A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 44. (Nyíregyháza, 2002)

Régészet - †Ivan Popovich: A multilevel settlement at village Baranincy/Baranya in the Transcarpathian Region

A multilevel settlement at village Baranincy/Baranya Roman Age on the settlement at village Baranincy can be preliminary put to the time not later than the middle of the 3

rd century and determined as a Przeworsk Culture site. Despite of the fact that during the 1970s-80s more than 120 sites of Roman Age were discovered and partly investigated in the Transcarpathian Region (KOTIGOROSHKO 1991. 149), their cultural attribution still has not been determined or they were attributed to the Culture of Carpathian Barrows (KOTIGOROSHKO 1991. 167). Recently, in the western areas, as we have mentioned before, a clearly defined group of sites belonging to the Przeworsk Culture was determined. The eastern border of these group is river Rika (KOBAL' 1994. 27-45). The majority of the newly investigated sites are concentrated in the western part of our region and in the publications only general data on these sites are published. Most of the material is still in storagerooms. Taking into consideration all these circumstances we have a serious basis to doubt that these relics belong to the Culture of Carpathian Barrows. Recently, opinions appeared according to which Late Roman Age sites of the East Carpathians and that of the Transcarpathian Region cannot be united into one archaeological culture (VAKULENKO 1999. 7-9). The publication of excavation materials from the Late Roman Age settlements in Transcarpathian Region remains the priority task of the researchers. This would give a possibility to better understanding of the economic and political situation in the region and to argument the role of the people who left the sites of the 3

rd-4

th cent, in the formation of later cultures. We cannot exclude that the majority of unpublished settlements situated in the region in question will add a significant number of Przeworsk sites in the Transcarpathian Region. The Late Medieval horizon on the settlement was represented by two features. Feature 17, square A-4, 5, square B-4, 5, square B-4, 5 (fig. 2, 8-9). A 2.6x0.8 m large, 0.2 m deep, oval pit with steep walls and even bottom, oriented east-west. The black fill contained 99 fragments of pottery. The whole ceramic material is wheel-made. These are pots with well separated rim, profiled neck, raised shoulders and rounded body. The neck is ornamented by parallel line, the body is decorated by pointed lines (pi. XV: 1-2). On two bottom fragments potter's brand can be seen (pi. XV: 3-4). Unfortunately, because of the fragmented character of the pots it was impossible to reconstruct the shape of the depiction. However, on the basis of the survived elements we can compare them with brands met in the pottery assemblage on the fortified settlement investigated in the region of Mélnik in Bohemia, in the cultural horizon dated to 950-1100 (SOLLE 1979. 505, Obr. 6, 14). They may correspond to brand type H.l from the fortified settlement of Bilin (Teplice region) (VÁNA 1973. 202, Obr. 4: H.l). Feature 18, square T-4, 5, square ^-4, 5, square E-4, 5 (fig. 2, 5, 10). Oval, 3.6x1.9 m large pit, oriented east-west. It has a trapezoid cross-section. In the fill 120 fragments of wheelmade pottery and a piece of a whetstone were found (pi. XVII: 9). All the expressive fragments come from pots of rather clear forms with characteristic, almost figurái endings of the rims (pi. XVI: 1-6). The basic motifs ornamenting the pottery are narrow and wide wavy (pi. XVI: 1, 3-4, 7-9) and parallel lines (pi. XVI: 5). Judging from the shape, clay, technology and ornamentation, the pottery collected in the feature has a number of analogies in the Slavic sites of the Transcarpathian Region dating to the 10

th-ll

th cent. (PENIAK 1980. 137). This dating is suitable also for the Medieval horizon of the settlement at village Baranincy. However, a find of a hand-made pot (pi. XVIII: 1) coming from the stray material makes us suggest the possibility of the start of the Slavic horizon in an earlier time.