Zalai Múzeum 14. Müller Róbert 60 éves (Zalaegerszeg, 2005)

Nagy Margit: Kor népvándorlás kori gyermeksír amulettekkel Mártélyról (Csongrád megye)

114 Nagy Margit 203-209, Abb. 2). On rare occasions, wild boar tusk amulets have been found within Pannónia in late Roman burials (Tokod grave 5, Szentendre grave 28), and 5

th century child burials of Germanic tribes (Mözs, Csongrád-Kaszárnya grave 131). Judging from the characteristics of the piercing in the biggest tusk from Mártély (Fig. 6, 3), it can be assumed that it was not originally intended to be an amulet. Rather, it was probably altered in order to fit in a metal casing and may have decorated the forepiece of a leather helmet. A pair of wild boar tusks found in grave 2 in Moceau-le-Neuf was described by J. Werner as helmet decoration (WERNER 1949). This assumption was proved by excavations where such tusks were found in situ such as at Schwannenstadt (TOVORNIK 2002, 51-52,122, Taf. 40,1-6) (Fig. 12, 2) and Peigen (FREEDEN 1993, 167-168, Abb. 7) (Fig. 11,9). A peculiar find in the grave of the child from Mártély is the bone tool (Fig. 4, 3). One end of the pierced bone object is closed and for this reason it could not have been a part of a musical instrument. Similar objects were found at the settlement of Cernjachov (Fig. 10, 5-6), in a grave of a child in an Avar cemetery at Kölked-Feketekapu "В" (Fig. 10, 7) and 6-7

th century kurgans along the river Volga also revealed similar finds (Fig. 10, 8-9). Russian archaeologists consider that the object may have been used as a feeder (BAGAUTDINOV-BOGATCHEV-ZUBOV 1998, 135, Ris. 35, 1-6). In the grave of the girl from Mártély alongside the amulet collection an iron bell with copper coating was also revealed (Fig. 5, 8). The bell belongs to a Roman type 1 iron bell category as classified by Á. Salamon on the basis of finds from Intercisa. This bell type can be characterised by truncated cone shape, straight side and arched strap handle that continues inside the bell. The bell was made of an iron plate by hammering and bending and the parts were bolted together. This type of Roman bells were coated with copper prior to fitting them with a clapper (SALAMON 1957, 373-374, Taf. 72, 1^1). In Pannónia between the 3

rd and 5

th centuries such bells were made with a similar technique although the sizes show considerable variety. In the settlements of the western provinces several dozens of iron bells with copper coating have been found. During the Roman period iron bells were rarely placed in graves, with some exceptions such as in a grave of a man at Pilismarót, Öregek dűlője grave 4 (BARKÓCZI 1960, 113, 3. ábra 12). In a Hun period (5

th century) male burial from Budapest-Zugló a big iron bell with copper coating was found alongside horse bits and horse equipment (NAGY 2003, 303-304, 4. kép 1) (Fig. 13,7). Smaller bells are also known from Hun burials in southern Russia such as in Beljaus and Antonovka (BONA 1993, 252-253). It was R. ReiB who assessed the characteristics of burials with horse and bells from the Migration period. He argued that the bell functioned as a protective device against spells on grazing animals such as horse, cattle, sheep and pig. The bells that were placed in burials may have had similar symbolic value to the amulets (REIJ3 1993, 272; REIB 1994, 34-39). From the Avar period a bell was found in a grave of a man alongside weapons (Kölked-Feketekapu A, grave 471) and also in a grave of a one year old (Terehegy grave 4) (Fig. 13,3). The bells from Kölked, Terehegy and Gátér (Fig. 13, 4-5) belong to Salamon Roman type 1 and it is interesting that the remains of the copper covering could not be observed on them. Analogies of the most prominent finds in the child burial from Mártély, such as the lunula, dotted glass beads and bone buckle are characteristic of the late Roman period in particular the 5

th century. The wild boar tusk pendant and the iron bell are representative for the late Roman and Avar periods. Pendants and helmet decorations made of wild boar tusk can be found in the 4

th and 5

th century in Gallia, Britannia and Raetia, but appear as helmet decorations within the cemeteries of Alamann-Frank occupation area during the 5-7

th centuries. The copper covering on the bell from Mártély is indicative of Roman craftsmanship which was still in use during the Hun period. It is considered that the burial type and the examination of the grave goods of the child from Mártély can be better dated to the 4-5

th centuries than to the Avar period. Translated by Eszter Kreiter