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

Preliminary report on the results... cemetery at Topoliovka (BUDINSKY-KRICKA 1958. T.XIV.10,XI.7-22,XII.l,5,b

)

8-ll,12,l4)

) a Slavic settlement at Valaliky-Vsechsväty/Kassamindszent (BÉRES 1987. Obr.3,2) (Eastern Slovakia), and Early Medieval Slavic settlements in the Polish and Ukrainian Carpathians (PARCZEWSKI 1975.Ryc.21,c-e,22,f, SZALAPATAZIELINSKA-DURDA 1975-91. Ryc.l,b,c, ZIELINSKADURDA 1991.T.I.6,7, GUPALO 1993. 84.ris.2). Such ceramics are frequently found, however, in Árpád Age settlement materials in the territory of Hungaiy (VÁLYI 1986.8.kép 8,9,12, 9. kép 5,6, 10. kép 1, HOLL 1973.24.ábra 9,14, WOLF 1989.27,28.kép). In the Transcarpathian region analogous vessels were observed at Early Medieval settlements (BERNIAKOVICH 1957.T.II.9, PENIAK 1986,ris.3.3,4,7) and fortified settlements (PENIAK 1980.ris.31

.4,5,7-8). There are also analogies for other vessels from Solotvino, e.g. the one ornamented with double nail motives (SLIVKA 1977.Obr.17-7

) or cunieform impressions (BUDINSKY-KRICKA 1957. T.XV.1,2, SZALAPATAZIELINSKA-DURDA 1975.Rye. l,a) among Early Medieval materials. Based on the ceramic material, the burial can be definitely placed to Early Medieval times and dated to the 10th - beginning of 12th centuries. Thus, the archaeological excavations of the Transcarpathian Museum of Local History conducted in 1991-1993 at the fortified settlement of „Chitattia" in Solotvino, despite the small scale of the excavations, provided us with a very rich and interesting archaeological material. This work has enabled us to divide the cultural layers at the fortified settlement into four cultural-chronological horizons: 1st Paleolithic, Und - Bronze Age, Illrd - Dacián, further divided into two layers (Ilia - Late Iron Age, Illb turn of the millennia), IVth - Early Medieval (end of 10th-12th centuries) Slavic(?) layer. The finds from the 1st horizon belonging to the Paleolithic are not numerous and not characteristic (Pi. I., VIII.15.). Taking into account that in the neighbourhood of Solotvino there are two Moustérien Paleolithic sites (KULAKOVSKAIA 1989.80.), given the present level of research we may suggest that our finds represent this culture. The Und horizon of the „Chitattia" fortified settlement, as we have shown above, can be dated to the end of the Middle Bronze Age (period BB, after Reinecke) and belongs to an early phase of development of the Suciu de Sus culture (Pi. II-VI,VIII.l14). We should note that finds from this time were observed only on the borders of the settlement, from which we can conclude that the system of fortifications at „Chitattia" had been founded by the Bronze Age. It is even more likely because of the fact that fortified settlements of the Suciu de Sus culture, situated in similar conditions, are known from other places (Boianesti/Bujánháza) (MIHALIK 1892., BADER 1978.P1.XI). The appearance of a fortified settlement in Solotvino at such an early period must have been the result of the salt deposits that came to the surface here. Today, some hundred meters away from the settlement there are remains of a salt hill in a place known as „Gorcy". Near the places where the salt comes to the surface, even now there are salt lakes, from where salt can be produced by boiling the water. Other finds also support the suggestion that the Solotvino salt was exploited by the Bronze Age. Here, for example, a big depot of bronze axes with discshaped heads was found. It has been dated to the Uriu-Dománesti (-Ópályi) horizon (KACSO 1977. 132.,141,150., Fig.2.1-12, MOZSOLICS 1973.117.), that is, the early phase of period BD (by Reinecke). From the vicinity of Solotvino also comes a stray find of a Hallstatt sword (Ha A) (ROSKA 1942.12.). Our analysis of depot finds from the Transcarpathian region has shown that during the BD period, from the western territories of the Carpathian Ukraine towards Solotvino, a road existed on the right bank of Tisza on which the salt trade could pass (KOBAL' 1993-128. Fig.69-)- This is, also supported by bronze and gold depots finds on the left bank of Tisza. The significance of the salt site at Solotvino continued on, to the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Early Iron Age. It is true that the cultural layer from this time has not yet been found, but on the opposite side from Solotvino, in Sighetul Marmatiei/Máramarossziget, there is a fortified settlement from the Late Bronze Age (HOREDT 1966.). The salt from Solotvino may have been controlled from this place at this time. On the basis of the materials from the lower level of the Dacián cultural-chronological horizon of the fortified settlement of „Chitattia". In the Late Iron Age the main centre of salt production moved again to Solotvino. It may have been at this time that the present fortification system of the settlement developed. It cannot be excluded that earlier Bronze Age constructions were used in this period. The fortified settlement itself and all its features, is a typical site from Daco-Getian times (NICULITE 1987.85. ris.29) and sharply differs from fortified settlements of later periods. On the basis of the literature data at our disposal this is the second fortified settlement from the 4th-3rd centuries B.C. in Transylvania (NICLJLITE 1987.85.Map 3). The ceramic material from the Ilia level of the Solotvino settlement, as well as that from the complete Dacián layer, is characterized by a clear dominance of hand-made ceramics. From a typological point of view, the local Dacián forms also dominate above the foreign, Celtic forms. The latter are represented by one fragment of a typical Celtic wheelmade vessel with a brown polish and a round hole (Pi. XX.l), but even this sherd is a stray find. It is possible that certain dipper forms and other ceramic shapes appeared here under Celtic influence (Pl. XVA.l). No doubt, the local population had contacts with the Celtic population, among them with the inhabitants of the Gallis-Lovacska oppidum near Mukachevo. This is supported by finds of Celtic silver coins from the vicinity of Sighetul Marmatiei (PINK 1939.138., WINKLER 1966.22.) that are only encountered close to Gallis-Lovacska and Solotvino (WINKLER 1966.96.). It would be logical to suggest that the basis for these contacts was the salt trade that was controlled by some of the Dacián tribes populating the Solotvino basin at that time. In this connection it is interesting to note that Celtic settlements and cemeteries are absolutely absent in the Szamos/Somes valley and in Máramaros/Maramures, that is, in the places where the local Dacián population, represented by the lower A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997 125