Folia archeologica 19.

Patay Pál: A tiszavalki rézfokos

COPPER BATTLE-AXE FROM TISZAVALK 24 A new specimen of a certain type of copper tools, belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr culture, was uncovered in grave 29 of the Copper Age cemetery excavated in the summer of 1966. It is a copper battle-axe (according to F. Schubert it is the Siria type of group III of copper axes), which was put next to the skull of the skeleton lying on the right side; its one-time haft was held by the dead. Two very remarkable features of the form of the Tiszavalk battle-axe are striking. On the one hand it has near the slightly asymmetrical shaft-hole two ridges protruding on the lower side more and on the upper one less, forming so a sort of socket which fixes the shaft more firmly. On the other hand it has on its butt end a calotte-shaped knob of a diameter surpassing the body. The length of this battle-axe is 16 cm (Fig. 1). This form is a result of a typological development, the simplest form of which is represented by the Kiskőrös specimen with a straight body (Fig. 2. no. 1). Development produced two varieties of these battle-axes, one of them with a straight body (Fig. 2. nos. 5a

—b; Fig. 3. nos. 2—4), the other with a slightly bent (Fig. 2. nos. 5a

—b; Fig. 4. nos. 1—4). In the course of typological development wing-like protrusion grew upwards and downwards from the shaft-hole, the edge became rather wide and semi-circular, the butt end terminated in a knob, which in fact imitated the rim made on the butt by use. The Tiszavalk battle-axe, though it may seem peculiar as such, fits exactly in this course of evolution, for there is, of only separately, an analogy for each of its peculiarities among the copper battle-axes. The single stages of the above-mentioned typological evolution do not indicate, however, a chronological succession. At least in the Carpathian basin they appear at the same time, i.e. in the Middle Copper Age. So far battle-axes coming to light in finds are only known in the Bodrogkeresztúr culture. Besides that for instance at Fényeslitke and at a site not yet identified two varieties of the battle-axes were found in the same cemetery. Battle-axes occur not only in the Hungarian Great Plain, i.e. on the main region of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture, but also in its peripherical group, in the vicinity of Budapest, as well as in Transylvania, where the relics of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture can be found, too. The two battle-axes, found in county Baranya (Fig. 4. nos. 5 a

—b; Fig. 5. nos. ia

—b) have oval shaft-holes, like that of the Kiskőrös specimen coming to light from a site nearer to them. As the oval shaft-hole occurs on copper battle-axes from Serbia and on copper axes of the Vidra type, as well as on battle-axes of the Mugeni type ; it may be that the battle-axes in question were produced by craftsmen working on the southern part of the Carpathian basin. The similarly-shaped battle-axes from Adony (Fig. 5. nos. 2a

—b) and Dec derive also from the peripherical region of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture. The development of the shapes of the copper battle-axes had also an influence on the form of the stone tools. A particular type of the stone axes of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture (Fig. 2. no. 4) is to be considered as a result of such an influence. It is, however, a well-known fact that the imitation of certain characteristic features of copper tools on stone ones was quite common during the Copper Age; it can be proved by several examples (Fig. 6. nos. 1—3). In discussing the battle-axe of Tiszavalk we have to call attention to the stone battle-axe of Dad as well, which — notwithstanding the differences in shape — due to the different materials — shows many similar features with the copper