Madaras László – Tálas László – Szabó László szerk.: Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 9. (1996)

László Madaras: The Question of the Early Avar Niche Grave Population's Continuity in the 8th Century (A korai avar fülkesíros népesség továbbélésének kérdése a VIII. században)

first decades of the 9th century. (grave 30 and 65)

10 The niche graves belonged to the first period of the use of the cemetery

11

, therefore they, liké the Szentes-Kaján grave, can be dated to the last decades of the 7th century. Örménykút. Site 11, in the yard of the watertower During the setting up of the water-tower in 1980, a trench was dug for laying down the electric cable. While digging the trench, five skeletons without grave-finds were found. While treating a water-pit with concrete near the corner of the fences of the waterworks, the skeleton of a "horseman"(?) was disturbed. The trial excavation, carried out in the empty area, yielded 8 graves and a horse grave (?) in the yard. It is alsó worth mentioning a male burial with hairplait-ornament, pressed, oblong, belt-mounts with curved sides, made from bronzé plates. The grave belongs to the Middle Avar Period. And a niche grave with horse burial (italics mine L.M.). The dead was deposited intő a niche which slanted downwords and was dug by the end of the horse skeleton.

12 Further information about the site can be found in Magyarország Régészeti Topográfiája (Archeological Topography of Hungary), volume 8, (Szarvasi járás 4/2). It reports for example that 20 graves of the Laté Avar Period were excavated by Éva Garam and László Kovács. It is worth mentioning four of the opened graves in this work. A grave containing belt-ornaments cut out of bronzé plates, a grave containing belt-ornaments cast in bronzé, a niche grave (italics mine L. M.) and a horse grave. The graves were found around the water-tower and in the empty area extending between the water-tower and the Community House.

13 The edge of the cemetery was found towards the Community House. Unfortunately, nőne of the records gives reliable data on the grave-finds of the niche grave. They only mention that it was a burial of a man and a horse. On the basis of the records of the graves explored in the area, one can presume that the niche grave belongs to the Tótipuszta-lgar Group, but the possibility that it dates from in the period characterized by griffin-tendril decoration cannot be excluded. Site 68 of Szarvas seems to offer a similar pic tűre. Several short reports inform us about the completely excavated cemetery. Nevertheless, the only information we have about the niche graves is that 40—50 of the 460 graves were niche graves, and the cemetery was used in the 7th—8th centuries. The latter point is very important, as in this way we can rekon with niche graves dug after the newly arrived population settled at this site too. Irén Juhász defined the vague period of the use of the cemetery more precisely when she said in one of her publications that the graves had been dug between the second half of the 7th century and the second half of the 8th century.

14 It is alsó worth taking intő account the graves found in Szarvas-Horváth puszta. 'The graves of the Laté Avar Period were oriented NW—SE. Irón buckles, hairplait-ornament, glass beads and a silver earring were found in the graves."

15 Six of the examined sixteen graves were niche graves. It was impossible to excavate them because of the spouting subsoil water but the finds of the excavated part of the cemetery make it obvious that they belong to the 8th century. Szarvas-Rózsás halom

16 Grave 25 Niche grave. Grave-goods: 2 irón buckles, an irón knife and the skeleton of a small mámmal. At the SE end of the grave a niche was dug at the angle of 45° down intő the ground. A skeleton of an aduit, with its skull pointing upwards, was found in the niche. The excavator dated the cemetery to the beginning of the 8th century because of the grave-goods of grave 3. Grave 3 consisted of bronzé belt-mounts with griffin decoration, small strap-ends decorated with fleur-de-lis motifs, irón buckle decorated with tendrils and belt-hole guards cut out of bronzé plates. The rest of the recorded finds suggest a similar chronological order.

17 Orosháza-Béke Mgtsz "Niche graves, which had been very rare at the very end of the Laté Avar Period (italics mine LM.), were found in great number in the cemetery. In somé of the graves the skeletons were found in an almost verticai position while in one grave the dead had been burried in a sitting position. In 10 Selmeczi—Madaras 1979—80. pp. 149—150. 11 Selmeczi—Madaras 1979—80. pp. 147—148. 12 Régészeti Füzetek I. Ser. 1. No. 36. 1983. p. 84. 13 Magyarország Régészeti Topográfiája. Békés Megye Régészeti Topográfiája. A szarvasi járás IV/2. p. 343.; Bálint 1989. p. 176. 14 Régészeti Füzetek Ser. I. No. 38. 1985. p. 69. 15 Régészeti Füzetek Ser. I. No. 38. 1985. p. 69. 16 Magyarország Régészeti Topográfiája 8. Békés megye Régészeti Topográfiája. A szarvasi Járás IV/2. pp. 431—432. 17 Magyarország Régészeti Topográfiája 8. Békés megye Régészeti Topográfiája. A szarvasi járás IV/2. 54.t. 14—26. 140