Folia archeologica 54.
18 ANDRÁS MARK O The angular siliceous and quartzite pebbles were at least partly decorticated on the site and after the forming of the flaking surface the pieces were exported from the excavated territory. Finally, after developing the convexity of the flaking surface of the oval-shaped quartzite cobbles, the intentional removing of flakes were started from the more or less flat, cortical or weathered surface. As a total, the core exploitation strategies, documented in the last excavated assemblage of Szob result in the relatively 'archaic' appearance of the industry: the presence of both the large and the small pebble slices, segments and naturally backed blades are integral part of the reduction sequences. The presence of the geometrically broken pebbles, considered here as fragmented pieces seems to be also the consequence of the dimensions and the poor quality of the given pebble raw materials types. In the introduction we discussed the problems of the finer archaeological classification. Recently a new terminus, the Kasovian was suggested for the period between 20-f 5 kys BP in the Carpathian basin 3 2 with a reference site of the Upper layer of Kasov I, having a workshop character, based on the obsidian sources. In typological point of view the sporadic occurrence of backed implements, 3 3 the dominance of short blanks 3 4 and the presence of the wedge shaped cores, reported from the Epigravettian period in Central Europe 3 5 are all considered as having a special significance. In connection with this later type, one of the fragments of the refitted end-scraper from the old excavated material is quite similar to these pieces on morphological ground, however, one may consider this artefacts as an end-scraper with high working front too. Typically, in layer 2 of the 1936 excavations in Ságvár an absolutely analogue piece, a lateral fragment of a high scraper, worked with lamellar retouches, or a small bladelet core with prepared distal part was found. 3 6 On the other hand, to illustrate the problems with the 'Kasovian entity, we can mention the presence of bipolar cores and blades from Kasov 3 7 showing clear technological differences from the assemblage of Szob. THE MISSING LINKS' OF THE OPERATIONAL SEQUENCE The pieces, absent from the given assemblage are nearly as informative as that ones, which are on hand. The presence of two chips let us to conclude that a core of mauve coloured radiolarite was prepared in Szob and later it was exported from the excavated part of the site, together with the possible blanks. Similarly, the cores and at least a part of the flakes, removed from the angular limnic quartzite and quartzite blocks are absent from the studied assemblage. In this case, in spite of the poor quality of the raw material, indicated by the often flaking accidents and natural fragments we suppose a primary workshop activity. In the complexes of reddish radiolarite and grey nummulithic chert pebbles, there are numerous hiatuses in the refit groups, similar to the obsidian workshop site 3 2 SVOBODA-NOVÁK 2004. 3 3 But there are important exceptions, mentioned in the introduction, like Esztergom - Gyurgyalag or the cave sites in the Transdanubia, yielding numerous backed pieces: DOBOSI et al. 1991.; DOBOSI-VÖRÖS 1987, 29-30. 3 4 KoztowsKi 2000, but see: MARKÓ 2007, 18. 3 5 SVOBODA 1995. — Interestingly, the both the wedge shaped and the conical cores are very rare in the upper layer of Kasov I: BÁNESZ et al. 1992, 11. 3 6 Inv. nr of the HNM: 1/1937.29. - with damaged distal part. 3 7 BÁNESZ et al. 1992. 3 8 BÁNESZ et al. 1992, II,- Generally the non-cortical pieces are absent from the excavated assemblage of Kasov.
