuster) is embracing the piece, marked by fine incision, or scratching, respectively. Between the two oval holes, on the exterior only, an incised band of lines, at both ends concentric circles are decorating it. On the thicker part there is a band bordered by a bunch of lines, ornamented by concentric circles, marked by incision and scratching. In the territory of Százhalombatta earthworks disturbed a fortified prehistoric settlement of a large extension. On the basis of the rescue excavation of 1963 we stated that the cultural layer of more than 5 m thickness contained the remnants of the Nagyrév and Vatya cultures of the Bronze Age, the Vál culture and a Celtic settlement.

7 The bit cheek-piece described above has been uncovered in the depth of— 165 and —185 cm on the settlement of tell character, containing a series of layers 4 m thick, belonging to the Vatya culture. The finds of this layer represent the developped phase of the Vatya culture.

8 Amália Mozsolics divided the bit cheek-pieces of antler to various types according their structures.

9 The division suggested by her and accepted by several researchers the Százhalombatta find may be included in the Tószeg type.

10 More important specimens of this type have been found at the following sites: Tiszafüred (2 pieces), Tószeg (4 pieces), Mezöcsát, In the description of the supposed use of the cheek-pieces we followed the essay of reconstruction by S. BÖKÖNYI (cf. Recostrucition des mors en bois de cerf et en os, A. Arch. Hung. 3, 1953, pp. 113 — 121) in each case. 7 T. KOVÁCS, AÉrt. 91, 1964, p. 250. 8 To the relative chronology of the Bronze Age in the Carpathian basin cf. I. BONA. Geschichte der frühen und mittleren Bronzezeit in Ungarn und im Mittleren Donauraum, AUSBSA, 3, 1961, pp. 3-22; A. MOZSOLICS, Bronzefunde des Karpatenbeckens, Budapest, 1966, pp. 9—282. 9 A. MOZSOLICS, A. Arch. Hung., 3, 1953, pp. 70-86. i» We are convinced that the division of the cheek-pieces of antler, found in the Carpathian basin, according to the types established by A. Mozsolics, needs some revision. Considering the functional role of the Bronze Age specimens we regard the distinction of two main types only (cheek-pieces with one and two oval-shaped holes) as justified. 159