Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 30/1. (2010)
Articles
208 Ü. Bencze to certain production centres.15 Among the Obernzell rim marks one can find the cross-transom’ mark,16 the ‘V’ mark and the ‘ram’ mark,17 besides these stamps also secondary signs were used to mark the rims of the vessels such as the cross in a circle, impressions of fingers or cuts but many points of this issue are still not cleared. The above mentioned rim fragment from the friary bares a ‘cross-transom’ stamp in an oval shape and the form of the vessel shows similarities to the analogies from Hungary, Austria and Serbia. Based on these features and the coin from the L2 context the piece can be dated to the middle of the sixteenth century. The stamp on the second rim is barely visible because of its fragmentary state, only a part of a cross-like shape in a circle can be recognized (see PI. 1/2).18 Its hooked thick partially preserved rim and the coin found in L2 sets the dating again to the first half of the sixteenth century. Although further more detailed research is still needed in this field it can only be hypothesized that these two rim fragments could originate from the town of Obernzell based on the similarity of the workshop marks. The other two rim fragments were also dated to the beginning and the middle of the sixteenth century based on the finding context as well as on formal indicators (see PI. 1/3, 4). The graphite ware fragments found in the excavation of the Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár) cathedral and the bishop’s palace was published in a volume and an exhibition catalogue.19 Three fragments were identified without relevant archaeological context and based on analogies they were dated to the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. Two fragments are mentioned as bottoms of crucibles, one of them bears green glaze on the inside while the third fragment comes from a rim of a large vessel.20 Although it is known that crucibles usually have a triangular shape and thicker walls than cooking pots, in the case of these two base fragments the question remains opened whether they come from crucibles. Another set of graphite ware was published in the exhibition catalogue.21 One of the fragments is the upper part of a graphite ware very similar in shape to the ones found on the territory of the Franciscan friary from Tärgu Mure?. This fragment bears a stamped‘T’ letter on its rim which according to the author alludes to the production place of the vessel identified as Tulln am Donau.22 Although the exact finding place of this fragment was not specified it was dated to the fourteenth century even if its form represents a later shape. Other five pieces mentioned as crucibles consist of three bases, one rim and one handle fragment; all were dated to the fifteenth and seventeenth century with no description of the exact finding place.23 The handle fragment has a workshop stamp on its upper end in form of a shield but it is not described in details so it cannot be ascertained to any production place. The graphite tempered pottery fragments indicate that certain connections existed between the Mure? region of the Hungarian Kingdom and Austrian territories where graphiteclay could be found. Even if this is a small sample it underlines the urbanized character of the market town, in the period when according to written evidence the town received the market 15 Mittelstraß 2007, 272-285. 16 In German: Kreuz-Querbalken-Marke (Mittelstraß 2007,275, Abb. 23, 280, Abb. 26, 281, Abb. 27). This mark can appear also inside oval or shield like forms. 17 In German: Widder-Stempel (Mittelstraß 2007, 278, Abb. 25/2). 18 Mittelstraß 2007, 275, Abb. 23. 19 Marcu Istrate 2008, Marcu Istrate 2009. 20 Marcu Istrate 2008, 214-215, 427, 438, 523, Table 184/ nr. 6, 9. 21 Marcu Istrate 2009, 290, 268/225.4. 22 Marcu Istrate 2009, 126. 23 Marcu Istrate 2009, 213.
