Straub Péter szerk.: Zala megye régészeti kincsei : válogatás a legszebb leletekből (Zala Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, 2010)

Keszthely-kultúra

The Keszthely Culture The material culture, which is called Keszthely culture in the literature started with the discovery of the finds from the more than five thousand burials, excavated by Vilmos Lipp and Árpád Csák between 1879 and 1901 in Keszthely, Fenékpuszta and Alsópáhok. A characteristic of this material is that it could only be found within a region around Keszthely spreading no more than 30 km from the town. These finds went through in a troubled history after their excavation. After some initial misunderstandings there is no more any doubt about the dating of that material to the Avar period. However, there are still open questions regarding the origin and ethnic composition of the people, which had that extraordinary material culture. The earliest and richest burials of the Keszthely culture are known from the interior of the Late Roman fortress of Fenékpuszta (the Early Christian basilica and the horreum) and from the vicinity of the fortress (the cemetery in front of the southern wall of the fortress, and the site at Pusztaszentegyházi-dűlő). Because in the whole continent there are hardly any finds of the surviving Roman population from the fifth and sixth centuries which can be dated, it can only presumable that some parts of the Romanised population remained in place and thus played a role in the formation of the Keszthely culture. Thus, the appearance of the precious metal jewellery in huge quantities from the last third of the sixth century had been preferably explained by the research with the immigration of new heterogeneous, immigrant ethnic groups or with extensive commercial relations. I also have to add, that this jewellery has various origins. Within the inheritance of the Keszthely culture there could be followed the combination of the jewellery and traditions of goldsmiths of different Germanic peoples (Bavarians, Allemanni, Franks, Saxons and Langobards) and of the provincial areas. For the the earliest period disc brooches with Biblical themes, small basket-earrings and broouches are the main characteristics, which are usually complemented with necklaces made of colourful beads. In the highest-ranking male and female burials - which in many cases are rounded with stones or are in tomb chambers - there could be found some very fine work of goldsmiths, which could stand in the place in any elite burials of the Meroving era. Late Antique jewellery could be found in unusual abundance in Fenékpuszta. However, the burials of the leading stratum and the commoners in the environs of the fortress discontinued in the 630s, probably as a result of the domestic conflict of the Avars. Only the cemeteries, which lay farther or had been opened after the 630s show continuous or extended usage. From the second half of the seventh century the community lost its important status, which is mirrored in the abrupt disappearance of the jewellery made of precious metals. Among the several hundreds of late earrings, pins and bracelets only few of them made of silver, and golden jewellery is extremely rare. However the community had been able to preserve its ethnic independence. Although, for the uniform wear — which stepped into the place of their former costume, of which main characteristic was the various fashion-wear - only some particular bigger bronze jewellery types were typical; this costume had been complemented with snake head bracelets as a novelty. The population of the Keszthely culture, which had preserved its Christian faith faithfully for centuries, in spite of the stronger and stronger dependence from the Avars did not adopt the practice of animal sacrifice; and also there had been hardly any weapons or pottery in their graves. Supposedly the council of 796 of the Danube region's bishops gives an account about that very religious community. This community as a result of the later conversions, given up their traditional wear accessories and together with the Avars merged into the Frankish principality, which has been organised around Zalavár (Mosaburg).