Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 4.-5. 1963-1964 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1965)
Tanulmányok – Abhandlungen - Bóna István: The Peoples of Southern Origin of the Early Bronze Age in Hungary I–II. IV–V, 1963–64. p. 17–63. t. I–XVII.
group) seems to show that we are faced by the scattered contemporary groups of an originally unitary large coultural bloc. Settlements are known only from area A so far. Here the dwelling-places of the Somogyvár people are found on high mounds or on larger or smaller mountain tops. The site lending the name to the group is situated on a hill, it was on the tops of isolated mountains that the settlements of the Baglyas at Kéthely, the Várhegy at Zók, the Makárhegy at Pécs, at Nagyárpád, the Sánchegy at Lengyel, the Somlyóhegy, the Sághegy and the Várhegy at Kernend were discovered. This phenomenon seems to express a rule, nor can it be neglected when we turn to the historical-economical investigation of the group. Burial Beside the identical finds the unity of areas A and В is proved by the burial rite, corresponding to the smallest details. The rite may, be described as follows: a. The dead were buried in mounds of a smaller size (Nezsider, Negrisori, Markovica etc. in all probability we have to attach to these the hill „Tetüdomb" at Gönyü, situated in an entirely plain area, too). b. In the tumuli the grave did not lie under the mound, not even on the surface of the original soil where the mound stood, but inside the tumulus itself, in its lowest third or fourth (Nezsider, Negrisori). с The dead were resting in cists made of stones or stone slabs (Nezsider, Negrisori, Klinci, Zabari, Markovica). 40 to 60 cm above the cist the mound is covered by a stone packing (Nezsider, Negrisori, Zabari). d. In the mounds the grave-goods are divided into two parts. One part is found in the earth of the tumulus, above the grave (Gönyü, Nezsider, Negrisori, Robajé). These vases are the remains of a funeral sacrifice following the burial probably, as they come to light animal bones, ashes and traces of charcoal (Nezsider, Negrisori). The vessels of the stakes are identical with those placed beside the dead as to from (Negrisori). e. Inhumation burial is practised. The dominant rite seems to be to lay the dead on the back (Nezsider, Negrisori, Markovica, Klinci and probably also Gönyü, Erzsébet and Priboj). In the observed cases the orientation is W —E. Contracted burials are rather seldom (e. g. Zabari). The enumerated data bear out the complete identity of the rite in both areas. Of the grave goods much less in known. At Nezsider and at Gönyü large water-jars, bowls and jugs were placed above the graves, at Negrisori we noticed a two-handled jug above the grave and another beside the dead, at Zarub there was a two-handled jug with a jug and a bowl, at Priboj a one-handled and a two-handled jug, at Erzsébet also a jug. Metal grave-furniture is known from Zarub only, here a bronze dagger and the accompanying whetstone were placed beside the male skeleton. The number of metal grave-goods illustrating the costume is also small. The young woman at Nezsider wore golden lock-ring, the (probably male) skeletons at Zarub and Klinci had bronze torqueses on the necks. The other Zarub skeleton, probably that of a woman, wore a necklace of bronze spiral beads. 4. Pottery As to technical standard, the pottery of the Somogyvár group surpasses the ceramics of all Copper Age cultures of the Central Danubian basin, even in the Early Bronze Age it is equalled only by the vases which gave the Bell — Beaker group its name, the jugs of some late Nagyrév settlements and the developped Vucedol pottery. Their potters have brought not only the developped vessel forms of their earlier home along (bold large handles, slender shapes) but also its secular traditions of refining. Most of the one- and two-handled jugs have regular, not too thick sides and surfaces burnt to an orange, brownish red or black colour, varnished and smoothed (e. g. Somogyvár, Gönyü, Nezsider, Priboj). Owing to unfavourable local conditions probably, we naturally meet also other products of worse material, they are dark grey or dull brown, ther sides are thicker too. The typical Somogyvár forms are the following: 1. One-handled jugs. They are found in both areas. They have two basic forms: a) Jugs of angular bodies. This in the leading form of the territorial group A. The lower (cca one sixth) part has the shape of an inverted truncated cone, supporting the high body of a side arched inwards, the juncture of both shows a sharp bent. The varieties may be distinguished according to the sizes and positions of the handles. a/1. A large strap handle starting from, rim and joining the body above the projection of the belly. Such are the most Somogyvár (PL X nos 1, 4, 7) and Lengyel jugs (PL XV nos 4,8, 15—17), further those of Erzsébet, Szentlőrinc and both Zók (PL XVII nos 8—9) specimens. a/2. A smaller strap handle starting from the rim or below and joining the body somewhere near the middle of the vessel. E. g» 47
