Budapest Régiségei 36. (2002) – In memoriam Rózsa Kalicz-Schreiber (1929-2001)

Raczky Pál: Evidence of contacts between the Lengyel and Tisza-Herpály Cultures at the late neolithic site of Polgár-Csőszhalom : relationships between Central European and Balkan ritual practice and sacral thought in the Upper Tisza Region = A lengyeli és tisza-herpályi kulturális érintkezés régészeti emlékei Polgár-Csőszhalom késő neolitikus lelőhelyén : a rituális gyakorlat és a szakrális gondolkodás közép-európai, illetve balkáni eredetű elemeinek összefüggései a Felső-Tisza-vidéken 79-92

PÁL RACZKY Tisza Region. Meanwhile finds from Törökbálint bear witness to the fact that a similar type of vessel is also known in the Middle Neolithic tradition of Transdanubia. This type of anthropomorphic vessels show a sitting figure with cylindrical body and broadening head. Its bent arms are placed below the breast.

28 It is likely therefore, that the Sé specimen represents a transitional type between the Middle and Late Neolithic in the western section of the Carpathian Basin. This may be regarded as an additional piece of evidence concerning roles the local, Transdanubian (so-called Notenkopf and Zseliz) cultures played in the emergence of the Lengyel Culture. On the other hand, the incised "M" pattern seen on the face of the anthropomorphic vessel from Törökbálint indicates a mental background shared with local, Middle Neolithic, face-decorated vessels, and confirms the previously recognized Szakálhát-Zseliz cultural connection.

29 This, in and of itself presumes some sort of a connection between the southern section of the Great Hungarian Plain and Transdanubia within the complex system of relationships that existed during the Middle Neolithic in the Carpathian Basin.

30 The brief survey presented here should make it clear that the fragments of two types of anthropomorphic vessels found within the circular ditch system of the Polgár-Csőszhalom, represent two different 'canons" i. e. stylistic standards. The use to which such vessels were put probably lay within the broader spheres of the Lengyel and Tisza Cultures in a special spatial unit of the settlement. It may be hypothesized that communal and sacral activities here necessitated the joint presence of the Lengyel and Tisza Cultures. Both Lengyel type activity and Tisza Culture presence occur in the proximity of Lengyel Culture type circular ditches at Polgár-Csőszhalom. Recognizing this co-occurrence is of particular importance, since this way it becomes clear that the general "symbiosis" of the Lengyel with Tisza Cultures observed all over the settlement of Polgár-Csőszhalom is also valid within the area surrounded by the circular ditch system. This means that the territorial manifestation of communal/sacral dichotomy was not simply a reflection of Cultural" differences represented by ceramic styles. The special tell area enclosed by the concentric ditch system did not define a purely Lengyel Culture activity area. Finally, it is worth considering the external, horizontal settlement of Polgár-Csőszhalom, that is, the scene of everyday life as is shown by the immediate environment of the 86 houses excavated to date. The breast fragment of a Kökénydomb type anthropo28 VIRÁG 1998, Abb. 2-4; VIRÁG 2000. Fig. 2,1-2.29 KALICZ-MAKKAY 1972. 30 VIRÁG 1998. 70-74; VIRÁG 2000. 390-391. morphic vessel was found within the context of a refuse pit associated with one of the houses here

31 (Fig. 2. 2a-c). On this fragment of a cylindrical body, the breasts and the hands resting below them are clearly visible. In the upper section, the once arched former rim line may be followed starting from the shoulder. This form is very similar to the rim shape observed on the so-called Kökénydomb Venus I. Consequently, this representation is closer to the vessel-like, headless form.

32 This find unambiguously shows that within the context of the Late Neolithic settlement of Polgár-Csőszhalom the aforementioned Tisza Culture anthropomorphic vessel type also occurred. Meanwhile, all sorts of activities associated with this type of artifact may also be hypothesized at this site. To date, small clay figurines seated on stools have been unearthed only from the proximity of mundane houses at the neolithic settlement at Polgár-Csőszhalom (Fig. 2. la-d; 3. la-d).

33 Within those contexts, they represent the typical stylistic inventory of the Tisza Culture and the cognitive background these stylistic characteristics stood for.

34 From the viewpoint of the arguments listed here, a biconical object made of rough clay with chaff temper may also be of interest. A vertical hole was drilled in the lower, slender neck part of this artifact (Fig. 4. la-d, 4. 4a-d). In our interpretation, this piece of plastic art was attached to some sort of a lower component with the help of a small stick that fit into the hole. Following this logic, one may speculate whether this object was some sort of a head which once may have belonged to a large size anthropomorphic statue. This interpretation may look rather peculiar at first sight. However, examples of this solution are known from the artifactual inventory of the Lengyel Culture in Hungary Among other finds, a specimen very similar to the Polgár-Csőszhalom find was published by Nándor Kalicz from the settlement of Aszód-Papiföldek

35 at the northern edge of the Great Hungarian Plain (Fig. 4. 2). Another specimen from the same site has not yet been published (Fig. 4. 3). The fact that schematic head representations are a characteristic stylistic feature of anthropomorphic figurines in the Lengyel Culture is most convincingly illustrated by a specimen published from Bakonyszűcs.

36 One of the specific features of anthropomorphic figurines from the Moravian Painted Pottery Culture, closely associated with Lengyel Culture, is the spherical or biconical «RACZKY ET AL. 1997. Fig. 35. 32 BANNER 1959. Taf. 6-7; GIMBUTAS 1974. Fig. 210. 33 RACZKY ET AL. 1997. Catalogue IV/ 39. 34 KALICZ-RACZKY 1987. 22. ® KALICZ 1985. Fig. 71/9. 36 KALICZ 1998. Abb. 39,1) 82