Horváth Attila szerk.: Cumania 7. Archeologia (Bács-Kiskun Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei, Kecskemét, 1982)
Gajdócsi I.: Előszó
FOREWORD CUMANIA, a series of the collected studies dealing with the history of our county will soon be 10 years old. Thus, introducing Volume VII one can not avoid the duty of reviewing the past. On the other hand, judging the more than 3000 pages published during the last decade is necessary in opening new prospects. Still, both the respectable ten years and the promising future seem to be much more modest if one considers the intellectual paucity between the two world wars, the increasing debt in research, and the sporadic and occasional character of publication activities in our county, and the fact that the intensity of historical research work could not cope with the energetic reconstruction of the country following World War II. This badly handicapped situation defined not only the direction of the studies but was also a warning that self-control was of vital importance in our work. Some of us would have preferred country-wide publications of synthetic character. The lack of elaborated sources however, made such work impossible. Consequently, the first aim of the series was the publication of values which had already been discovered and studies which were sufficiently intense. This proved to be a difficult enterprise. Neither success, nor appreciation could be guaranteed or even promised under the pressure of obligations. In addition, the handful of researchers working in the county could not really deal with all historical periods and fields of museum research. All these facts encouraged us in opening the doors wide for all those who were willing to take part in a joint venture in redeeming our debt. As it turned out there were many, who would contribute to our work in a responsible, valuable, and useful way. This plan was well supported by the specialized character of the series which increased the usefulness, professional respect and convertibility of the individual volumes. The first volume discussed artifactural evidence from the history of early human occupation. Researchers, professionals and the wide public —which has increased since then —were looking forward to this publication. The topics of the studies ranged from the late Pleistocene fauna to 14th century goldsmithery. Some of them however, were of special importance: studies of the areas neighboring the Roman Empire during the first half of the 1st millennium A. D., the publication of the Avar Kagan's grave of similar importance, and communications dealing with the far —off raids of conquering Hungarians. The conception i. e. type of publication has been verified by the rich contents, high professional and typographic level of the first volume which won wide appreciation. All these seem to have provided a strong foundation for the series for the future. (In my opinion one may argue whether CUMANIA should be exclusively a yearbook of a museum. The overall usefulness of a series of dual character however, is beyond question). The publication of CUMANIA opened channels and encouraged the completion of studies which had been forming for a long time but had suffered the bottle-neck of book edition. In the light of this the source of the amazing abundance of materials summarized in the heaviest, second volume of the series becomes apparent. This was a summary of the material and spiritual culture and historical ethnography of villages revived and inhabited after the end of Turkish occupation. Aside from the study of ancient subsistence techniques, fishing and herding, the 13
