Somogyvári Ágnes et al. (szerk.): Településtörténeti kutatások - Archaelogia Cumanica 3. (Kecskemét, 2014)
Árpád-kori falu Kiskunfélegyháza határában - Gallina Zsolt–Gulyás Gyöngyi–Molnár István: Késő Árpád-kori településrészlet Kiskunfélegyháza, Amler-bányából
ARCHAEOLOGIA CUMANICA 3 possibly serving the same purpose, have been reported from several other nearby Sarmatian and Árpádian Age sites as well. Based on the two rows of buildings identified at the site, the settlement can be essentially characterised as having a street-like layout. The uniqueness of the settlement excavated at the Amler-bánya site is the regular occurrence of animal pens between structures that might also have been utilised for animal keeping. Their system was integrated into the settlement structure. The residential buildings, the sunken and above-ground animal pens as well as the various pits may represent the early occurrence of a specific spatial organisation of house plots known as the group yard or irregular yard. The observed street layout indicates a sedentary community and a rudimentary form of marking plot boundaries. However, the buildings not fitted into the street-like layout (Houses 1 and 6) and the presence of larger animal pens in the settlement s outer zone suggest that the settlement had been organised into separate parts. A relatively small amount of ceramics was found at the site. Approximately 560 pottery sherds were recovered from the over 200 features that can be securely or most likely be dated to the Árpádian Age. One-half of the assemblage was recovered from the 14 buildings. A dozen ditches (and Ditch 21 in particular) and 45 pits contained a small or moderate amount of Árpádian Age pottery fragments. Besides the lack of large metal tools and intact vessels, the few uncovered ceramic artefacts also suggest that the settlement had not been destroyed, but rather that it was most likely abandoned in a systematic and orderly manner. The lack of destruction layers also supports this assumption. Cauldrons account for the majority of the ceramic finds, while fragments of cooking pots occur less frequently. A single neck fragment from a bottle or jug was recovered from House 13. The various cauldron types at the site include medium tall specimens with strongly curved base and medium tall specimens with round base and slightly incurving wall as well as vessels with round base and outcurving wall. Based on the recovered pottery fragments, the widest part of most cooking pots is in the upper third and their body is relatively squat with a wide mouth. The several white ceramic fragments recovered during the excavation can be regarded as exceptions because they came from somewhat larger and more slender pots. Other artefact types, including a grinding stone or a whetstone, spindle whorls and an iron knife, were found in a small number during the excavation. Based on the moderate amount and uncharacteristic ceramics, the excavated part of the settlement can be dated to the 12th-13th centuries AD. In sum, the various structural, architectural and functional characteristics of the buildings, the associated unique and varied fire installations as well as the other uncovered settlement features such as ditches reflecting a diverse architecture and various domestic interiors provide us with a detailed picture of the village, underscoring the outstanding importance of the site. In addition to the well-known houses with a roof structure characterised by a ridge purlin supported by two forked ridge posts, we also uncovered and distinguished various types of auxiliary buildings, several special and rare fire installations, including a unique kettle-shaped oven, and their spatial relation to each other could also be studied. The use of stone kilns on the Great Hungarian Plain in the late Árpádian Age could be reconfirmed. We could also document the joint occurrence of buildings used for habitation and animal keeping. This diversity reflects a progressive tendency towards villages with a permanent street layout. As part of our analysis, the findings of other excavations in the proximity of Kiskunfélegyháza were also considered, alongside a study of recently published assemblages for comparative purposes. Our analysis indicated that the joint occurrence of a wide variety of buildings and fire installations within a particular settlement is hardly unique - in fact, this phenomenon can be regarded as a common characteristic of the Árpádian Age settlements in the broader area of Kiskunfélegyháza. Translated by Attila Gyucha 338
