Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
Medieval Finds from Cotorman 305 a specialised potter working for markets. This comment is highly valid for the jugs. These were defined earlier as ‘hospes pottery’ connected with the Saxon communities from Southern Transylvania (Benkő Et Al. 1997, 51-52). This is a clear evidence of living trade contacts between Csík Seat and the Saxon regions, and of local pretensions for such products. It is surely not a coincidence that the analogies for these findings are known from medieval market towns, oppidum (Cristuru Secuiesc), noble mansion (Läzarea) and noble castle (Turia-Bálványosvár). This fact has to be taken in consideration when one tries to analyse the results. It is highly probable that the plot (and its neighbourhood?) belonged to a family from the local elite. Recent researches attest the importance of a social class in Székely Land, which originates in the late Árpádian period, and through castles (Botár 2009b, 45-46; Benkő 2010, 235), chapels (Botár 2011), mansions (Benkő-Székely 2008, 30-64) and material culture has a similar representation as the nobles from the counties. They probably had an important impact in the political and social life from the beginnings, even if the records confirm this only from the 15— 16th century (Benkő-Székely 2008, 13-30; Benkő 2009). Among the fragments in the upper and lower level of the oven (PI. 1/8; 3/8) parts of two archaic’ pots were found. Their pebbly material, fabrication technology (both made on slow-turning pottery wheel), incised decoration (wave lines), grey colour and shape are more alike as the pots from the Árpádian period. One of them is a small pot with round shoulder and high rim, the other is a larger one with cone-shaped rim. Although these two pots strongly differ from the majority of the material, due to the archaeological context they should be contemporary with the ones dated in the 14th century. Therefore, we have to count with archaic pottery within the 14th century sites, which is not a local, isolated phenomenon. The lower - earlier - layer of the oven from Cristuru Secuiesc also contained archaic’ pots dated to the 13-14th century. On the territory of Cristuru Secuiesc such pottery was also found in other 14th century sites (Benkő Et Al. 1997, 50-52, 63-66). Even so, at Cotorman there is a doubt that the presence of this archaic pottery could have other explanations. On one hand, it is sure that the maker of the oven used previously collected and stored material, indicated by the fragments matching from different layers, and at the same time there are earlier, 13th century pits just meters away from the oven. We cannot exclude the possibility that some materials could get from these pits into the ceramic deposit from the 14th century. In conclusion, based on the stratigraphic context and the analogies it is quite possible that archaic, Árpádian age shaped pottery was used in the 14th century, but considering the close locations of the 13th century pits these fragments could originate also from here. *** This single oven brought a lot of information and raised many questions that revealed the limits of our knowledge about the medieval Csík Seat. It was the first time, that archaeology could document 14th century materials, which beside the typology of medieval pottery it is an important evidence of trade relations between Csík Seat and the Saxon region or other towns and oppidums from the counties. On the other hand, the presence of such pottery in a small, hidden village with clear connexion with urban, noble material culture needs an explication. The mug shaped stoves also indicate a rare and early heating installation. We presume that near the excavation area there are the remains of the residence, the mannor of an important family, which does not appear in the written records. A spur (1. 14 cm) found on the excavation without
