Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
306 I. Botár archaeological context could be an argument for this hypothesis (PI. 4/1). This type belongs to the equipment of heavy cavalry ant has several analogies in the 14th century (see: Győrfi 2006). The origins of this supposed elite family are to be found in the previous century. Beside the reliquary cross there is another find which could confirm the theory. Just meters away from the presented oven, in 2008 a large pit (Fig. 3, pit 3-4) was excavated. The pit has 2.5-3 m in diameter, and it was 1.5 m deep. The ceramic fragments had grey, brown and red colours; they were made on slow wheel and ornamented mostly with incised wave lines, although on some pieces other, archaic decorations, such as line bundles appear. Among the rims short, cut or rounded and high, in some cases developed articulated ones can be found. The ceramic material can be dated to the 13th century; the final loading of the pit could have reached the end of the Árpádian period (PI. 4/2-16). From the same pit a pommel of a sword (weight 346 g) was collected (PI. 4/9). The pommel is classified in the XIIIth type in the typology of A. Ruttkay (1976, 249,1/13, 257-258) and in the 6th group in the Transylvanian typology (Pinter 2007, 198, 32/6), generally dated to the 13th century. The closest analogies for the pommel were found at Säsäusi-Tärgu Secuiesc and a similar example is known from Miclosoara (Bordi 2008, 241-242), connected by Zs. L. Bordi (2008, 242) to the Transylvanian Saxons, but the finds from Miclosoara and Bätca Doamnei - both 13th century castles - show that these pommels belong to swords used by the frontier guards of the 13th century called by the records miles (Pinter 2007, 88-89), consideration which naturally leads us to the conclusion that this social and military class can be attested in the Csík Basin from the 13th century Other finds belonging to the armament of organisation of miles are known from Jigodin and Säncräieni (spur and cross-guard discovered in uncertain circumstances), so one has to count with more such communities. It is quite probable - even if not proven - that the reliquary cross belonged to a member of this organisation. The historical interpretation of the 13th century finds from Cotorman is a complicate problem which could have an important impact for whole Székely Land. According to the traditional interpretation the Székelys settled in the Csík Basin in the second half of the 13th century, so our finds cannot be associated with them, affirmation supported by the opinion that the Székelys had light armed warfare which does not include heavy swords. At the same time, we have more archaeological, ecclesiastical and place name data attesting that Csík Seat was inhabited already from the 11—12th century, and even the ecclesiastical organisation was formed in the 12— 13th century (Botár 1999; 2008), therefore the existence of a frontier guard settlements before the Székelys’ arrival is not just a presumption. Lately, a new theory was published that does not follow the previous conception, which says that the Székelys had a strongly articulated society even in the 13th century in which one has to count with comparable elite, such as the nobles from the counties. Furthermore the early phases of the recently excavated churches from Székely Land are already associated with the first Székely inhabitants (Benkő 2010, 225-226). In this case the finds from Cotorman could belong to such an early Székely leader. There is a quite sharp difference if such finds are interpreted as remains of a disappeared border guard organisation not mentioned in the written records, or elements of the early Székely history. The complexity of the problem is well illustrated by the fact that this new interpretation of the early history of the Székelys itself enumerates several elements (royal or noble castles, royal or ducal curtis) that presumes the existence of widespread ‘pre-Székely’ villages, settlement systems and churches (Benkő 2010). At the present, based on the archaeological materials one
