A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 37-38. - 1995-1996 (Nyíregyháza, 1997)

Régészet - Josyp Kobal’: Preliminary report on the results of archaeological research on the multi-level fortified settlement of „Chitattia” (near Solotvino/Aknaszlatina, Transcarpathian region, Ukraine) by the Expedition of the Transcarpathian Museum of Local History

Josyp Kobal' together (Pl. XVB.3). Another group of pots has Sshaped or close to it profiles and strongly convex bodies (Pi. XVII. 1,3). Fragments of big, thick-walled, brick-coloured vessels with characteristic rude surfaces (PI. XVI.

1) are worthy of note. Some of the hand-made vessels, functionally close to pots, have a straight, slightly inverted rims and convex bodies that usually are not decorated (Pi. XV.B.7,XVI.8,XVII.2), although there are vessels ornamented with alveoli (Pi. XV.B.

4). Among the bowls a small spherical vessel ornamented with a combination of applied semi-spherical knobs and nail imprints (PI. XVIII.

3), should be mentioned. Wheel-made pottery was found in very small quantities. These are mainly fruit vases standing on high pedestals. They are characteristic of the Dacián culture. They were made of well processed clay to which ground quartz or sand was added. Their smoothed surface is frequently brown or black (Pi. XVB.6,XVIII.8,9). A fragment of a rim coming from the same layer, most likely from a jug, is also a wheelmade piece (Pl. XVI.3). In addition to the pottery some individual finds came from this layer: a round spindle-whorl with a strongly pressed body (Pi. XVB.5,XX.3), a fragment of a blade of an iron knife (Pl. XX.6) and a fragment of a crucible for casting bronze (Pl. XX.7) with analogies at fortified settlements in Roumania (BERCIU 1981. Pl.21.8; 49.6; 96.5). The whole of ceramic material from the upper Dacián layer of the Solotvino fortified settlement can be associated in the territory of Transcarpathian region with ceramic materials from Malaia Kopania/Alsóveresmart (Kiskoppány) (KOTIGOROSHKO 1989.) and with the 3rd phase of development of Dacián ceramics (by Crisan). It has already been determined that at Solotvino we are dealing with materials from this period (NICULITE 1987.213., KOTIGOROSHKO 1989.51), although to date researches has dated the whole site to this time. However, as we shall see in the following, the Dacián layer was preceded by an earlier and very thick Late Iron Age layer. Unlike the upper layer, the lower Dacián layer is characterized by a sharp decrease in the number of pebbles that were encountered only in sector 16-15 and which did not form any kind of well defined concentrations. The whole layer preserved an intensive black colour and was also Rill of small pieces of burnt clay. Compared to the upper layer, the number of small burnt bones increased, but there were no traces of concentrations. A new feature was the appearance of rotten animal bones, mainly the remains of limbs and skulls in several places as well as some whole vessels (Fig. 7). The archaeological material of the lower Dacián layer is very similar to the upper one, both from the point of view of quantity and other elements (e.g. the proportion of hand-made and wheelmade ceramics: out of 445 fragments there were 400 (89-9%) hand-made and 45 (10.1%) wheel-made pieces). However, as far as the strictly ceramic material is concerned, there are significant differences that made it possible to divide the cultural layers of die settlement from the end of the Iron Age to the beginning of the Roman Age into two layers. This division was based not only on the difference in ceramic forms but on other observations too. During the excavation of the trench and about 0.3 m deep from the modern surface, we observed a well defined thin layer of sterile yellow subsoil clay (0.1-0.15 m thick) over the whole area of sectors 16 and 15. This layer was less obvious in the remainder of the sectors displaying the border between the two layers. The intensity and thickness of the subsoil clay layer in sectors 16 and 15 could be explained after we learned that just in this place were two garbage pits full of animal bones. The existence of features dug into the subsoil, having no connection with die upper surface constructions (neither in the archaeological material nor in location) is a characteristic feature of the lower Dacián layer. Among the sunk features are garbage pits (2,3,5,6), remains of a semi-subterranean dwelling house (4) and a posthole (7). Pit 2 (length: 1.3 m, width: 1.2 m, depth: 0.3 m). It has an elongated form with straight walls and a Hat bottom. It has only been partly investigated. The pit was filled with a soft, porous, black soil. At the edges of the pit and its upper part we found pebbles showing the traces of burning. There were many of poorly preserved animal bones (mainly limbbones), some pieces of charcoal, increasing in amount toward the bottom, and about twenty fragments of hand-made ceramics (Pl. XA.1-4.) in the pit. Pit 3 (width: 1.2 m, depth: 0.3 m). It has a rectangular form and was situated on the border of sectors 14 and 15. It has only partly been investigated. The walls of the feature were a little stooped and the bottom is flat. The fill is porous, soft and black. Many poorly preserved animal bones (limbbones, spondylus, ribs), some pieces of charcoal and a very small amount of ceramics analogous to the ones found in pit 2 (Pl. X.B.5-7) were found in this pit. Pit 4. This is the short side of a dwelling house that was 2 m wide and sunk 0,4 m into the subsoil. A semicircular widening with a diameter of 0.6 m was found in the southern corner of the construction. The fill of the pit, as well as part of the upper cultural layer, involved a solid deposit of broken burnt clay with twig impressions. These were the remains of the walls. In the lower part of the construction we found the remnants of the clay floor: thick, smoothed and whitened fragments of burnt clay and fragments of beaters with a cylindrical shape. The archaeological material consisted of a small number of hand-made Bronze and Late Iron Age pottery. Some ceramic finds were badly burnt and deformed, reflecting the destruction of the house by fire (Fig. 7). In the close vicinity of this house we found a little pit, that most likely was made for i\ post. Pit 7 is circular (diameter: 0.45 m, depth: 0.4 m) and filled with big pebbles. There was a sandstone plate on the bottom of the pit (Fig. 7). Pit 5 (diameter: 1.4 m, depth: 0.4 m). It was found at the border of sectors 12 and 11. It was circular, with straight walls and a flat bottom. It has only partly been investigated. Its fill consisted of a black cultural layer of pebbles and fragments of hand-made ceramics from the Late Iron Age (Pi. XI). At the bottom of the pit we observed a concentration of small pieces of charcoal. Pit 6 was found in sector 11 and has been partly investigated. It may have been circular. Its fill consists 122 A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997