Madaras László – Tálas László – Szabó László szerk.: Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 9. (1996)

Róbert Kertész: A New Site of the Northern Hungarian Plain Mesolithic Industry in the Jászság Area (Jászberény IV) (Az észak-alföldi mezolit ipar újabb lelőhelye a Jászságban — Jászberény IV)

the excavation of layer B and of the feature mentioned above over a larger area. During the 1994 excavation we opened up feature No. 1 entirely, which proved to be the foundation of a circular, sunken hut.

12 Layer B, surrounding feature No. 1, was alsó excavated. Both feature No. 1 and layer B yielded valuable archeological matériái (its study is in progress). On the basis of the typological analysis of the lithic industry of the layer B and of the feature No. 1 at Jásztelek I we may state that the industries belong to the Boreal period, therefore they cannot be connected with the sporadic finds collected on the surface at this site which were put intő the Early Atlantic period. Consequently it became clear that neither the sporadic surface finds collected at Jásztelek and defined as Laté Mesolithic, nor the Jásztelek phase itself had solid stratigraphic basis. Previously we have defined the Boreal Jászberény phase within narrower stratigraphic— chronological limits. Considering the new records from the Jászság area a more differentiated interpretation and a division of this phase intő three levels, became possible.

13 At the sites Jászberény I and Jásztelek I we find the following stratigraphicchronological situation: 1. within the Boreal phase according to our present knowledge the matériái excavated in the layer C of Jászberény I site is stratigraphically the oldest matériái; 2. stratigraphically this matériái is followed by the lithic assemblages excavated from the layer B2 of the site Jászberény I, alsó belonging to the Boreal period and the one from the layer B of the site Jásztelek I, which could be correlated well with each other; 3. the archeological matériái of the feature No. 1 from the site of Jásztelek I is stratigraphically younger than the above-mentioned ones, belonging to the end of the Boreal period; 4. the sporadic find assemblage collected on the surface at the site Jásztelek I, without stratigraphic records, belongs most probably to the Early Atlantic period. At Jásztelek I difficulties of stratigraphic identification regarding the surface matériái may due to the presumable position of the culture layer, that is it is highly probable that the culture layer was over the layer B, near the surface, therefore natural erosion and intensive cultivation could destroy it completely. Another possible explanation for the character of the surface finds is to suppose that the finds of the Boreal period feature No. 1 as well as the finds of layer B had been mixed up with the finds of a later, post-Mesolithic culture by ploughing and that is why younger components could get intő an industry of purely Boreal period. The latter hypothesis, however, seems to be partly inconsistent with the fact that, similarly to the lithic industry excavated in the feature No. 1 and in layer B, surface finds, including alsó the younger components of this assemblage, are covered by homogeneous patina. We should liké to continue our excavations at Jásztelek I in the expectation of the final solution of this problem. We are unable to agree with J. Chapman in his views regarding the other Mesolithic sites of the Great Hungárián Plain either. The industry excavated at SződligetA/ác 31/9., on the basis of typological criteria, belongs definitely to the early phase of the Mesolithic

14 and not to the Laté Mesolithic as J. Chapman claims.

15 J. Chapman's opinion on the chronology of other Mesolithic sites in the Great Hungárián Plain is alsó controversial

16 — he mentions the industries found in Hugyaj/Érpatak and Tószeg—Áldozó halom.

17 Finding conditions at these two sites which may be determined as Mesolithic ones, are uncertain and their chronological position within the Mesolithic is cannot be determined definitely either.

18 According to our opinion it is important to emphasize the fact that Laté Mesolithic types are absent in the published lithic industries of both Hugyaj/Érpatak and Tószeg—Áldozó halom. Therefore we are unable to agree with J. Chapman in putting these two sites intő the Laté Mesolithic. The present article demonstrates the chipped stone industry of a new Mesolithic site of the Jászság, called Jászberény IV. Gy. Kerékgyártó had drawn our attention to the site Jászberény IV in 1991.

19 After the discovery of the site the author had visited it several times to make intensive topo12 Kertész 1995a, 68—74 13 Kertész 1996, 26 14 Gábori 1956; 1968; Kertész 1993, 90; 1994, 31. 39; 1994a, 26 15 Chapman 1994, 141 16 Chapman 1994, 141 17 Hillebrand 1925; 1934—1935, 25, T. 6. 1—12 18 Kertész 1993, 89; 1996, 27 29