Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 46-47 (2001-2002) (Pécs, 2003)

Régészet - Katalin T. Bíró–Zsolt Schléder–Judit Antoni–György Szakmány: Petroarchaeological studies on polished stone artefacts from Baranya county, Hungary II. Zengővárkony: Notes on the production, use and circulation of polished stone tools

T Biró, Schléder, Antoni and Szakmány: Petroarchaeological studies on polished stone artefacts from Baranya county, Hungary II. 49 1991). He developed his studies in the direction of polished stone tool studies and ended up with a highly elaborate system on polished stone tool typology (ZALAI-GAÁL 2001). What is interesting for the present article, he investigated the grave finds of the Zengővárkony cemetery. According to the description of Dombay, in 104 graves altogether 144 pieces of polished stone tools were found, among them 73 pieces with pierced holes (Schaftlochäxte) in 71 graves. The catalogue of ZALAI-GAAL contains data on 115 pieces which could be identified on the basis of Dombay'

s data (ZALAI-GAÁL 1997 in press, Kat.No. 093-205, 253-254). His aspects of analysis are mainly metrical and follow a very minute typological scheme. One of the main merits of his treatment is the exact identification of the pieces, in the inventory book, the publication of Dombay and the position in the graves. He also questioned the unity of the cemetery and separated several grave-groups within the material. The next step in the study of the Zengővárkony polished stone tools is connected with the 31

st International Archaeometry Symposium, especially its field trip Nr. 3, „Lithic raw material tour" (SZAKMÁNY-BIRÓ 1998). As the Mecsek Mts. was known to be rich in Cretaceous vulcanites (MAURITZ 1913), considered as potential sources of polished stone tools, the outcrops were visited several times by the authors and a preliminary macroscopical survey of the raw materials stored in the Janus Pannonius Museum was performed at the same time. It was evident that on the strength of macroscopic analysis alone we will not be able to give reliable provenance to the polished stone tools and not even the correct identification of the material (without suggesting place of origin) can be accomplished. We are most grateful to the curators of the Museum and the archaeological collection (István Ecsedy, Gábor Kárpáti, Olivér Gábor) for allowing the instrumental analysis of the samples possible, even on the price of destruction to the samples

111

. In the first series, archaeological samples from several localities were studied

lv

. Analytical studies on the Zengővárkony material were centred on the study of magmatic rocks by reason of having the best chance to specify the source region. In the first place basalt samples were analysed by pétrographie microscopy, NAA, microprobe analyses. On the other hand, just for „calibrate our eyes" we made also thin-sections of the other dominant rock types. In this series, the most important local raw materials for polished stone tools in Baranya county became evident (tephrite, phonolite, basalt, limestone etc., SCHLÉDER-BIRÓ 1999). The first publication was followed by regular field survey on the more remote sources. At KisújbányaSzamárhegy, an exploitation site for phonolite was spotted and surveyed. This was the first instance when extraction of a polished stone tool raw material could be identified because these quarry sites are typically „overprinted" by more recent stone quarries. It was a natural supposition that Zengővárkony, lying close to the phonolite sources would yield evidence for locally working this material into polished stone tools. Therefore we performed a systematical revision of the Zengővárkony polished stone tools for: - spotting local raw materials among the polished stone tools - identifying evidences of the local production of polished stone tools on the site. We have surveyed all the material stored in the JPM and added petroarchaeological information by Almády (ANTONI 1990 and hand-notes). We included our macroscopical determination made in 1998-99, prior to the first analytical series and separately the results of the second survey made in possession of the knowledge obtained from thin section analysis and recent fieldwork (see Table 1). We have also added information on the pieces analysed by pétrographie microscopy, now or previously as well as other analytical methods (NAA, EMA). It is apparent that there are important differences between the opinions expressed, even our own standpoint had to be revised in some cases. Distribution of rock types among the Zengővárkony material In the survey of Zoltán Almády made first in the late 80ies, 164 items of Zengővárkony polished stone tools were analysed and 163 were classified (Fig. 1.). In the recent systematical survey of the JPM material, we analysed 322 and specified 317 items. In the first series of analysis by the authors, 79 pieces were macroscopically analysed; in the second, 288. As part of the material was seen several times by several persons we have the possibility to judge consistency and differences in opinion or nomenclature. Altogether, 371 pieces were analysed in relation with polished stone implements and their production comprising petroarchaeological information. The results can be summarised as follows (Table 2, Fig. 2a-b.). Table 2. Rock types identified among the polished stone tools and related items from Zengővárkony: comprehensive table. Zengővárkony, raw material pieces distribution of polished stone tools and related technological items IGNEOUS 139 SEDIMENTARY 144 METAMORPHIC 34