A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 50. (2011)
RÉGÉSZET - HELLEBRANDT Magdolna: Bronztekercs Abaújdevecserről.
142 Hellebrandt Magdolna finds of Forró group (horizon) can be dated to the B IVa, and its spreading (MOZSOLICS 1973, map 105.) is the same of the group of Piliny culture. These are their inheritance (KEMENCZEI 1984, 112-122). The people of Füzesabony culture (Middle Bronze Age) were farmers, and they settled in areas filled with good productivity soil by rivers. The hills in Abaúj have soil of poor quality and their surfaces were covered with forests. The settlers must have settled there, when the metal-working began to start, and it demanded wood. The beginning of making spirals coincided with the beginning of Koszider metal-working (BÓNA 1958, 235). Kemenczei, however, stated that this tradition continued in the metal-working of Piliny culture in the eastern part of Carpathian Basin (KEMENCZEI 1964, 61). The bronze spiral of Abaújdevecser cannot be considered human wear because of its size and weight. We can think about the Bible, as a source (translated by Gáspár Károli, published in 1928), and we can read the following in the third book of Moses: "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God." (3 Moses, 26:1 in Károli = Lev. 26.1 in King James version) Evidently, if it was prohibited, there were statues made of wood or stone, which were clothed based on their own garment. On this kind of idol, a large spiral as an anklet can be imagined based on the analogies. A part of the surface is polished at the end of the smaller coil. Gábor Kalla interpreted it with touching, and we accept this opinion. We can observe on the spiral that the polished surface is shorter on the left from the centre line, while it is longer on the right. It is probable that touching the spiral happened with the right hand. This gesture is near the present man. We attach importance to this, like the handshake, the touching of a symbol, and the catching or possession of admired person's objects. The place of the statue could be near the Lake Békás in the forest (Fig. 14). On the permanent archaeological exhibition of Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien, a large bronze torque can be seen. Four massive bronze pendants with plastic decoration hang down, consisting of balls and rings and ends with duck head. The torque is a bit oval. Its diameter can be 26-28 cm and the pendants are about 20 cm. The torque was found in Sinosevic, district Valjevo, Serbia. This jewel was dated to the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (8 t h century B.C.). Its function is unknown in accordance with the label. We can also imagine this item on a cultic statue (anthropomorphic or zoomorphic plastic arts). Beliefs could be attached to the spiral motif. The sacrarium reconstruction from the site of Dvory nad Zitavou (Zsitvaudvard) was decorated with this motif (FURMANEK-VELIACIKVLADAR 1991, 292-293. Fig. 43). Statues made of stone and wood are remained from the Celtic Age. A ritual place was excavated in the Celtic port of Geneva, where several human bones and a large statue made of oak were found. The pale and the statue on it was carved from the same wood. The statue probably visualized a protector deity (BONNET 1991, 522). Votive statues of pilgrims made of wood were found on the riverhead of Seine, on the area of Saint-Germain-Source-Seine (Cőte d'Or) ( S IEVERSP LEINERV ENCLOVÁG EILENBRÜGGE 1991, 437). Stone monument is from Euffigneix. It represents a deity with a torque. The torque is decorated with wild boar (KRUTA 1991, 505). We would be able to continue the recita. Based on these examples, we can conclude on the period before 800-1000 years, when people lived close to the nature and each other along rivers in calm groves, and tried to create concrete objects from the incomprehensible phenomena. At last, we can state that the bronze spiral of Abaújdevecser could be on the foot of a statue forming some deity at the Lake Békás, during the Piliny culture. Magdolna Hellebrandt
