Gulyás Katalin et al. (szerk.): Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 23. (Szolnok, 2014)
Régészet - F. Kovács Péter–Paár Ferenc: Késő vaskori lelőhelyek a Jászságban – Előzetes tanulmány: alapok, keretek, irányok
TISICUM XXIII. - RÉGÉSZET Péter F. Kovács - Ferenc Paár Late Iron Age Sites in Jászság (North-Western part of the Great Hungarian Plain) A Preliminary Study: Principles, Frames and Directions. Although there are several significant archaeological remains, sites and other discoveries, the La Téne period of the Jászság has never been investigated and summarized in its complexity. In this paper we would like to give an integrated synthesis of the archaeological and environmental data from 19th century until nowadays, which might serve as a basis of future studies. The research area is located in the North Western part of the Great Hungarian Plain (Alföld) and County Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok. However, the Jászság region has clear borders - in historical, ethnographical and administrational aspects - but it is more than problematic to define boundary in its environmental sense. For this reason, we have determined ‘‘artificial” frames: in North and West following the border of the county, but in South and East the Tisza river has been designated as a frontier. Geologically the region is a subbasin of the Great Hungarian Plain (Alföld), therefore the landscape is relatively diverse. Several hills, swamps, backwaters, streams and small rivers are occupying the landscape. In this regard, it differs from other rather flat plains. Furthermore, the main rivers are the following: Zagyva, Galga, Tápió, Tama. In this paper altogether fifty-eight various data have been collected, although only twenty-six occurrences were possible to connect with archaeological sites. Furthermore, not more than nine of the presented data (all funerary sites) were uncovered by documented excavations (AIattyán-SzőIődomb: biritual; Besenyszög-Berek-ér partja, 2 graves, biritual; Jászapáti-Kálmán-part, 1 grave, skeletal; Jászapáti-Kossuth Tsz., 2 graves, skeletal; Jászberény-Cserőhalom, 50 graves, biritual; Jászberény-Hajtai halom, 12 graves; biritual; Jászjákóhalma- Csárdadomb, 2 graves + Hunyadi utca, biritual; Újszász-Tavasz út 13., 2 graves, skeletal). In five other cases the context of the excavations are not clear (Alattyán: the site is unknown, probably 1 skeletal grave; Jászapáti: the site is unknown, probably 1 buried grave; Jászberény: the site is unknown; probably buried gave or graves; Jászjákóhalma - Csárdapart, funerary practice is unknown; Jászladány the site is unknown, probably 1 skeletal grave). In addition six more sites can be interpreted as settlements (or a part of settlements). Twelve coins - most likely dated to the Late Iron Age - have been detected in the study area and twenty-three sites have been discovered by field survey. Through analysing the assorted information presented in the paper, it is possible to have a deeper understanding on the Late Iron Age habitation center of Jászberény and Szolnok. Translated by Péter F. Kovács 44
