A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 41. - 1999 (Nyíregyháza, 1999)

Régészet - Mikhailo Potushniak: A multilevel settlement on Mala Hora at Mukachevo/Munkács–Kishegy

A multilevel settlement on Mala Hora at Mukachevo/Munkács-Kishegy the utmost thickness of its wall is 1 cm, that of the bottom-0.5 cm (PI. IV. 1). The second dish has got an irregular, rectangular, also a little deformed shape. Both the interior and exterior surfaces are of light brown in color with the traces of light smoothing. On the walls, in the middle part of its height, there is a miniature knob, and on the opposite side we see an oblong handle. The upper part of the wall is narrowing and slightly everted. On the cut of the rim there are oblique cuts. The sizes of the dish are the following: rim - 13.5-14x11 cm, bottom - 8.5x5.7 cm, height - 5^4.8 cm. The utmost thickness of the wall and bottom - 1 cm (Pl. IV.3). b. Among the bowls two variants occur: the one of conical and another one of biconical shape. Judging from the fragments, conical bowls are not deep, they had got arched walls and a pair of handles applied close to the rim (Pl. IV.4). Biconical bowls with a light break of the shoulder have walls inclining in the middle or straight in the upper part, conically narrowing towards the bottom. On the break of the shoulder a pair of oblong handles with two or three vertically perforated holes were applied (PI. IV.2,8). c. The majority of shapes belongs to the group of the pear shaped cups. Among them two variants can be found. To the first one belong the vessels with bodies strongly widening at the belly with narrowing elongated neck. A partly restored piece have a grayishreddish brown, engobed, slightly rough exterior surface and black polished interior one. Restored sizes of the vessel are the following: the diameter of the rim - ca. 11 cm, that of the bottom - ca. 5-6 cm, height is ca. 11 cm, the thickness of the walls - 0.5 cm (Pl. IV.5). The second variant is represented by cups with walls narrowing at shoulders and widening rims, and, as a rule, a spherical body. Some fragmented, restored examples give us an idea of the shape of these vessels which differ mainly in their sizes. A small, half cup with a smooth, reddish smoothed exterior and black polished interior surface. Limestone and sand temper was added into the clay. The diameter of the rim - 8 cm, that of the bottom - 4.8-5 cm, height -6.5 cm (Pl. IV.9). A fragment of a light brown cup with a thoroughly polished plain surface. Reconstructed sizes: diameter of the rim - ca. 9 cm, that of the bottom — 3.7^4 cm, height-9-10 cm (Pl. IV.6). Fragment of a thin walled cup with a polished redbrown exterior and black polished interior surface andwith sharpened rim (PI. IV. 10). Restored low cup with a narrowing neck and everted rim with a slightly biconical body breaking closer to the bottom. Its bottom is slightly profiled. Under the rim and at the largest width of the body there are symmetrically applied half-spherical miniature knobs. The surface of the cup was decorated with incised ornament that can be poorly traced. The decorated surface of the cup seems to be separated into 6 independent panels filled with different rectilinear compositions. Its sizes are the following: diameter of the rim - 10.5-11 cm, that of the bottom - 8 cm, height9.5 cm (Pl. VI.8). It seems to us that the majority of ornamented fragments belonged to cups. The ornament consists of thin lines incised before the firing. There are different rectilinear compositions: rhombs, triangles, squares, hatched ribbons drawn into each other (PI. V.3-5,10-1

1,13-15,18-20, VI.1,5,7,10). Sometimes we meet an ornament consisting of parallel lines forming a composition reminding a chess table (PI. VI.

2). Such an ornament can be met on the pottery form feature 1/86 of the Cicarovce settlement (VIZDAL 1993. obr. 15,3,7). Rectilinear ornamented compositions sometimes were filled with roundish impressions (PL V. 15, VI.

7). On four fragments we see ornaments with the "Tordos band" in the center: a band composed by two parallel incised lines filled with rows of parallel notches. This band was used for different rectilinear compositions, sometimes it embraced only the neck of the vessel or separated its surface into different ornamented panels (PI. V.12,16, VI.

3,9). Composition with incised ornament also had plastical half-spherical knobs with a deep hollow in the center (Pl. V.l 1) or a tube shaped knob with a hole going through the wall of the vessel (Pl. V.12). At one of the fragments there are four wart shaped knobs in one line. The edge of the rim is decorated with small notches. Under the line of the knob there is a hole in the wall of the vessel (PI. V. 18). Judging from the fragments - especially that of the cups - in the ornamentation of the vessels the panel system was used. That means that the surface was separated into some (2-4) independent panels filled in a different way. In the ornamentation of the vessels from Mala Hora II we can trace a recurring regularity which was characteristic for other settlements of the Transcarpathian region. Incised ornament is met almost exclusively at certain forms of vessels: cups and glass shaped vessels. The ornaments from Mala Hora II are typical for the settlements of the Tisza Culture. d. Drinking glass shaped vessels are represented by only a few fragments. These are high vessels with slightly widening walls. Their form resembles modem flower pots. Under the rim we usually find applied ovoid handles, sometimes with two vertical holes. 13