Marta, Liviu (szerk.): Satu Mare. Studii şi comunicări. Seria arheologie 26/1. (2010)
Biba Teržan: Observations on graves in Lapuş
Observations on graves in Lapuş By contrast, weapons do not appear in tumuli with urn burials and in which vessels with cylindrical or conical necks and channelled decoration predominate (Fig. 2); instead only small cheekpieces, pendants,1’ small rings and buttons as well as occasional bracelets, two pins and one fibula. These can possibly be viewed as the jewellery of female dress (tumulus 6, 20, 21, B).13 14 These differences in the pottery, in weaponry, in dress as well as in the manner of burial can also be interpreted as gender-specific. In consequence, we have the following results: Male individuals, in particular outstanding warriors, were placed to rest in tumuli, in which the deceased was cremated on the spot in the grave. Further, the deceased was furnished with the characteristic burial goods of weapons and splendid vessels with cylindrical or conical neck and with chip-carved (Kerbschnitt) decoration (Fig. 1). By contrast, the graves of females can be presumed in tumuli with um burials and furnished with tall-necked, channelled vessels and jewellery (Fig. 2). Only few graves display both kinds of tall vessels together, that is, with chip-carved and with channelled decoration. Examples are tumulus 5 and 9,15 which possibly or even most likely held a double burial or a collective burial (cp. Fig. 1— 2). It is noteworthy that bowls with spiral ornamentation are found in graves in association with chip-carved pottery as well as with channelled pottery; that is to say, this form is not a gender-specific grave gift (Fig. 1-2). Bowls are found among funerary equipment of the male deceased (tumulus 1, 2) and the female deceased (tumulus 10, 21), or in double burials (tumulus 9). If this allocation is correct, then neither pottery with chip-carved decoration nor that with channels can be considered as a fine chronological indicator-as hitherto assumed-for the temporal division of the cemetery at Lapuş into two phases. However, this does not imply that there is no depth in time in the cemetery and that the pottery cannot be divided according to other viewpoints. Yet, such an investigation is not possible here nor is it possible externally due to the present state of publication. A further important aspect for a new understanding of the cemetery at Lapuş is offered by the topographical location of the tumuli with gender-specific funerary goods; namely, a specific distribution is recognizable. Tumuli with burials of warriors are located exclusively in the western group, where they are arranged close to one another in its eastern area (Fig. 3, above, denoted by triangles). Tumulus 9, which is possibly a double burial, is the only exception (Fig. 2). It lies in the southwestern part, where tumuli with channelled pottery, that is, the burials of females, are frequent (Fig. 3, above, denoted by circles). Thereby, the largest tumulus, tumulus 21 (Fig. 2), with one of the richest dress outfits, holds the central position. Fewer tumuli of the second group, located somewhat to the southeast, have been investigated. However, when compared to the first group, certain differences can be discerned. The southernmost tumulus 20 in this group held the burial of a female, as indicated by vessels with a conical neck and channelled decoration and by bracelets. The burial is remarkable in that a piece of a metal bar ingot was also among the grave goods (Fig. 2). Another mound in this group, tumulus 13, yielded a casting mould (Fig. 4). Hence, both of these finds16 are evidence of the deceased person’s association with metalworking (Fig. 3, below, denoted by a square). Yet another burial custom predominates in the third group in the northeast. As mentioned above, no human remains were found in these tumuli, and, therefore, they have 13 Comparisons for the pendant in a form of eight (8) in tumulus 9 are present in hoard as Domăneşti II, dated to the phase Uriu-Domăneşti (Petrescu-Dimboviţa 1977, 59, Pl. 45, 13-14; Bader 1978, 219, Pl. 70, 13-14)as well as in a grave in Riegsee (Miiller-Karpe 1959, PI. 181, 4).and in a somewhat later burials of females in Budapest-Bekásmegyer and Tolmin. Cp. Kalicz-Schreiber 1991, 191 Fig. 24, 11; Svoljsak/ Pogaőnik 2001, PI. 88,6. 14 Kacsó 2001a, Fig. 26, H B; 27, H 6, H 9; 28, H 21. 15 Kacsó 1975, Fig. 12,2; 13,2 (tumulus 5); ibid. 2001a, Fig. 9 (tumulus 5); 11 and 16 (tumulus 9). 16 Kacsó 2001a, Fig. 27, H 20; H 13. 205
