Kovács Tibor - Stanczik Ilona (szerk.): Bronze Age tell settlements of the Great Hungarian Plain I. (Inventaria Praehistorica Hungariae 1; Budapest, 1988)

Márta SZ. MÁTHÉ: Bronze Age tells in the Berettyó valley

Summary (Figs 21—22) The most important sites of the period in question Ue in a former marshland as shown by the medieval hydrographie map (Fig. 1). These marshy areas encircled the regions now called Hajdúhát and Nyírség, and formed a zone covering the Bodrogköz (the area between the Tisza and Bodrog rivers), the Ecsedi-láp, the Ér valley and the Sárrét. This partly explains the lack of the tells in the Nyírség and the Hajdúhát area and also the possible routes of communication. The early pit settlements of the Nyírség culture are independent from the marshland and the settlement network is denser than that of the period characterized by tell-like settlement layers. The population of the Early Bronze Age Otomani culture (Otomani A) apparently preferred the areas surrounded by water, while the Otomani B and Gyulavarsánd settlements lie exclusively in these areas. The geographical environment hindered, to a certain extent, connections with the Wietenberg population whose settlements lay isolated in the mountains, as reflected by the relative scarcity of import finds. Connections between the two were restricted to trade, with no evidence for ethnic intermingling. A comparison of the five layer sequences reveals an independent development. The tells were founded by the developed Otomani culture (Otomani B), the only exceptions being Gáborján where the lowermost layer can be linked to the Nyírség culture and the Szilhalom tell that was occupied during the Gyulavarsánd period only.

124 The following definition of phase B of the Otomani culture complex is based on the Herpály stratigraphy. The origins of this complex can be traced to the Early Bronze Age. Material assignable to the Otomani A period has—apart from the above-mentioned settlements consisting of pits —only been found in the lower layer of the Szalacs tell, so far unpublished. The conical or pyramidal lid with two handles seems to have been characteristic of this period; however, this data cannot be evaluated until the full publication of the tell.

125 Its population enters an independent development phase during the transitional period between the Early and Middle Bronze Age, and some of its early characteristics traits survive into the Gyulavarsánd period, partly because of an ethnic continuity that contributed to the survival of traditions. Further development, however, is characterized by the appearance of new traits which are diagnostic of this period and region. These do not represent a sharp cultural break, but rather a transition between the Early and Middle Bronze Age. The Otomani B layers are followed by Gyulavarsánd layers. The Otomani B-Gyula

varsánd transition is a phenomenon allied to the Hatvan—Füzesabony transition and most scholars who accepted Bóna's opinion linked the appearance of new cultural traits to the arrival of new population groups, similarly to the assumed newcomers interrupting the Hatvan development in an earlier period. Bona recently modified his views concerning the sharp break between the lower and upper tell layers that he had suggested for Békés in the light of new finds and a reconsideration of the material from Eastern Hungary. He introduced the terms Otomani IVarsánd and Otomani IIVar s and for the two main periods of the tells in the Trans-Tisza region, suggesting that the Hatvan culture did not play a prominent role in this area.

126 The fact that the Gyulavarsánd culture followed the way of life of the Otomani population without a break suggests a survival of the population that is also reflected by the pottery, therefore the usage of the terms Otomani II and Gyulavarsánd together seems fairly justified. The differences in the occupation patterns between the seats of the tribal aristocracy and the village as observed e.g. at Békés were not reflected in the soundings since the small excavated areas were restricted to the central tells —this is one of the reasons why no traces of bronzeworking could be observed and that no bronze artefacts had been found, since metallurgy was generally practised in the villages. However, the simÜarity of the cultural sequence at Herpály, Esztár and Bakonszeg suggests that the organization was similar to the one noted at Békés. A comparison of the layer sequences from the Ér valley and the Berettyó region suggests a certain chronological asynchronity in the appearance of the Gyulavarsánd culture and that some sites were unoccupied during this period. The infiltration of new population groups may have taken place in successive small waves. Similar chronological differences can be noted in the abandonment of the tells. The Bakonszeg sequence starts with the Otomani B culture and ends with the Gyulavarsánd B phase. Szilhalom yielded only Gyulavarsánd B—C material which included elements that can be defined as Late Gyulavarsánd. At Esztár the Otomani B culture was succeeded by Gyulavarsánd layers of uncertain date and a group of Late Gyulavarsánd finds. At Gáborján the Otomani B layers followed the Nyírség culture, which were overlain by Gyulavarsánd B—C layers, whilst the subhumus on the top yielded some later sherds. At Herpály the earliest occupation layers can be assigned to the Otomani B culture, which was succeeded by the Gyulavarsánd A—C phases and stray Late Gyulavarsánd finds. The label "Late Gyulavarsánd period" introduced here is designed for emphasizing that the change took place within the Gyulavarsánd period. In the lack of metal artefacts only the pottery can be used for illustrating this change which in fact means the further development of the Gyulavarsánd C phase. This continuity of local development, marking the beginning of a new period has only been clearly documented at Esztár. In the case of other tell settlements the chronological link is provided by the gold lock-rings recovered from the uppermost layers (Herpály, Bakonszeg, Szilhalom), which are heart-shaped and solid, differring from the Koszider-type. This is also supported by the bronze