Kaján Imre (szerk.): Zalai Múzeum 23. (Zalaegerszeg, 2017)
Tarbay János Gábor: Késő bronzkori depó Oltárc–Márki hegyről (Zala m.) Őskori manipulációk, szelektív és recens törések vizsgálata
ZALAI MÚZEUM 23 2017 73 János Gábor Tarbay The Late Bronze Age Hoard from Oltáré Márki Hill Analysis of prehistoric manipulations, selective fragmentation and non-ritual violence 1. Introduction In summer 2014, István Virág has found a hoard during mushrooming in the forest of Márki Hill near Oltáré (Zala County). The hoard was later handed over to the Göcseji Museum in Zalaegerszeg by János Szakái and Tamás Szakái, the finder’s relatives. The stunning assemblage has consisted of offensive weapons (a sword fragment, 3 spears, a dagger), tools (10 flanged sickles, a socketed axe, a winged axe, 3 knives), jewelleries (8 tores, 17 armrings, 2 rings, 6 fibulae, 1 spiral fragment), a folded bronze sheet and 2 phalerae with ribbed decoration (fig. 4-17; Catalogue). Late Bronze Age metal finds from cemeteries, settlements and at least 29 hoards have been found since the 19th century in the region of the present day Zala County1 (List 1). Although at first glance, this number seems high, compared to other Transdanubian Counties of Hungary the number of these metal assemblages are actually low.2 Moreover, the distribution of the finds shows concentration in the northwestern part of Zala County due to the possible central role of the Várvölgy region in the Late Bronze Age and the well-researched area of the Lake Balaton. The importance of the find from Oltáré is its unique topographical position which lays in the less charted southern area of Zala County. Even in the southwestern part of Somogy County bordering Zala Co., only a few hoards have been found dated to the Ha A period.3 Further hoards from different periods are known from the territories of Medimurje, Koprivnica-Krizevci and Varazdin Counties (Croatia)4 and in the Mura region of Slovenia.5 Although the Late Bronze Age hillfort of Márki Hill has been known earlier,6 7 metal finds or hoards have not been found there yet. The exact find-spot, which lay in a shallow pit, on one side of a dirt track leading across the northwestern part of Márki Hill, was identified with the finder’s help in October 2014 (fig. 1)7 A new armring fragment and some Late Bronze Age potsherds were also found close to the find-spot at this time. Encouraged by these results, Péter Straub (Göcsej Museum) has turned to Gábor V. Szabó (Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Archaeological Sciences), whose team of the OTKA 112427 project carried out further systematic field research and metal detection reconnaissance. As a result, some additional potsherds dated to the Late Bronze Age and to the Middle Ages (fig. 2, 1-8) as well as new fragments of the hoard’s Cat. no. 32 armring (fig. 13, 32) and Cat. no. 4L ring (fig. 14, 41), and an armring fragment (fig. 2, 54) were found near to the find-spot, along with a perforated bronze button in the broader area of the hoard (fig. 2, 55). The main goal of this study, besides publishing the whole content of the hoard, is to carry out a detailed technological analysis on the hoard, based on macroscopic and microscopic observations. Due to the fortunate circumstances, examination was possible to carry out on the unrestored artefacts. This analysis provided valuable informations on the recent damages, manufacturing techniques, use-wear traces 1 Most of these metal finds are unpublished. Therefore, here 1 would like to publish and briefly describe some Late Bronze Age artefacts from Nemeshetés, Söjtör and Zalaszentmihály (2. Catalogue/2.3-2.4,fig. 3). 2 KOREK 1960; PATEK 1968; KŐSZEGI 1988, 101-199.; SZARAZ 2002a. 3 MOZSOLICS 1985, Taf. 200-201. 4 KARAVANIC 2009, 94-105., Fig. 52. 5 TURK 1996, Fig. 1. 6 KOREK 1960, 72.; HORVÁTH 2000, 12.; SZÁRAZ 2002a, 533-534. 7 Due to current illicit metal detector activities in Hungary, I do not intend to publish here the exact GPS coordinates and detailed topographical description of the site. For further landscape archaeological analysis see: V. SZABÓ in progress.
