Csengeri Piroska - Tóth Arnold (szerk.): A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 55. (Miskolc, 2016)

Régészet - B. Hellerbrandt Magdolna: A Gáva-kultúra települése Köröm-Kápolna-dombon

A Gáva-kultúra települése Köröm-Kápolna-dombon

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narrows at the top. Similar clay trough fragments, although with rounded bottoms, were found at the site of Radslavice; these pieces were 20 and 25 cm long, respectively (JANAK 1982, Figs. 1—3). Casting troughs used to drain metal are known from rescue excavations at Nagyrozvágy, from late Füzesabony contexts (HELLEBRANDT 1972, 697). According to smelting engineer Lajos Tóth, similar objects — although bigger ones — were used even in the Ironworks of Miskolc in the 1970s. These artifacts have no metal residues. The casting molds were covered with wax or wet ash in order to create an isolation layer (EDVI-ILLES 1912, 23). Even in a modern metal casting workshop (Tégely Ltd. that substituted the above mentioned Ironworks), lime mortar is used to create an isolation layer during the casting of bronze. The presence of this refined technology in metal casting is evident from the Copper Age on. István Ecsedy identified casting molds in the form of a spherical cap in pit no. 1977/36 of Zók-Várhegy. According to his interpretation, a layer of limy sandstone was placed in these molds, which not only helped slag formation but also ensured thermal insulation. The inside surface of the casting molds was also covered with this material in a thin layer in order to help insulation as well as to make the surface of the ingot smoother and easy to separate from the mold (ECSEDY 1983, 79—83).

Slag remains came to light from features no. 5, no. 46—47, and no. 70 at Köröm. The slag piece found in house no. 16 is 4.5 cm long and quite heavy (inv. no. 99.36.1259). It shows traces of rust, similarly to the bronze assemblage no. 2 of Sárospatak (B. HELLEBRANDT 1986, 11) and the bronze find no. 4 at Pácin (B. HELLEBRANDT 1989, 110; PAKSY 1989, 114—117; B. HELLEBRANDT 2003a, 286). Both of these latter assemblages are dated to the Ha A1 period. The piece of slag brought to light from house SNR 043 is 6 cm in diameter and is heavier than expected.

Bone artifacts were widely used in the Bronze Age. Red deer antler fragments were frequently worked and turned into tools (KOVÁCS 1977, 26). Antler fragments that represent leftover raw material came to light from feature no. 71 (Fig. 60. 10); this is a shed antler burr, from which the brow and bez tines, and the beam were removed (see the paper of István Vörös in this volume), probably with a bronze saw. Saws of various thickness were present in the Gáva Culture assemblage of Tállya (KEMENCZEI 1969, 39, Plate VII. 1—7; Plate VIII. 8). Another shed antler burr, found in feature no. 77 (Figs. 60. 14—15), was worked in a similar way: the beam, the burr itself, as well as the brow and bez tines were cut off. This artifact may have been used as a club. The object from feature no. 22 (Fig. 60. 1) seems finished: this is an antler beam fragment with carvings on both ends, and the internal spongy part was removed. It has a spherical shape, similar to a spindle whorl but it only measures 2.5 cm in diameter. It may have been placed on the end of a stick.

A bone pearl was discovered in house no. 20 (Fig 60. 2). It is drilled, and has a diameter of 0.4 cm. An oval-shaped, unfinished artifact, made of red deer antler (Fig 60. 5) and decorated with two parallel smoothed channels, was found in feature no. 43; it measures 6.8 cm in length.

A sheep astragalus came to light from feature no. 1 (Fig. 60. 6). Its surface is polished and has a drilled hole of 2 mm in diameter. The hole is ca. 8 mm deep and does not extend through the object. A similar artifact, the left (?) astragalus of a sheep with polished sides and drilled through, was found in feature no. 77 (Fig 60. 7). It was Jan Filip who first interpreted a drilled astragalus as a musical instrument (FILIP 1969, 871). The cremation grave S8 of Hejőkeresztúr-Berecske-domb yielded a right astragalus of a red deer; the object was drilled, placed under the pots and showed no traces of burning. An analogy, associated with the early Urnfield Culture and dated to the 12th-lTh century BC, is known from Gemeinlebarn (B. HELLEBRANDT 2006, 204, 206, Fig. 4. 5).

A thick bone plate with a pointed end was found in feature no. 70 (Fig. 61. 4). The 2.6 cm long object narrows towards the point on one end, and has a 2 mm wide drilled hole near the edge.

A fragment of a sheep ulna from feature no. 77 (Fig 60. 11), as well as a similar piece from feature no. 3 (Fig 60. 12), may have been used as awls. They measure 8.5 and 7.8 cm in length, respectively.

A fragment of a bone needle was brought to light from house no. 16. The needle has a circular cross-section, the length of the piece is 5.7 cm. Another bone needle fragment, 3.7 cm in length, was recovered from house no. 20. A third bone needle fragment from feature no. 69 also has a circular cross-section; in this case, only the pointed end was preserved. This piece is 5.2 cm long.

Two bone arrowheads were recovered from feature no. 26 (60. 3—4). These were made of thin compact tissue (diaphysis fragments), and have bifurcate, pointed ears. They are 4.2 cm and 7.1 cm in length. Another, poorly preserved arrowhead fragment was found in the same feature. The arrowhead found in feature no. 84 represents a different type: it was cut out of a bone plate, its thin stem broke off (Fig 60. 8). The tip is slightly damaged. One side of the arrowhead is smooth and somewhat bulgy; the artifact is 3.2 cm long. Bone arrowheads have been documented from earlier periods from Füzesabony; these two pieces were 5.9 cm and 6.1 cm long, respectively (KOVÁCS 1977, Fig. 11. 5—7). Wooden arrows were generally used with bone arrowheads; the heads were thus more lasting than the arrows themselves. Using stone arrowheads was out of the question due to the lack of suitable raw material. Bronze arrowheads must have been quite rare in this period, although such pieces are known from the site of Diviaky nad Nitricou (VELIACIK 1991, Figs. 20. 24—25, Fig. 22. 3, 1), as well as from Tállya. According to T. Kemenczei, bronze arrowheads were first used in the Carpathian Basin at the end of the Late Bronze Age, by people of the Tumulus Culture (KEMENCZEI 1969, 35, Plate VII. 13-14). From this period