Agria 41. (Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis, 2005)
Domboróczki László: A háromszögletű AVK-fejek szimbolikája
the triangular ALP heads are composite fertility symbols in the same way as the Körös Culture phallic-steatopyg figures and the bull's horn and breast representations on the walls of the shrine at Çatal Hüyük (Table 1. ill. 1.). Looking at the symbolism of the triangular ALP heads, their mode of representation alone can already be considered more complex than either the Körös types or the Çatal Hüyük examples. Moreover, the ALP heads belong to bodies which contain additional symbols of thenown. 17 In our view the ALP heads not only differ from the Körös Culture representations, but they are more advanced, and therefore not at the same level of abstraction. We believe that the difference in the Körös and Szatmár symbolism, rather than betraying a major deviation in fundamental ideas, reflects the addition of ever newer elements onto the same conceptual base, so the two kinds of symbolism can be interpreted as two successive stations in the same spiritual journey. We first drew attention to the basic similarities existing between the Körös and ALP idols in the publication concerning one of the Füzesabony "centaur" figures (Table 4. ill. 2.). 18 "This sculptural type was unknown to researchers in the context of ALP finds right up until the mid-1990s. They had to wait until 1994 for the first pieces to come to light at the Mezőkövesd-Mocsolyás excavations, 19 followed shortly afterwards by the similar objects found at Füzesabony-Gubakút in 1995-96, among them the small sculpture currently under discussion. 20 Because complete examples were only found subsequently, this type doesn 't feature in any of the early assessments, during which the Neolithic cultic objects were analysed and the extent of religious activity alluded to. In the most recent literature the figurine has also featured under the rather confusing misnomer of »centaur«. 21 The question of Neolithic cults has generally been approached by using the comparative analyses used in ethnography and the study of religious history. In doing so studies tend either to project the folk customs and belief systems of socalled primitive peoples onto the Neolithic milieu of ancient Europe, or from the religious point of view carry out comparative analyses which look back to the most archaic versions of the legends and pantheons of Greek and Mesopotamian mythologies. 22 Alternatively researchers allow themselves free rein in looking for 17 Pál RACZKY-Alexandra ANDERS 2003. 163., 167. 18 László DOMBORÓCZKI 2000. 15., 18. 19 Nándor KALICZ-Judit KOÓS 1997. 165. fig. 19-21. 20 László DOMBORÓCZKI 1997. 163. fig. 38-41. 21 Nándor KALICZ-Judit KOÓS 1997. 31.; Nándor KALICZ-Judit KOÓS 2000. 67. It was only later, having read Eszter Bánffy's most recent studies, that we knew the designation was first given by Márton Roska: Eszter BÁNFFY 2003. 9.; Eszter BÁNFFY 2004. 281. 22 János MAKKAY 1964. 57-64.; Marija GIMBUTAS 1974.; Mircea ELIADE 1995. 35-48., 55-78., 104-124., 216-230. 21
