Folia archeologica 8.

Korek József — Patay Pál: A Herpályi-halom kőkorvégi és rézkori települése

40 J. Korek — P. Patay Joseph Korek

—Paul Patay The Settlement at Herpály-halom from the Late Neolithic and the Copper Ages Herpály-halom (the mound at Herpály) has been well known by archeologists in Hungary owing to the excavations by Lajos Zoltai in 1921 and 1922, by Lajos Márton, Ferenc Tompa and Louis C. G. Clarke in 1927. Reporting on their excavation, Tompa dated the two topmost layers to the Bronze Age, under which at a depth of 3 m a layer of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture was found and down to a depth of 4 m a layer characteristic of the Tisza culture was encountered. From these observations, he inferred that the Copper Age culture immediately followed, without a break, the Tisza culture both as stratigraphy and morphology are concerned. This statement suggested to us the necessity to verify its implications and to undertake another excavation at Herpályhalom in October, 1955, in search for further information to clear up the nature of the settlements in the Bodrogkeresztúr culture. Herpály-halom is situated in the vicinity of the village Berettyóújfalu (County Hajdú-Bihar). The length of the mound is about 85 m, its width 50 m, and its present height about 4 m above the surrounding countryside (Fig. 10). It could be established that there could have been no mound here before the first settlers arrived for they must have chosen the site because of the protection offered by the river. The mound arose by an accumulation of the successive occupation layers (Fig. 11). Excavation was commenced at the southern slope of the mound at about 154 cms below its heighest point. Two squares of a surface of 4 X 6 m and 4 X 1,65 m in extent were opened up. In the course of the digging, we came across spots with traces of later interference with the layers, and so we restricted the examination of the surfaces to the smaller but intact areas. The excavation closed with a negative result as to the problems that we had set ourselves to clear up. No traces whatsoever were found of the remains from the Bodrogkeresztúr culture in the groups of layers uncovered. But a rich harvest was cropped in information concerning the close of the Neolithic and the beginning of the early Copper Age. The lowest culture layer was encountered at a depth of 245 cms (Fig. 12 and 14). Closely above the virgin soil, the flooring (A) of a former dwelling was found with hearths (Fig. 14 : 3, 4) and traces of a pole-hole. In some parts of the floor, we observed shallow, elongated hollows. The objects found at this level included painted wares, dishes with hollow tubular supports, etc. (Plates II: 1—5; VII: 4,7; VIII : 9,13—14; 16-20.) At a depth of 235 cms, another floor (B) was seen 5 cms thick, and at the same level a round hearth (2) and a pole-hole (b). The layer between the two floors was rich in stone and bone implements (Plate II : 15 —16, 24—29), uncoloured (Plate II: 6—14, 17—19) and even painted wares (Plates II : 20—22 ; VIII : 9, 13, 14, 17, 19). A perforated incisor of a beaver was also found (Plate II: 23). Over floor B there was an occupational layer 20 cms deep with similar objects as in the layers below. At a depth of 205 cms, a third floor (C) was en-