A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve 2014., Új folyam 1. (Szeged, 2014)
RÉGÉSZET - Paluch Tibor: Rézkori sírok Makó határában
Tibor Paluch Early Copper Age Graves near the Town of Makó Early Copper Age Graves near the Town of Makó Tibor Paluch The Site Nr. 23 of the M43 highway is located on a dune in the direction of north-east - southwest, north to the town of Makó. Preventive archaeological excavation was carried out in an area of 13 434 m2, between 21 July and 29 August 2008. Out of the 179 stratighraphic units six graves may be dated to the Early Copper Age. The Early Copper Age graves linked to the Tiszapolgár-culture were found next to each other on top of a sand dune directed North- South. The graves situated under 30-35 cm thick ploughed brown top-soil were preserved in a rather bad shape due to constant agricultural activity. Most of the bones were missing and the spot of the pits could not be seen. Judging from the associated objects, five of the graves can without any doubt be dated to the Early Copper Age. The deceased were contracted to different extents. Unlike in other graves from the same age, in the excavated and anthropologically examined graves it was not consequent that men were buried on their right, while women were laid on their left sides. It is not without exception in the Early Copper Age that the deceased representing the two genders were laid on their opposite sides in the graves. In one of the five graves discussed here the way of laying down cannot be detected in the case of a male skeleton, and in another, a female body was laid on her right side instead of the usual left. In the remaining three graves the bodies were positioned in the usual and common way. The grave containing the female skeleton laid on her right is a significant find. Not only due to the opposite direction of the body’s positioning, but also due to the trapeziform stone blade placed next to the head, considered a rare association in the age, mostly found in male graves. Three out of the five graves excavated at the Site Nr. M43/23 are directed in Southeast- Northwest, while two are directed in the South- west-Northeast. 30
