Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 33/4. (2013)
Articles
176 E. Gall 13. Limited conclusions 13.1. The chronology. One method, three cases (Fig. 27) The characteristics of the churchyard cemeteries, in opposition to the cemeteries with row-grave cemeteries, are the existence of the church or its remains and the density of the graves. In many cases we find multiple graves or the superpositions of graves. I could not follow the commonly favoured ‘grave layer’ method, when graves are dated according to the depths of the graves. As István Méri, the founder of the methodology of the analyses concerning churchyard cemeteries put it: graves in the same depth can not be necessarily dated to the same era .175 Therefore we agree with Ágnes Ritoók, who replaced the term ‘grave layer’ with ‘horizon’. This is not to related to spacial coordinates like it is common in the practice of the grave-layer method of analysis, but rather reflects a chronological scheme .176 In my opinion, in the central of the cemetery, horizontal analysis should be combined with vertical analysis, which means the simultaneous analyse of the superpositions, depths and orientations. In the middle section of the cemetery a great number of superpositions, graves dug on top of one another can be observed, whereas towards the edges they are in one layer, here the classic horizontal analysis can be conducted. In the figure below we show the research tendency or ‘strategy’ applied in these cemeteries: Based on the theoretical approach outlined above, in the central part of the cemetery, we divided the graves into vertical and horizontal grave groups. This method was replaced with the horizontal method towards the edge of the cemetery because there is only one layer of graves. However, based on the poor finds in the cemetery, it can be stated that the central part of the churchyard and its outer parts must have been used at the same time, so one cannot count with the gradual, horizontal expansion of the core of the cemetery. As for the chronology of the burials, it must be noted that among the burials found in grave groups close to one another, those can be considered contemporary which have the same orientation. 13.1.1. The case of Däbäca-Castle Area IV (Fig 28-29; PI. 22-34) In the middle of the cemetery, we tried to divide the graves into vertical and horizontal grave groups. This method was replaced with the horizontal method towards the edge of the cemetery because there is only one layer of graves. However, based on the poor finds, it can be stated that the central and the outer parts of the churchyard must have been used at the same time, so one cannot count with the gradual, horizontal expansion of the core of the cemetery. As for the chronology of the burials, it must be noted that among the burials found in grave groups close to each other, those can be considered contemporary which have the same orientation. 175 Méri 1944, 28. 176 Ritoók 2005, 175. Fig. 27. Model of simultaneous analyse for superpositions
