Kőszegi Frigyes: A Dunántúl Története A Későbronzkorban (BTM műhely 1. kötet Budapest, 1988)

Időrendi és történeti áttekintés (The history of Transdanubia during the late bronze age.) Bilingual-bilingvis.

Whereas the number of finding sites of the second phase decreased considerably in the Bakony region, the early Urnfield Culture is strongest in the area of Keszthely and generally on the north shore of the Balaton. In pottery the earlier shapes are used on, however, the ornamentation becomes more flourishing than the usual, it gets el more and more „baroque". The number of higher or better défendable settlements which are more or less datable, increases which may be brought into connection with the Kurd type hoards'getting underground. The chronological correspondence of the two events presumes identical historical background. The leading finds of the period are undoubtedly the hoards of the Kurd horizon. The sites of the horizon are denser, where the finds of the second and third phase are denser too, primarily north of the Balaton, in Tolna, Somogy, and Baranya counties. Their occurrance is more scattered in the northeastern part of Transdanubia, especially where the changes between the finds of the second and third phase are most prominent.

501 The most characteristic significance of the Kurd type hoards comes from their composition. Beside the perfect objects there are masses of fragmentary pieces among the finds, waiting for new working up, thus in the majority of these cases we must think of the stores of a metallurgical workshop. The majority of the complete pieces are put together of utilitarian objects, sickles, axes, and semi finished wares. Some treasures show series of ringlets of different sizes. The ring — money — measure of value — meaning of these in unanimous, however the sickles with the handle extensions could also have fulfilled the role of the function of a measure of value.

502 These latter ones naturally document the growing prominence of agriculture, at least in certain areas. It is definitely of special interest that the different weapons in these hoards are always fragmentary. Fragments of swords, but mainly fragmentary spearheads, shields, helmets, larger or smaller pieces of body armour can be found in them. The fragmentary weapons possibly point to wartype events, thus no useable weapon was left in the stores of bronze workshops. This is even more of an unusual phenomenon if we compare our finds with the hoards of the somewhat earlier east Hungarian Aranyos horizon, where especially a great arsenal of undamaged weapons can be found. The Kurd type hoards are joined by many threads to the settlements and cemetery of the early Urnfield period of Transdanubia. Several of those bronzes can be found among these beside the already mentioned types which were not known by the people of the second phase. From the weapons the Ennsdorf, the Allerona and the three ribbed solid hilted swords, from the apparel the Kurd-Röschitz type fibulae with flattened leaf-shape bow, the versions with spiral catch plates, furthermore the majority of the socketed axes and the sickles with stem extensions are most likely the products of the third phase. Some of the Kurd type bronzes however, can be found among the earlier UK grave furnishings whereas the moulds of the same types are evidenced in the settlements as well. The pits of one of the south Transdanubian settlements for example, the typical pottery of the Urnfield Culture, dates the depot also found here, or better yet, the remains of a casting shop here.

503 The scarcity of the third phase settlements does not necessarily mean a decrease in the number of the population, but it may rather reflect the gradual changes in the economic life. Life went on in the earlier established hilltop settlements and in the more recently populated earthworks, however, the same can be experienced in the case of some smaller riverside, brookside, and other waterside settlements. The settlement unearthed at Pécsvárad saved us the characteristics of the system of the early UK settlement, its dwelling houses and other agricultural buildings. The houses of angular ground plan of medium size and the joining agricultural buildings developed of a pit system reflect the typical models of peasant villages. It is of significance that traces of this could be already observed in the remains of the upper layer of the Siklós settlement of the first phase.

504 The third phase could be considered transitional on the border of the earlier and later Urnfield Culture. This is the time of development of the Carpathian Basin version of the Velatice Culture in the area of northeastern Transdanubia and the neighbouring southwestern Slovakia called the Vál Culture, and the Hetény group. It is very likely that bronze industry develops more significantly at Velem and Sághegy from this period which still belongs to the Kurd and Gyermely horizon. This hypotheses is supported by the hoards from the finding site, furthermore the majority of the sporadic finds. Although a decrease of sites can be observed during the period in Transdanubia, the same time and later, the number of finds of the Vál Culture show an increasing tendency. The early scattered find groups are followed by the period of the establishment of the large Vál cemeteries, still within the third phase. North of the Danube for example quite early HA2 type grave groups can be detected, expecially in the sphere of the Hetény type cementeries. The same can be experienced in the Vál cementeries along the Danube. Expecially in the area of Budapest did the people of the culture develop their settlements during the early development stages. According to the co-existence of the late Tumulus and early UK finds, at some of these sites we must consider a genetic link between the two cultures. The settlement excavated at Békásmegyer-Vízművek is such reflecting the system of the earlier UK settlement at Pécsvárad.

5 0 5 The metal industry of the Vál Culture at first was most likely identical to the late Kurd and Gyermely industry, or at least concerning the basic bronze types as evidenced by the bronze furnishings of the Hetény cemetery. Likewise the pottery products also correspond with the UK types familiar in Transdanubia. Angular Formed rims over the handles, conical necked and mostly one handled urns, dense vertical fluting and the characteristic greyish brown