Tárnoki Judit szerk.: Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 19. (2009)
Természettudomány és régészet - Alice M. Choyke - László Bartosiewicz - Telltale tools from a tell: Bone and antler manufacturing at Bronze Age Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom, Hungary
Természettudomány és régészet related to change in manufacturing processes not forms. 26 Because of this conservatism, utilitarian objects as opposed to ornaments are often better for identifying the presence of social boundaries of all kinds although not in specifying what those boundaries actually represented in terms of the particular society. However, the fact remains that most bone and antler tools are simpler, more carelessly made, less finely finished compared functionally similar objects produced at the end of the Neolithic. Wobst would suggest that this loosening of technological rules, in this case the rules of bone and antler tool manufacture, represents a kind of material way to interfere or disrupt the social fabric, allowing assessment of individual commitment to group values. 2 7 This individual choice in manufacturing style accounts for many of the changes in raw material choice, the degree of care taken in workmanship and even in formal tool types observed through time at Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom as well. The main emphasis in this paper will be on the raw materials used to produce utilitarian objects because they seem to be more sensitive indicators of cultural boundaries and various kinds of social identities including gender, age, village, and tribal identities in this time period. Objects lacking clear iconographical information vary in how strict their rules of manufacture are compared to highly decorative items 2 8 meant for display. Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom also stands out from many other contemporary tell sites in the Carpathian Basin because of the unusual emphasis on wild animal exploitation reflected in species frequencies in the faunal assemblage. Normally, Middle Bronze age sites in Hungary do not have more than 10%, and often a much lower, proportion of wild animals in their faunal assemblages. 2 9 The location of the settlement in an ecotone between the plains and the hills explains why a variety of wild animals might have been available to hunters. The clear focus on wild animal resources in the faunal assemblage suggests that this population may have been involved in some kind of trade in wild animal products, particularly red deer. 3 0 The hints at the symbolic use of skull trophies from this species 3 1 apparently fallen from stockades into the ditches surrounding the central mound. The special abundance of objects made from antler as well as evidence of on-site manufacturing of these objects, also point in the direction of such a trade specialization. Refuse bone and species frequencies Although detailed information on the refuse bone assemblage from Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom is not available, the late Sándor Bökönyi kindly provided the unpublished relative frequencies of the identifiable bones from various species, broken down by archaeological phase. What is particularly important about these proportions is the outstanding contribution of bones from wild animals, and especially red deer (Figure 4). Here, it is compared to the Vatya tell site of Mende-Léanyvár which is located in the interfluve between the Danube and Tisza river on the north plain, not far from the Matra mountains. Proportions of wild animals at sites of the Middle Bronze Age generally fall below 10%. The settlements positions between the plains and the Mátra Mountains perhaps speaks to the potential of the local environment but does not satisfactorily explain the very high proportion of wild animals at either site. At Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom these percentages are around 25% in the Hatvan/Hatvan-Füzesabony phases and 47.9% in the Koszider phase; within these proportions parallel increases in red deer are 15.7, 20.4 and 38.8% respectively. At Mende-Leányvárthe proportion of animal remains from wild species lies at 28.3%, again mostly comprised of red deer remains (23%). 3 2 It has been proposed elsewhere 3 3 that a demand for special products from the skin and bones of red deer encouraged the exploitation of and special attention paid to this species. The existence of antler collection territories near these two sites may be reasonably presumed but cannot be proven. A further set of data which seems to support the special status of red deer at Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom are the three red deer skulls with intact racks found in the inner fortification ditch surrounding the tell (Figure 5). These have been interpreted as having stood on a stockade, displayed to the outside world although they may also have represented some kind of foundation sacrifice. Elsewhere, passing mention is made of 10-12 skulls of other wild animals found in the fortification ditch including also aurochs, brown 26 WIESSNER, Polly 1985. 27 WOBST, H. Martin 1999. 28 HODDER, Ian 1982. 29 CHOYKE, Alice M. - BARTOSIEWICZ, László 1999-2000. 51. 30 CHOYKE, Alice M. 1987; 1998. 31 STANCZIK, Ilona 1975; STANCZIK, Ilona-TÁRNOKI, Judit 1992. 32 CHOYKE, Alice M. 1984; CHOYKE, Alice M. - BARTOSIEWICZ, László 1999. 246 33 CHOYKE, Alice M. 1987,1998.158. 361 j Figure 4. The diachronic contribution of red deer at and Mende-Leányvár compared to various phases at Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom.
