Folia archeologica 6. (1949)

BANNER JÁNOS: HERMAN OTTO LEVELE PÓSTA BÉLÁHOZ A MAGYAR ŐSKŐKOR KUTATÁS HARCOS IDEJÉBŐL

16 BANNER—FOL.TIN Y: THE THIRD EXCAVATION ON THE KÖKÉNYDOMB Í5 deep. It could only be partly explored because it extended with a seemingly considerable part underneath the farm-house. About its size the two data which are at our disposal inform us. Its greatest length is 525 cm and width 315 cm. The sherds corning to light from it are shown on Pis. IX—XI. Without doubt the most interesting fragment among them is that of a huge vessel with a lhg (Pl. X, fig. 2.). The formation of the pointed lug is worthy of attention. In this form we see the forerunner of the characteristic warts and that of the often perforated lugs of the Tiszapolgár-culture. This type of lug and the dish so characteristic of the culture are those two strating points which at last connect these two cultures without misunderstandig. But the fragment on Pi. Xi, fig. 12 is also very important. This .specimen is also significant because it shows that the fluting ornament had not come to Hungary with the Pécel-culture, but it existed already in the Tisza-culture. The bone and stone material coming to light from pit 3 are to be seen on PI. Xli. From the sherds found in pit i) the vessels on Pl. V, figs. 1—3 were restored. The irregular shapes of the pits show that they could not have served other purposes as only to render the necessary material from them for building and for the producing of vessels. The ( great quantity of burnt mud plaster, and the layer of ochre of different thickness, spread on the floor of the houses prove that the people of the Tisza-culture used very much clay. Besides the above mentioned phenomena it is worth ( mentioning the heaps of sherds occuring in a depth of 43 cm, and two layers of burnt plaster of larger extent, lying 110

1 cm deep, from which also many sherds came to light. An explanation can not

1 be found for the 5 m wide and 2 m long layer of clay, lying in a depth of 150—220 ! cm, which was not on its original place. Perhaps we encountered the stock of raw material prepared for use. The uncovered seven graves ! preserved the relics of the inhabitants of different ages. Grave 1 was 75 cm deep. The male skeleton, in extended posture 159 cm long, lay northsouth, the head to the south. There were no deposits, but according

1 to the evidence of grave 3 this probably might also have been a Sarmatian grave, Grave 2 was 110 em deep. The contracted skeleton lay south-east and north-west on its right side, the head to the south-east. Its original length was 115' cm and in contracted attitude 82 cm. Very likely it belonged to the Tisza-culture (Pl. VU, fig. 2.). Grave 3. The extended skeleton lay 100 cm deep, north-south, the head to

1 the north. Between the legs was a characteristic Sarmatian pot (Pl. VII, fig. 1.). Above the skeleton was a mouldered iron fibula. Grave 4. The contracted 1 skeleton lay 120 cm deep, north and north-west and south and south-east on its right side. The skull and the bones of the upper arms were missing. Near the skeleton might have stood that fragmentary vessel which proves that the grave belongs to the Bronz Age. In accordance with the measurements of the upper leg, the skeleton must have been about 160 cm long. Grave 5. A disturbed grave of a child whose skeleton lay 130 cm deep on its right side north-west and south-east, the head to the south-east. From the more or less well preserved remaining bones it is determinable that the skeleton was 80 cm long. It is very slightly contracted. The skull was covered with red ochre paint. Grave-goods were absent, but the painting of the skull — according to the evidence of the graves of our exavations in the previous year — attributes it to the Tiszaculture. Grave 6. The contracted skeleton of a baby lay 50 cm deep. It was so disturbed that even the direction was not determinable. Judging by the remaining bones it might have been 36—40 cm long. A bronze bracelet (PI. ХШ, fig.2) was on its iower arm and in its neighbourhood beads came to light, typical of the Bronze Age. Grave 7. The contracted skeleton of a child lay 60 cm deep, north-west and south-east, on its right side, the head to the south-east. Its entire length was 98 cm, in contracted posture 54 cm. A bronze bracelet (Pi. XIII, fig. 3) was found in the grave but not on its original place, and a clay object which was probably a toy (Pl. XIII, fig. 1). The stray finds from the explored area are to be seen on Pl. ХШ, figs. 4—6; Pl. V, fig. 5 and Pl. VI, figs. 1—3, 11—12, 17. As a result of the exavation in 1Ö41 not only the series of form of the Tisza-culture were