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

Régészet - Ivan Popovich: Periodization and chronology of Kushtanovica type sites in the Transcarpathian region

Periodization and chronology of Kushtanovica type sites... However, at the same time that Western Podolia has been shown to be a region where Scythian culture infiltrated (SULIMIRSKI 1936.35-39., SMIRNOVA 1978, IL'INSKAIA-TERENOZHKIN 1983.), only insignificant influences appeared in the Transcarpathian region such as single finds of Scythian types and these only from the end of 6th century B.C., that is to say, from the time of the second wave of the Scythian expansion into the Carpathian Basin. Among post-Gáva finds we should also mention barrow 1 from Golubinnoie/Galambos (ZATLUKALZATLUKAL 1937.101-103.). The height of the barrow is 1 m while the diameter of the base is 8 m. To the southeast, 2 m from the centre and at a depth of 0.6 m there were two urns with a vessel close to each other. There was an iron knife in one of the urns and an iron bracelet in the other (PI. VII). Burials were covered by the remains of the cremation fire moved here from the place of burning. The cremation was carried out in another place. In the following we give the description of the finds: 1. Biconical urn, ornamented with a geometric pattern consisting of triangles. (Sizes: 200 mm, 130 mm, 120 mm) (Pi. VII.

2). Together with the calcinated bones, an iron knife (Pi. VII.

6) was placed in the urn (sizes: 65 mm, 10 mm). 2. Lower part of a pot which served as an urn. It derives from a biconical vessel with a knob ornament on the larger part of the widening sector (Pi. VII.

4). Together with the bones an iron bracelet was placed in the urn. It has a diameter of 60 mm while the diameter of the cross-section is 3 mm. It is a closed type of bracelet with widening terminals (Pi. VII.

5). The urn was „sealed" with the base from a vessel. 3. Biconical vessel with knob-handles at the maximal width of the body (sizes: 140 mm, 100 mm, 60 mm) (Pl. VII.3). 4. Miniature vessel ornamented with horizontal fluting under the edge of the rim (sizes: 115 mm, 95 mm, 50 mm) (Pi. VII. 1). The described material supports the idea that a strong post-Gáva influence can be noted in the early Kushtanovica type sites although this is not the only direction. Comprehensive study of the Kushtanovica finds convinces us of the existence of influences by the Kyjatice finds (PpPOVICH 1993.273.). The question how it was possible for them to appear in the Transcarpathian region? At the same time, when Gáva Culture spread over the territory later inhabited by Kushtanovica population, the area of the Kyjatice Culture only involved the adjacent region, though in this area was not constant in its development (KEMENCZEI 1986.108.). Despite the fact that there is no unified opinion among researchers concerning the Kyjatice Culture, J.Paulik considers it to have been an independent historical-cultural community (PAULÍK 1966.136.). Hungarian researchers place these sites to the mixed Gáva-Luzice complexes (KALICZ 1969-84, MOZSOLICS 1973.112.). However, in neither of the cases do they have local roots in the territory of the Carpathian Ukraine. However, recently it has been determined that there were close contacts between the population of the pre-Kushtanovica sites and that of the Slovakian group of the Luzice Culture, especially in the period HB

f

HC (POTUSHNIAK 1958.128-132; BUDINSKY-KRICKA 1976.130, POPOVICH 1989.77, KOBAL' 1992.176.). Later such contacts come from another direction. In Kushtanovica time we see contacts with the Tarnobrzeg group of the Luzice Culture (POPOVICH 1985.58-59.) After the appearance of Iranian language speaking nomads on the Great Hungarian Plain, the Gáva and Kyjatice Cultures came to an end in these territories (PATEK 1974, KEMENCZEI 1980.79, CHOCHOROWSKI 1993.15-36.). Somewhere at the end of the 9th-8th centuries B.C., a new population appeared here: the people of the Mezőcsát Culture. Researchers observed this in the characteristic features of the material assemblage, in which a leading role belongs to the eastern element (PATEK 1974.353) that changed our image of the previous culture. However, strong Gáva and Kyjatice traditions and the influence of the Urnenfelder Culture as well as the Basarabi Culture can be seen rather well in the ceramic material (PATEK 1974.343-348, Tab.LV, CHOCHOROWSKI 1987/A164.). Thus, a part of the local population remained and coexisted with the Iranian language speaking Syginnae of Herodotus (HARMATTÁ 1946-1948.79-132, CHOCHOROWSKI 1993.245-254.), and another part was pushed up into the mountainous regions of the north-eastern part of the Carpathian Basin where they built fortified settlements against threats from outside (CHOCHOROWSKI 1989-90-91.), apparently fom the Transcarpathian region (ZATLLJKAL-ZATLUKAL 1937.82-83, SMIRNOVA 1966, BALAHURI 1972, POPOVICH 1991/B.104-105.). The absence of finds of „Cimmerian" type in the Transcarpathian region, at present makes it possible to state that there were no change of population occured in the Upper Tisza region. In HC period, that is to say in the 7th century B.C., a new boom in eastern objects in Central Europe can be observed. Such famous finds as the treasure of golden objects from Fokoru (KEMENCZEI 1986:152.) and the famous barrow from Gyoma etc. belongs to this time. It is possible that these processes may be connected with the appearance of certain groups of the post-Kyjatice population in the territory of Transcarpathian region, where they were part of the formation of the characteristic Kushtanovica type material culture. This idea is supported by materials from the famous cemetery of Kushtanovica/Kustánfalva. In barrow 13, a burial was found in a Kyjatice type vessel. The barrowwas 1.3 m high while the diameter of its base was 14 m. Burials were situated in the centre of the barrow, a little off to the south. On the level of the burial surface there was a small pit. Its sides could not be traced (BÖHM-JANKOVICH 1936.55-65.). There were four urns covered by the remains of the cremation fire. The cremation itself was carried out in another place outside the territory of the barrow. An urn vessel was situated at a central point (BÖHM-JANKOVICH 1936.56. Obr.ll.). The urn contained bones weighing 560 g. It was made in the shape of a biconical pot. The base is profiled and the rim was. On the opposite side of the body of the vessel were the stumps of broken A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997 81