A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 46. (Nyíregyháza, 2004)

Régészet - Mikhailo Potushniak: Data the question of the Stračevo/Körös Culture dwellings in the Upper Tisza Region

Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings ... In the southern, western and northern sector of the investigated feature, at the level of the bottom, we recorded five roundish pits with plain bottom (only one of them, at the eastern wall of the excavation section had a washing tub shaped bottom). Their diameter was 1-2.5 m, they were 0.41.5 m deep from the base of the pit. The deepest one was situated at the southernmost end of the dwelling. The pits together formed a circle, from the south to the east, 2-4 m from each other. Three of them were dug directly under the western wall. Judging from their situation and shape, we can suggest that these pits belonged to pillars supporting the roof inside the house. As a conclusion, we can not exclude that the base ofthat part of the dwelling that emerged above surface could have had a round shape. Taking into consideration the large size of the dwelling assemblage in question (the whole territory made more than 250 sq. m), we can suggest that this house was divided inside into two rooms: the northern one, playing agricultural and workshop role, and the southern one, used as a dwelling and kitchen. It must be underlined that no heating devices were found in the northern part of the dwelling pit. The majority of archaeological material was concentrated in the southern part of the feature. At the western wall of the house we could trace feature 2/78, that was situated 0.1 m higher then the level of house 1/77-78. The archaeological material found here belongs to a younger period than SKC (fig. 9: 101-155). Ten years later two more dwelling assemblages were investigated at the settlement of RivneKismező 1,

30^40 m SW from dwelling 1/77-78, close to the ancient bed of river Serne. The features were found during the digging of a road-ditch, when thick cultural layers could be recorded. Semi-subterranean house 2/88 (fig. 6) was half destroyed by the channel. The feature was represented by an elongated oval pit deepened into the subsoil. The remained and investigated part of the dwelling pit was 8.9x2.9-3 m large (the whole size could be about 9.5x4-6 m). It was recorded 0.4 m deep from the modern surface, at the level of subsoil. We did not succeed in finding clear traces of a heating device. Only in the southwestern part, at the very edge of the remained part of the feature, we traced a solid concentration of burned clay plastering of rectangular shape. It was found at the base of the bottom, its size was 0.6x0.6 m, thickness was 0.2 m. Judging from the high concentration of archaeological material in this part of the feature, the kiln must have been situated somewhere in the western corner of the dwelling pit destroyed by the channel. The entrance could be followed under the eastern wall. Semi-subterranean house 3/88 (fig. 7) was found 11.5 m SW of semi-subterranean house 2/88, along the track of the channel. This feature was also an irregular, triangular pit with rounded corners, deepened into the subsoil. It was 4.8 m long (N-S), 6.6 m wide (E-W), 0.18 m deep under the sidewalls and 0.5 m deep in the centre. Almost in the centre, we traced a 1.3-1 m large open fireplace made in a washing tub shaped pit, deepened into the base of the floor. The fireplace was filled by burned clay mixed with ash and small pieces of charcoal. Side-walls of the fireplace were also burned red. At the level of the fireplace we found two small, half-fragmented vessels and remains of a large amphora shaped vessel with a narrow neck, wide bottom standing at six nipple shaped feet. 61