Ilon Gábor: Százszorszépek. Emberábrázolás az őskori Nyugat-Magyrországon (Szombathely, 2007)

Kalicz Nándor: Az őskori agyagszobrászat kezdetei a Nyugat-Dunántúlon (Kr. e. 6000–Kr. e. 3000)

AZ ŐSKORI AGYAGSZOBRASZAT KEZDETEI A NYUGAT-DUNANTULON DIE ANFANGE DER URGESCHICHTLICHEN THE LATE PHASE OF THE LENGYEL CULTURE, EARLY COPPER AGE (4500/4400-4000 ВС) Zalaszentbalázs-Szőlőhegyi mező The regression of human representations The richness of the human representations that was so characteristic at Sé, Sormás and Oladi plató disappeared around 4500/4400 ВС. The life of the early settlers and stock farmers stabilised that affected their rites which were carried out by the means of figurines. Extensive settlements were replaced by small ones which were sometimes situated in a dense chain, perhaps with a common cultic place. From the late phase of the Lengyel culture there are hardly any figurines in the western region. Only the number of cubic altars, altar-lamps, and lids with animal representations increased indicating the use of special objects. From figurines only leg fragments, and one head and one body fragment came to light from the western region from Zalaszentbalázs-Szőlőhegyi mező. These, similarly to previous periods, came to light in a broken form. Because of their fragmented nature there is not enough data to assess their shape. However, several altars and lids with twin animal head handle have come to light. Similar phenomenon can be observed within the other parts of the Lengyel culture, although in many places individual animal representations, thus small animal figurines, also became common. The changes in the proportion of cultic paraphernalia probably also reflects changes in the rites. At the Great Hungarian Plain considerable changes took place around 4500/4400 ВС, that perhaps resulted from changes in environmental conditions. Tell settlements came to an end and the main subsistence moved from agriculture to animal husbandry. This was the beginning of the Copper Age characterised by heavy copper objects. At this time figurine making and use came to an end in the Great Hungarian Plain. These changes may have effected the area of the Lengyel culture, which is reflected in its material culture. This period of the Lengyel culture represents the Early Copper Age according to chronological analogies from the Great Hungarian Plain. The transitional period within the western region is hardly noticeable, because the material culture of the new period only appears there at the beginning of the Middle Copper Age around 4000 ВС represented by the developed Balaton-Lasinja culture. In the development of the BalatonLasinja culture apart from its local roots a strong southern influence also played a role. Within the former territory of the Lengyel culture, as opposed to the Great Hungarian TEN IN WEST-TRANSDANUBIEN THE BEGINNING OF PRE] JRINE MAKIN RANSDANUBIA, HUNGARY Plain, a certain degree of copper and gold richness appeared in the Middle Copper Age only during the Balaton-Lasinja culture around 4000-3700/3600 ВС. The upper part of a figurine from Szombathely made with particular attention There is still not adequate knowledge to assess the transitional period between the Neolithic and Copper Age and in the western region there is a remarkable figurine fragment that can conditionally be dated to this period. The figurine came to light at the site of Szombathely but the exact circumstances of its finding are not known. It is also a possibility that the find belongs to the extraordinary finds of the Middle Copper Age Balaton-Lasinja culture. Only the head and the long neck down to the beginning of the shoulders remains. The surface of the figurine is carefully smoothed. The features of the head are different from the previous periods. The face is wide and protruding together with the nose giving an animal appearance to the head. Alternatively the use of a mask can also be assumed. It must also be mentioned that similar animal characteristics are observed on several figurine heads from Oladi plató. The one from Szombathely also differs from other figurines of the Lengyel culture in terms of its size. According to its fragments its height may have been about 50 cm. YOUNGER PHASE OF THE MIDDLE COPPER AGE, THE FURCHENSTICH CULTURE (3700-3600/3500 ВС) Becsvölgye, Bagod: fabrication of new types of figurines Around 3700 ВС the whole distribution area of the Balaton-Lasinja culture and also different cultures in the former territory of the Lengyel culture were considerably effected as a result of the appearance of western copper ore. These changes also effected, for example, the ceramic production. The cultural group that characteristically decorated its vessels with a stab and drag technique is called Furchenstich culture. From the Balaton-Lasinja culture no figurines have been found so far. As opposed to this, the subsequent Furchenstich culture is represented by a few figurines that are very characteristic. In the western region several Furchenstich sites are known but only two figurine fragments have come to light from Becsvölgye and Bagod both in Zala County. Both figurines were purposefully fragmented in a similar manner. Within the distribution area of the culture similar figurine fragments also appear and they were also fragmented simi-