Achaeometrical Research in Hungary II., 1988

ANALYSES - LITHICS - Katalin T. BIRÓ: The study of polished stone implements in the Carpathian basin

this clearly is, that without basic petroarchaeological research the rock identification worded in the language of the geologist did not mean much to the excavating archaeologist. More recently, due to the activities of György Szakmány, valuable data concerning the provenance of the polished stone tools from Bicske, Méhtelek and Szarvas Neolithic sites were published. His maps can be complemented with the scanty amount of information we have at hand (Map. 2., Table 4.). During the course of the complex study of some prehistoric sites, the author had the possibility to spot some important materials which seem to play important roles as raw materials for polished artefacts. They comprise some rocks which can be connected more or less exactly to source regions such as serpentinite, different types of greenschist, gabbro, more recently, phonolite - but there are much more types the geological source of which cannot be identified yet, such as different types of basalt, andésite and a wide variety of sedimentary rocks. New efforts, and mainly the results of basic research performed parallel to the analysis of archaeological material, will hopefully complete our knowledge and it will be possible to fit the polished stone tool provenance data within the methodological framework used in exploring the system of contacts between prehistoric sites. 3. A brief glance to other parts of the Carpathian Basin The afore-mentioned statements are most relevant to the current state of research in Hungary. One should not forget, however, that the present day political boundaries were not necessarily cultural borders during Prehistory and that the rock types most suitable for the production of polished stone tools, i.e., metamorphic rocks are found on the surface only at a very limited number of locations in our country. Relevant studies in the neighbouring countries, therefore, are very important to us. The longest tradition and most significant results can be attributed undoubtedly the Czech (Czechoslovak, Slovak) research, already praised by Flóris Romer. It seems that the dark coloured amphibolite-greenschist dominating at Hungarian archaeological sites originates from the metamorphic belt of the Carpathes, from Moravia and Slovakia, respectively. Important workshop sites and potential quarries are known from that area (Zlkovce, Zelezice). Hungarian petroarchaeological research postulated the place of origin for several raw materials in the Lowlands of Romania, in the first place, Transylvania and the Southern Carpathes. Here the state of research is similar to that of Hungary. We are planning to collaborate on this topic with colleagues from the neighbouring countries. in the territory of Austria, one must consider at least one classical source: the Bernstein serpentinite. This material was also spotted in the Hungarian archaeological material. Probably, there are many more sources available, both on the edges of the Carpathian Basin and the Alpine Foreland. Within the territory of former Yugoslavia, petroarchaeological research in general was blocked and has not yet reached the phase of basic research. However, detailed petroarchaeological studies were made on materials from some important sites (e, g. Divostin, Selevac), In addition, on the basis of geological observations, we can also reckon with significant sources of raw material south of the river Drava (e.g. Fruska Gora). One should not fail mentioning in this brief survey the large Bronze Age flint mines planted on Northern flint (Poland, the Netherlands) producing, in the first place, large series of standard chisel blades. The flint mine of Krzemionki is perhaps the most important in this respect. It has been studied by a very able group of experts since several years. 121