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

(6100-4500 ВС) (4500-2700 ВС) (2700/2500-800 ВС)

community. The overall layout of the cemetery was largely determined by the graves of the Avar warriors, interred with their harnessed horses in wooden chambers (accounting for about 8 per cent of the burials). Some of the Avar graves yielded ornate belt sets of the Byzantine type, which also reflected the owner’s social rank, weapons (bows, eastern swords, daggers) and various implements (strike-a-lights, whetstones, knives).

The women were laid to rest with silver and gold earrings, colourful necklaces, toiletry sets (tiny spoons, small make-up brushes, pins) and household implements (needles, knives, distaffs, chopping knives). One outstanding find, a masterpiece of late antique art, is a brass pitcher adorned with lively hunting scenes inlaid with silver and copper. Mounts decorated with elaborate interlace patterns in the Second Animal Style adorned the pendent strap of women’s belts. Some iron buckles and strap-ends were covered with sophisticated patterns created with silver inlay.

Over 10 percent of the burials were furnished with pottery for providing the deceased with food and drink. The vessels are dominated by hand-thrown wares of the nomadic type, although more carefully made, wheel-turned vessels made from finely levigated clay and fired to a grey or black colour occur too.

The material culture and art of the community using the cemetery began to be dominated by Byzantine traits around the close of the 7th century. The use of the cemetery during the 8th century is reflected by finds of belt mounts and strap

ends decorated with griffins, animal combat scenes and Mediterranean plant motifs. The survey of the cemetery’s broader area indicated that about two-thirds of the cemetery still lies buried in the ground.

• Adrien Pásztor and Tivadar Vida