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... According to the data at our disposal, in addition to the piece from the Transcarpathian region, there are hydrias of this type in the collections of the Louvre, British and Athenian Museums and there is one vertical handle in the Metropolitan Museum. All together 9 examples of this type of hydria are known (DIEHL 1964.79-81.). Four of them come from the territory of the former USSR and all of them were found in burials (BASHILOV 1966.306-308., ONAIKO 1966.18.Tab.15

., MANCEVICH 1973.23., ris.4.2.). The origin of the hydria from Bene is still not known precisely but we think that it cannot be an exception. Our suggestion concerning its connection with the famous Szépasszonydomb barrow is undoubted. We are eager to read the publication of the excavation of this unusual site by V.G.Kotigoroshko. The hydria has been dated to 470430 B.C. The grave finds described above make it possible to determine the second phase of the first period, which belongs to the 6th - first half of the 5th centuries B.C. The barrow at Bobovoie/Tiszabökény village has been dated to the second half of the 5th century. In 1976-77, the Transcarpathian Rescue Works Expedition excavated this site. The barrow is known among the local people as „Koreladomb" Short seasons of work were conducted here in 1964 by the Transcarpathian archaeological survey under the leadership of E.A. Balahuri (BIDZILIA 1971.47.). Unfortunately, we were not able to use the field documentation from these works and in the monograph by V.l. Bidzilia only the finds were listed, taken from the barrow without any connection to stratigraphic observations. At the time of the first excavation, the barrow was 3.1 m high while the diameter of the base was 40 m. In 1976, the barrow was fully destroyed during improvement works carried out in the fields of the collective farm „Prikordonnik". The chairman of the farm was the representative of the Highest Council of the Ukraine, the Hero of Socialist Work, N.Birov, who knew the Soviet law on the preservation of sites of history and culture well. In these years, at this same place the expedition of the Uzhgorod State University was led in the summers by E.A.Balahuri who conducted rescue excavations financed by the Transcarpathian regional department of improvement and water resources (the chief of the group was I.M.Granchak). The author of this article arrived at the demolished site and in the area where the huge barrow had stood he saw a spot, 20 m in diameter, covered by ceramic fragments and other cultural remains. Nevertheless, the surface under the barrow was investigated during a rescue excavation. The investigated area included a spot 20 m in diameter and was covered with cultural remains, among them preserved cremations in urns sitting at the level of the ancient surface. They were found at a depth of 0.4 m below the modern surface on which laid, as came to light during the excavation, a cultural layer of the Late Bronze Age. It belonged to the Berkesz-Demecser group. As a result of the rescue excavations we succeeded in saving 13 burials - cremations in urns (Pi. XVIXVIII). We were able to divide this into two basic groups of burials. The first group included five urns (4,5,6,7,8) situated in the northeastern sector from the I am very grateful to LS/.athmáry who carried out the anthropological conditional centre. The second group was concentrated in the southwestern sector, where four urns were placed in a square (10,11,12,13). In addition, urns were placed in the northeastern sector, east of the conditional centre, while urn 9 sat directly by the sector wall. Urn 1 was placed independently from the others in the southeastern sector, 2 m east of the conditional centre. LJrn 3, accompanied by a mug, was located in profile 0-south, 4 m from the centre. In the central part of the surface under the barrow we observed a fireplace measuring 2x0.8 m. The absence of calcinated bones shows that the remains were not cremated at the barrow itself. Grave 1. Calcinated human bones were collected in a common pot with applied band decoration, that was used as an urn (Pi. XVI. 1). In the urn there was a gray pot with a handle, filled with calcinated bones (PI. XVI.

5), a miniature dipper and a double vessel (Pi. XVI.2). Both were filled with bones. In the same place we found a glass bead (Pl. XVI.4) and an oval stone amulet with a hole in the upper part for suspension (PI. XVI.6). There were two iron rings (Pi. XVI.7,8): one placed under the bones in the upper part of the urn while the other one was oxidized to the bottom of the urn. The urn was „sealed" by a bowl (PI. XVI.

3). According to anthropological definition

1 calcinated bones from the big urn and the gray pot could have belonged to the same person. The time of the death may be the same. Grave 2. The calcinated bones of a 30-60 years old man were collected in an urn. The lower part of a vessel served as an urn (Pi. XVIII.

1). In the upper part, a miniature plate was placed on the bones (Pi. XVIII.

2). Grave 3. A pot with applied band decoration was used as an urn into which remains of a cremation of a probably 23-40 years old man were collected. There was a bronze fitting with an open-work decoration (Pl. XVI.10). A beaker with a side-handle stood near it (PI. XVI.ll). Grave 4. The remains of cremation of two dead people: a 5 years old child and a 30-60 years old man were collected in an urn (Pi. XVI. 12) covered by a bowl (PI. XVI.

15). Two dippers were placed near it. One had a handle that is now missing (Pi. XVI. 14) while the other turned upside clown, covered the first (PI. XVI, 13). Grave 5. The remains of a cremation of a 23-40 years old man were collected in an urn which was found in horizontal position (Pi. XVII.

1). Grave 6. The burnt bones of a 23-40 years old man were collected in an urn formed from the lower section of a vessel (Pl. XVII.9). Grave 7. The remains of a cremation of a 23-40 years old woman were placed in an urn. The lower part of a vessel served as an urn. Together with the bones, four badly deformed glass beads were found. Grave 8. Burnt bones and two miniature vessels (Pi. XVII.2,3) were placed into an urn (Pi. XVII.

4). According to the anthropological examination of the contents of the urn, remains of two persons had been placed in it: that of a 4-6 years old child and a 23-40 years old man(?), as well as animal bones. The urn was covered by a bowl (PI. XVII.

5). Grave 9- The remains of a cremation of a woman older than 23 years were placed into an urn (Pi. XVII.

6). examination. A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997 87