Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. A Szent István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 34. 2004 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (2005)

Tanulmányok – Abhandlungen - Zalai-Gaál, István: New evidence for the Cattle cult in the Neolithic of Central Europe. XXXIV. p. 7–40. T. I–XVII.

from Sesklo and Khalkiades include naturalistic portrayals of bull heads (Toufexis 1994, 159; Papathanassopoulos 1996, Cat. no. 257). Animal bones have been found in about thirty burials of the Hamangia culture; the cattle, wild ass, sheep and deer skulls were in most cases deposited in adult burials (Lichter 2001, 70). Finds testifying to the practice of the bull cult have been uncovered at several sites of the northern Balkanic Starcevo culture, whose distribution also extended to southern Transdanubia. A cattle skull was deposited by the hands and a scapula by the knees of the maturus female buried in Grave 1 at Golokut (Petrovic 1985; Lichter 2001, 176). One rather frequent find type in Starcevo assemblages is a small clay amulet with bull horns, the so-called horn pendant {Plate XV, Fig. 23; Lazarovici 1979, 16-20, 30; Lazarovici-Maxim 1995, 386). Most of these come from the Danube region, predominantly from the Danube Gorges, from sites representing the earliest, rather than the classical Starcevo period (Kalicz 1990, 86). Some of these sites were established in the Protostaröevo phase (Kalicz 2000, 298). Gura Baciului and Ocna Sibilui, two Transylvanian sites lying beyond the Starcevo distribution, where comparable finds were brought to light, represent the earliest Neolithic, the so-called Proto-Cris phase (Vlassa 1972, Abb. 3. 9; Paul 1995, Taf. 8. 4-6, Taf. 30. 1-4; Kalicz 2000, 298). Nándor Kalicz assigned similar pendants carved from stone found at Nea Nikomedia in Greek Macedonia in the same period (Kalicz 2000, 298). Nándor Kalicz and Pál Raczky have devoted several studies to the chronology of this artefact type and its role in cult life; in their view, these objects were one variant of the Early Neolithic horn symbols and they were probably worn as amulets (Kalicz-Raczky 1981, 5-20; Kalicz 1990, 80). Of the Early Neolithic sites in South-East Europe,

22 the Knjepiste site stands out by a series of bull horn amulets coming in a wide range of forms and sizes, and a highly realistic bull figurine with large horns, as well as a clay horn (Stankovic 1986; 1991, 37-38, Taf. 1-17, 38, Taf. 2. 20, Taf. 2. 22). A vessel with appliqué bull horns is known from Veluska Tumba (Schubert 1999, Taf. 38.13). Quite life-like bull head depictions have been reported from Gura Baciului (Bácsi Torok, Romania) (Vlassa 1966, 17, Fig. 14; LazaroviciMaxim 1995, Fig. 23. 1-2), where, in addition to amulets, clay bull horns (Lazarovici-Maxim 1995, Fig. 23. 3-5) and various clay figurines attest to the prominence of the bull cult in the settlement's life (Plate XIV, Fig. 22; Lazarovici-Maxim 1995, Fig. 23. 6-9). Several bull head amulets were brought to light at Kozluk-Kremenjak (Jovanovic 1968, Tab. 1. 1-2, 4, Tab. 4. 1-7). A specimen found at Zadubravlje Duzina, a Staröevo site in Central Lepenski Vir, Divostin, Dobanovci, Lug-Zvecka, Bánja, VeleŐnica, Kamenicki Pótok, Kucajna, Crnokolaőka Вага, Gladovice, Slatina, Cuina Turcului, Ocna Sibilui, Perieni, etc. (Kalicz-Raczky 1981, 17; Kalicz 1990 and 2000, with the relevant bibliography). Slavonia, differs from the above in that the animal's face was depicted in relief on the upper part (Minichreiter 1993, 103, Tab. 21. 6). The specimen from Slavonski Brod-Galovo, an early Staröevo site, was found in association with three burials and other cult finds (Minichreiter 1996-1997, 19-20, Figs 1-2). A broken horn symbol was found in Pit 1 at Lánycsók in southern Transdanubia (Kalicz 1978, 137-156). Mention must be made of the horn amulets and their fragments and the Bos taurus horns found at Obessenyő-Bukova-puszta and Donja Branjevina (Kisléghy Nagy 1909, 271, Fig. 10; Karmanski 1968, Taf. 3. 13, Taf. 4. 12-14; 1979, Taf. 43. 1-5, 10-13; Karmanski 2005, Fig. 16. 1-2, Fig. 31. 4; Truhovic-Karmanski 1993, Abb. IV. la-b, Abb. 9a-c, Abb. V. 6a-c;). One of the two animal figurines from Donja Branjevina undoubtedly portrayed a bull (Truhovic-Karmanski 1993, Fig. 4. la-b, Fig. 5. 6a, Fig. 9a-c, Fig. 14. la-b). The earliest bucranium in the Carpathian Basin, the fragment of a clay bull head, was found at the Körös site of Röszke-Lúdvár (Trogmayer 1989, Abb. 4. 3). It was perhaps part of a sanctuary, an altar or a zoomorphic vessel, but it may equally well have been a gable ornament or a mask. Its reconstruction suggests that it had been quite life-like, with carefully modelled eyes, nose and horns (Trogmayer 2003, 109-112, Fig. 2). Ottó Trogmayer pointed out the significance of this find, which dated from a period when domestic species were dominated by sheep and goat.

23 He discussed the significance of such finds in cult life in connection with a house model fitted with a gable ornament found earlier, noting that these were „theriomorphic deity portrayals" and that "the houses stood under the protection of the theriomorphic deity" (Trogmayer 1966a, Figs 1-2; 1966b, Abb. 1). Another notable Körös find, a clay object symbolising a bull horn, was found in a pit at Szajol-Felsőföld. Nándor Kalicz and Pál Raczky defined this find and other comparable objects from South-East Europe as an early variant of the horns of consecration (Kalicz-Raczky 1981, 6, PI. 6.1). House 4 of the Körös settlement at SzolnokSzanda yielded a closed assemblage containing two highly stylised, large, four-footed animal figurines with horns and small animal heads set at either end of the ribs running along the figurines' length (Raczky 1982, 14, PI. 6-7; Kalicz-Raczky 1981, 5, PI. 1. 1-2, PI. 2. la-b, 2a-b, PI. 3. 1-2). These depictions are unique in the Early Neolithic of South-East Europe. While undoubtedly symbolising bulls and bull horns, the main emphasis is on the latter (Raczky 1988, 17). Fragments of a third representation of this type were also brought to light: the three figurines and the fragments lay near each other in the house (Kalicz-Raczky 1981, 5-6, PI. 5. 2a-c). A broken horn „Der Rinderkultus ist also sinnmäßig fremd, auch wenn man sich vor Augen hält, daß Rodden am Fundort von Nea Nikomedeia eine ansehnliche Zahl von Rindern gefunden hat" (Trogmayer 1989, 312). 19