Tari Edit: Pest megye középkori templomai (Studia Comitatensia 27. Szentendre, 2000.)
had just consecrated the already chosen site. Churches built above earlier cemeteries have been observed in several cases by the archaeologists of our county. From the detail of the St. Gerald Legend cited above we learn that the church built above an earlier graveyard can not be considered unique and may refer to the custom of erection a church on the territory of an earlier cemetery, which can be evidenced also by archaeological excavations. In the case of churches known only from archaeological excavation, cemeteries give valuable data for the chronology of the church. OBJECTS OF THE CHURCH FURNISHINGS In the following I would like to describe the objects found in the churches of county Pest. They were used in the churches in connection with religious life. In several cases they were suitable for more exact dating of the churches. Sometimes it happens that from these objects we learn new data on the religious life or the trade of religious objects (Byzantine reliquary pectoral crosses). Altar and procession crosses There are two outstanding pieces found in Pest county: the altar and procession cross from Nagykőrös-Ludas and Cegléd-Öregszőlők. Both of them belonged to a rural church and despite of their simplicity, these are unique pieces of art. In the site of Ipolytölgyes-Szent Márton dűlő a Madonna depiction carved of bone was found. The piece from Nagykőrös-Ludas is double cross decorated with a ribbon ornament. It was in pounce and incised technique. There is a crown on Christ's head and a loin-cloth on his body. At the ends of the horizontal arms of the cross we see figures of saints in priest costume. Researchers determine the age of this object differently. Some suggest the 12 th century, as the time of production, others think of the 13 th century, the period following the Mongol Invasion. On the basis of the archaeological data it seems to be probable that the village was demolished during the Mongol Invasion, so the right dating may be the beginning of the 13' century, the period between the two suggested ones. A Romanesque gilded crucifix from Cegléd-Öregszőlők was dated to the 12 th century and published several times. The investigations of the recent years succeeded in locating the precise site of the find. Today it is evident that this piece was produced for the church of Öregszőlők. The upper arm end of the cross in the form of a blossoming branch can be considered as a symbol of the Tree of Life. The vertical arm of the cross grows out of a lion's head symbolising the Evil. At the ends of arms we see small tablets with the inscription NAZAR/ENUS. The body of Christ appears on the cross as the dead Saviour. Stone baptisteries, aspersoria Stone baptisteries or their fragments have been found at 15 sites. While the history of styles, workshops of the sophisticated bronze pieces were thoroughly studied, the research of stone baptisteries is a neglected territory of medieval research. The number of medieval pieces found in Hungary - according to my (still unfinished) database - exceeds 100 pieces. In the territory of our county the 12 pieces are represented by simple examples suggestedly used in rural churches. Most of them consist of a round bowl and a rectangular pillar supporting it. The pillar is narrower than the bowl. The widening lower part of the baptisteries imitate the pedestal of a column. 247
