Vaday Andrea – Bánffy Eszter – Bartosiewicz László – T. Biró Katalin – Gogältan Florin – Horváth Friderika – Nagy Andrea: Kompolt-Kistér : Újkőkori, bronzkori, szarmata és avar lelőhely Leletmentő ásatás az M+-as autópálya nyomvonalán (Eger, 1999)
The site of Kompolt, Kistér
356 THE SITE OF KOMPOLT, KISTÉR It must be clarified, whether one is dealing with imported pottery in the case of some groups. In Bánffy's opinion, the possibility of import may only be ruled out, because each of the discussed types are represented by great numbers of sherds at the settlement. Given the large quantities, it is difficult to imagine mobile tradespeople circulating vessels, possibly together with their contents. Import ware is also difficult to discuss, because in the case of Kompolt it is not clear, which style represents "home". Neither finds from the Linear Pottery culture of the Great Hungarian Plain, nor from the Tiszadob group, and not even finds from the Bükk culture have been found in significantly greater numbers than sherds representing the other two groups. Neither are Szilmeg and Szakáihát finds underrepresented in the material. It is for this reason that the blending of stylistic groups looks more likely than a simple influx of imported ware. At the time of the change from the Middle to the Late Neolithic, when the Szakáihát and subsequently the early Tisza cultures emerged in the southern part of the Great Hungarian Plain, the latest regional groups of the Linear Band Ceramic culture of the Great Hungarian Plain survived in the north, in the valleys of the Tisza and its tributaries that descend to the plain. Kompolt-Kistér is located between the Tarna and Tarnóca rivers. At this site, a stylistic blend between the Tiszadob, Bükk and Szilmeg groups was observed. This admixture was complemented by masses of Szakáihát style finds. Recently, another assemblage with similar finds came to light at the neighbouring site of Kompolt-Kistéri tanya. 2 3 At that settlement, however, the number of Neolithic features excavated must have been smaller to begin with and many of these were even destroyed by subsequent habitation at the height of the Copper Age. It is for this reason that the northern occurrence of the Szakáihát culture could not be extensively studied at that site. Aside from ceramics, another group of finds must certainly be mentioned in relation to the Szakáihát group. This is the Spondylus shell, which for the first time in this period occurred in quantities in the Upper Tisza Region. 2 4 The occurrence of Spondylus shell must be related to southern contacts because the raw material probably originates from the Aegean. However, there is another phenomenon that links these finds with the Szakáihát group: it is the graves from which they were recovered. A perforated Spondylus pendant is known from Grave 136 at Csanytelek - Újhalastó, the burial of a 2-3 years old child. 2 5 Barrel-shaped Spondylus beads, similarly to the Kompolt finds, are also known from a grave at Csongrád - Bokros, which was a child's burial as well. 26 Both of those sites belonged to the Szakáihát culture. Therefore, the Kompolt burials, and especially the child's grave containing Spondylus beads (as well as Szakáihát style sherds in the settlement's material) may be regarded as archaeological evidence of the movement of this culture northward. What was characteristic of this northbound movement and what was the motivation behind it? Nándor Kalicz contrasts the southern areas of the Great Hungarian Plain, characterised by tell formation, and the "backward" north where the middle Neolithic traditions continued. These divergent developments, supposedly created a vacuum that guaranteed the free expansion of the Szakáihát culture northwards. 2 7 It may be added that this must have been a peaceful process, disregarding the fact that the Szilmeg culture withdrew to elevated sites away from areas also occupied by the Szakáihát group. The peaceful nature of these developments is illustrated as well by the high level of stylistic mixing observed in the material of the Kompolt-Kistér site. The reasons behind this northbound movement must evidently be complex. By the very end of the Middle Neolithic, the circulation of obsidian declined heavily. In order to make up for this loss, the Szakáihát population needed to move closer to flint mines in the Northern Hills, especially the Bükk and Mátra Mountains. 2 8 Whatever the reason for the presence of the Szakáihát group in the northern region, it could not become permanently established here. It may be seen that somewhat later it was not the Neolithic groups of the Southern Hungarian Plain, but the Lengyel culture of Transdanubia that built its strongholds in the Northern Hills, all the way to the flint mines of the Kraków region. 2 9 Meanwhile, the interface between the Great Hungarian Plain and the hills became increasingly important as a meeting point, if not trading zone, between southern groups and those coming down the river valleys of the mountains. This, perhaps, explains the respectable size and richness of the Kompolt-Kistér settlement as well. Bronze Age cemetery Early Bronze Age Assemblages At the Kompolt - Kistér site, two types of complexes have been identified that could be dated to the Early Bronze Age: cremation graves and one pit. The pit (Feature 7) lay within a distance of 22 m from grave 1 (Feature 8) and 122 m from the 2nd grave (Feature 115). The complex 7 can be described as a refuse pit because of the archaeological material found inside it. However, it cannot be connected to any habitation place, even though a large area surrounding it was excavated. The two graves lie at a distance of 144 m from each other in straight line. The large space between the two graves indicates that this was not an organised cemetery. Otherwise, the lack of graveyards and the existence of single graves or small assemblages of graves only is char-
