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.
HISTORY Recently a part of scholars refer the problem of the development of Bronze Age in Hungary to the events in the Aegean. They date the end of the Copper Age to the end of the Aegean and Helladic Early Bronze Age III, they synchronize the beginning of the Bronze Age with the Middle Helladic I. Trying to solve the problem how our Bronze Age has come into being, they base far-reaching conclusions on the historical changes and ethnical movements of the Aegean between the mentioned two periods. Such is the observation made by Cl. F. Schaeffer, 198 interpreting an unsettled gap between the ruin of Troy II —V and the Sixth City. Several publications have adopted already the momentous historical reconstruction of J. Mellart, 199 attributing the ruin of the wide belt of Early Bronze Age settlements in Anatolia, Troy V and the Early Bronze Age settlements and cultures in Macedonia to the devastating march of a people invading these areas from beyond the Caucasus. Our investigations have shown that the Somogyvár (and the Schneckenberg) groups are connected to the annihilated culture Troy V but mainly to the uppermost layers of the South —Eastern —Thracian village settlements (Veselinovo, Junacite, Deve Bargan, Razkopanice and Karanovo), falling into the devastated belt of the Troy culture, further to those Eastern Macedonian and Chalkidicean settlements (Hagios Mamas, Vardarophtsa, Gona etc.) in which life, though not annihilated, sufferred a serious blow and stepped on the path of a different culture from the Middle Bronze Age on. In the Aegean Early Bronze Age the people of these territories lived on tells and tumbae rising from the plain, heights having grown to high hills by then. Similarly to Anatolia, these areas were poor in driking water, so the households needed the large-size water-jars very much. According to our archaeological investigations the supposed Anatolian attack did not annihilate the population of the South —Eastern Balcans. First of all the people of the peasant villages, situated on the European shores of the Aegean, succeeded in avoiding the onslaught in various directions. A part of them fled to Central Greece, leaving well-marked traces of their material culture here from the Middle Helladic period on. The immigration of the Western Macedonian population (of a different culture) to Thessalia is probably connected with this movement. Another part of the population fled to the interior of the Balcans through the river valleys running northwards. The people of the Somogy vár group wandered to the Morava valley through the AxiosVardar valley. Meeting a strong resistance to the South-West of the line Ms and Kragujevac, put up by the folk of the Bubanj group living on the right bank of the Morava, it has turned westward along the Little (Serbian) Morava and appeared in the Drina valley. It has formed a strong new block along the middle (later perhaps the lower) stretch of the Drina, on both sides of the river. The appearance of this folk is marked by the end of several cultures or settlements (e. g. Varos, Butmir and perhaps Grbaca) the life of which ceased by 1900. Starting from the mentioned block or independently of it large groups were pushing northwards along the Drina. They could not stand the hard pressure exerted by the folk of the Vucedol culture, extending at a quick pace between the Save and the Drave by then, so they crossed the Drave probably near Eszék (Osijek) and invaded Transdanubia. The Somogyvár folk expelled a large part of the Copper Age Pécel population from Transdanubia. It has chosen its settlements on the tops of hills and mounds in order to be remembered to its ancient villages. The large-size water-jars in fact superflous here, continued to have an important role in its households, even in its burial. But as these vessels were not necessary any more, they were not used for a long time by the Balcanic Vucedol population, amalgamating the Somogyvár group. It happened in the consequence of the same events that the people of the Glina III — Gyula — Schneckenberg groups started from South —Eastern Bulgaria and reached the Danubian region by the Marica —-Danube or the Marica —Morava valleys possibly. According to the investigation of finds and historical connections these movements happened at the boundary of the Aegean Early Bronze Age III and Middle Bronze Age I, i. e. shortly after 1900. SUMMARY At about 1900 В. С the outlined situati- steppes the people of the pit-grave tumuli on is radically changed by two movements pushes westwards, it annihilates the Tripolje — of opposite directions. From the Ukrainan Cucuteni culture, the driving significant masШ CL. F. A. SCHAEFFER: op. cit. 249—. 199 J. MELLAKT: A JA 62 (1958). 1-. 61
