Budapest Régiségei 36. (2002) – In memoriam Rózsa Kalicz-Schreiber (1929-2001)
T. Bíró Katalin: New data on the utilisation of Buda hornstone in the early bronze age = Új adatok a budai szarukő korabronzkori hasznosításáról 131-143
KATALIN T. BÍRÓ Culture) sites (Medve street, Káposztásmegyer; excavations by A. Endrodi, summary data published in Biro 1998), further sites from the Early Bronze Age 11 and in Middle Bronze Age material. 12 The new finds which are the subject of the present study can strengthen the opinion on relatively young utilisation of Buda hornstone and make our knowledge more rich in details on the subject. In the year 2001, Anna Endrodi started large-scale rescue excavations at the site Budapest-Albertfalva. Finds belonging mainly to Early Bronze Age Bell Beaker Culture, Csepel group were found, together with some evidences of Copper Age Furchenstich Culture. Due to the large surface excavated, the site proved to be exceptionally rich in lithic material among the known Bronze Age settlements. 590 items were investigated so far (85% of which belonging to the category of chipped stone tools). According to preliminary studies on the material, the ratio of Buda hornstone on the site is 70% (81% of total chipped stone industry). As the investigation of the material is in progress, the actual numbers may change to some extent but we can definitely say that Buda hornstone was the dominant raw material used on this site. The material which is remarkable by its quantity as well, is raising further interesting problems. Buda hornstone like most of the Triassic chert in Hungary is basically of inferior quality fractured, rigid. In spite of this, occasionally tools of very fine workmanship were produced at Albertfalva, where the raw material quality was surprisingly good. In some cases, traces of scorching (fire) were observed on the pieces. In the international technical literature on flint processing technology this phenomenon is referred to as "heat treatment", a procedure used to improve the physical qualities of fractured flint (Fig.l). One of the factors of the renewed interest in Buda hornstone and its ample use in Late Copper Age and the first half of the Bronze Age can be rooted in the extended expertise in handling fire which could be a product of metallurgical technique. The factual basis for the presumed heat treatment at Albertfalva needs further proofs, possibly by experimental archaeological control methods. Probably in the phase of preparation of the raw material for further processing (by heat treatment?), several small depot finds were found in context of Bell Beaker Culture, Csepel group. The first one was found by Rózsa Schreiber on the afore-mentioned Csepel-Hollandi street site. It was mentioned as "Depot" in the excavation records, from the pit nr. 25, 54#, but not separated in the publications. n Szigetszentmiklós-Üdülősor; CSONGRÁDI-BALOGH 1992 12 Bölcske-Vörösgyír, Százhalombatta-Földvár, excavation by I. Poroszlai, published by HORVÁTH 1997, 2000 Altogether 69 pieces were listed from the same unit, the overwhelming majority (66 pieces) made of Buda hornstone. It is not absolutely clear which pieces belong to the depot, but the overall character (vast majority composed of flakes and chips) is similar to the finds presented below In the new excavations connected with Bell Beaker Culture, Csepel group, similar small depots, 'stocks" were recently found. One of them was found at Budapest-Albertfalva, in unit Nr. 1014. In the round pit with brownish sediment a lot of finds were found including a clay jug with ribbon-like handle containing 22 flakes made of Buda hornstone 13 (Fig.2). The site is within sight of the Farkasrét-Denevér street extraction site, the immediate connection between the source and this site seems to be evident. Another depot find of similar character came to light from another excavation by Anna Endrodi, at Budapest-Csepel, II. Rákóczi Ferenc street. Settlement traces and graves of the Bell Beaker Culture, Csepel group were found at this site. In unit 12, in the middle of a pit a depot find comprising Buda hornstone flakes and blades were found in one heap in company of two broken bell-beaker vessels (Fig. 3). According to the opinion of the excavator, this feature can be interpreted as a symbolic grave. The dimensions of the pit were 130 x 180 cm, its depth - 50 cm, an oval shallow pit with light brown sediment, oriented NW-SE. This depot find contained 39 items, all made of Buda hornstone. DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPOT FINDS The two depot finds contain very similar material, from the point of raw material composition (all made of Buda hornstone) and typological character. All of the pieces are flakes with low IL 14 : Average length (mm) Average width (mm) Length/width IL Albertfalva depot, pit nr. 1014 35,52 9,2 1,21 IL Albertfalva total chipped industry 3L4 24,6 1,27 IL Csepel-Rákóczi street, pit nr. 12. 27,9 23,6 1,18 IL Csepel-Hollandi street, pit nr. 25. 28 24 1,16 Index of lamináris ation for the studied depot finds: B Data on find circumstances and site shots by Anna Endrodi; the author is most grateful for them as well as the possibility for working on this material. 14 Index of laminarisation: length/width. Blades are typically over 2, transversal flakes are below L 132
