Gyöngyössy Márton (szerk.): Perspectives on the Past. Major Excavations in County Pest (Szentendre, 2008)

Traces of Copper Age occupation in the Zöld Cave at Budakalász

(2700/2500-800 ВС)

(4500-2700 ВС)

The Zöld Cave was the single cave with archaeological deposits in the Pilis Mountains, which had not been investigated until 2002. The cave lies on the eastern slope of Mount Nagy- Kevély, rising to a height of 534 meters, roughly 100 meters from a former, since long abandoned limestone quarry. In addition to the prehistoric finds, the excavations conducted in the cave in 2001 and 2002 brought to light Celtic, Roman Age and Migration period artefacts, as well as 10th—11 th century, 13th century and late medieval vessel fragments.

The largest quantity of pottery can be assigned to the Middle Copper Age Ludanice group. An almost intact ladle, a serpentinite axe and chipped stone implements of obsidian and limnic quartzite date from the same period.

The 25-30 meters large cavern appears to have been closed until the Middle Copper Age, when the shaft and the cave mouth opened as a result of erosion. In addition to various archaeological artefacts, the cave yielded a few human bones, the bones of large-bodied domestic animals, some of which bore cut-marks. •

• Tamás Repiszky

1. Stone axe

2. The cave entrance

3. The cave shaft

4. Copper Age dipper

5. Chipped stone implements