Achaeometrical Research in Hungary II., 1988

PROSPECTING and DATING - György GOLDMAN - Júlia SZÉNÁSZKY: Topographic research on the neolithic settlements in Békés Sárrét

thus examined includes magnetic anomalies of exactly visible remains such as burnt houses or the internal and external borders between sites within the well defined systematic collection rows or layers. On the basis of all these, the general development of the settlement was therefore as follows: during the ALP period, settlement was only confined to the northern part, although the phenomena or occurrences of settlement pertaining to this epoch obscured by the Tisza culture occupation. Despite this, sporadic occurrences or traces from this era were found in the central area as well; first, in one of the clay containing pits, we found fragments that originate from the ALP period. One ALP statuette was found still further away from the settlement. It was discovered in the south-western part of the settlement where ALP type ceramics were not expected to appear at all. It is possible that it found its way there as a secondary deposit. The most extensive dispersion of Szakáihát finds was found in a north to south direction, parallel to the edge of the terrace. However, it never went beyond a distance of 300 m. A house from this period stood on the bank of the terrace. It had a 20 cm thick mudand-daub wall, and the roof structure was supported by posts from the inside. The floor was plastered with a layer of light, yellow loess and was repeatedly renewed. The waste contained fish remains as well as other animal bones. On the upper floor lay in situ fragments of sinew-jug ceramics. The outer surface of the wall was levelled and also renewed from time to time with a thick layer of yellow clay. We also noticed a grey layer of ash on both the outer as well as the inner surfaces. At the bottom of the terrace below the slope, a 75 cm thick layer of meadow-clay was found which contained no traces of remains, but below it lay fragments of neolithic pottery. This obviously shows that this alluvial layer moved down and has accumulated here since neolithic times. In the southern part of the site, Szakáihát ceramics (without Tisza culture contamination) were found on the surface. For this reason, it seemed reasonable to examine the nature of the Szakáihát phenomena using magnetic methods. We decided that we cannot account for the houses which burned down here during the Szakáihát period. During the Tisza period, the settlement abandoned the north-south expansion and started expanding westwards. This means that the north-south expansion became shorter; while the east-west one became longer. The intensity of settlement remains increased: the remains of the wattle-and-daub houses with post structures could be found everywhere at the site (figure 3). Burnt down houses showed the greatest magnetic anomalies, whereas the smaller peak house activation anomalies were shown by places where there had only been smaller fires. These relatively prominent peak anomalies are probably a result of scattered shallow pits (with approximate diameters of 2 - 4 m). The houses and the anomaly-signalling group of pits that lay around them occupied a an area of a diameter of about 30-50 m. We also found areas where magnetism was relatively even and undisturbed. This meant the settlement showed a characteristic modular distribution. Under the burnt layer of the wattle-and-daub Tisza culture houses lay a rich deposit of archaeological finds. House remains in the excavated sections showed that these houses were built directly into the natural ground, and that they had not covered the remains of earlier cultures. Naturally, this does not necessarily mean that the group of houses which were clearly shown by the anomalies exclusively belonged to the Tisza culture. At Dévaványa-Sártó, the ALP shows differing samples from the Szakáihát and Tisza cultures. These settlers, despite their similar geographical environment, formed different settlements, while at another nearby site (Szeghalom-Varhely) such significant differences were not found between the Middle and Late Neolithic cultures. Szeghalom-Várhely lay on the raised northern bank of the 'Sebes-Körös' river. It is so close to the present-day 15