Tárnoki Judit szerk.: Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 19. (2009)

Régészettudomány - Magdolna Vicze - Nagyrév symbolism revisited: Three decorated vessels from Százhalombatta and Dunaújváros

Tisicum XIX. Intercisa Museum, Dunaújváros. It has been recently published in the catalogue of the permanent exhibition of the museum.

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6 The third vessel (Fig. 3) has been collected at Százhalombatta-Földvár. It is a reconstructed one handled Early Nagyrév jug with flaring rim, short, curved neck, long conical shoulder with bi-conical belly, and curved lower part. The ornamental composition is situated on the largest and most visible section of the vessel, i.e. neck, shoulder and upper belly part. Following the logic of the remaining pattern the structure of the ornaments on this jar could be divided into four sectors separated by vertical thin bands of zig-zags. The central sector, being opposite to the possible handle is almost square in shape and is divided into four triangle-like areas by two step-like double lines, the middle of which are spotted with a string of dots. In the middle, the composition could be reconstructed in two ways (Fig. 3.1-2), the more probable one is where at the junction of the two lines a human-like symbol with appraised arms joins the lines and probably four small incised triangles are attached to the composition. There are additional double and single triangles made from two lines within the triangle areas. Attached to the central section on both sides are representations of human figures with appraised arms without any signs of a head or lower body. An upside down 'V' is attached to each human figure, similarly to the one that is on the vessel from Nagyrév-Zsidóhalom.

17 Another small triangle or double triangle can be found connected to the three lines that probably are constructing the main frame around the pot. Probable height: 16 cm, belly diameter: 11,7 cm, bottom diameter: 5 cm. Inventory number: 87.54.1. „Matrica" Museum, Százhalombatta. The status of publication of geometric designs on Nagyrév find material has changed little since the first comprehensive study of R. Schreiber in 1984. As the three vessels mentioned here indicate there still could be a large number of unpublished, therefore unknown or unreachable, but at the same time important archaeological material hidden in museum storages. However in a small number of more recent publications few of these specific Nagyrév vessels can be recognised.

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8 To mention some - without the aim of making a complete collection - for example there is a one handled jug, the form of which is very similar to the one from Százhalombatta, that came to light from the excavation at Dunaföldvár-Kálvária.

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9 At the same excavation a small pedestalled cup

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0 similar to the one from Tószeg

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1 was found. A 16 B. HORVÁTH Jolán - KESZI Tamás 2004. 55, Picture 123. 17 SCHREIBER Rózsa 1984. Fig. 7.1. 18 In some cases the patterns are hardly visible and only their presense could be established. 19 SZABÓ Géza 1992. Pl. LXIV.3; LXXXIV. 20 SZABÓ Géza 1992. Pl. LXIV.4. 21 SCHREIBER Rózsa 1984. Fig. 6.5. complete specimen of the latter vessel type with analogous design was uncovered at the latest excavation of Dunakömlőd-Bottyánsánc.

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2 A small plate or bowl with the symbol of upraised armed human figures with dots within the incised band came to light from Mezőtúr

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3 as well. The small pedestalled cup from Százhalombatta has already been mentioned,

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4 the decoration of which is very similar to that on the stray find introduced above (Fig. 1 ). Finds, a one handled cup and a storage vessel, published from Hódmezővásárhely and its surrounding - laying outside the Nagyrév occupation territory - clearly display similar traditions,

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5 just like the cups and jugs from Baks-Homokbánya,

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6 and KlárafalvaHajdova.

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7 It has already been noted above and more specifically by Marietta Csányi

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8 that these specific symbols are not executed with incised lines only. Plastic, ribbed representations like the one on the wall fragments from Tiszaug

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9 and the vessel from Rákóczifalva

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0 were also found on pottery at Dunaföldvár-Kálvária,

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1 its vicinity

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2 and at Dunaújváros.

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3 Looking at the diversity of different specimens it is clear that this category of assemblages play a special role and significance within the Early Bronze Age societies, most elaborately applied by people of the Nagyrév social group. To obtain a more clear idea of the potentially imbedded social implications the composition of the motifs should be considered in more detail. Nevertheless it can merely be a sketchy overview, as the aim of this article is not to collect and analyse all probable occurrences of these specific patterns but to explore new possibilities of interpretation on the occasion of publishing these finds. Structure and organization of patterns are diverse and include application of individual single signs or complex arrangements of selected motifs, and sometimes even „tell a story",

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4 but most of the time they are creating a symmetrical and strictly geometric composition. The display of patterns on the above introduced three vessels exemplifies three sets of concepts, thus rep22 Kind personal communacation of Eszter Kis Szabó, who is presently working on the Bronze Age material, that came to light in the course of the excavation of the Roman military camp Lussonium. There was a thin layer of the Nagyrév tell settlement beneath the Roman levels. 23 CSÁNYI Marietta - TÁRNOKI Judit 1992. 203. 24 POROSZLAI Ildikó 1993. Fig. 9. 25 V. SZABÓ Gábor 1997. Pis. 1.1; V.4-7; VI.1-6,8. 26 FISCHL Klára - KISS Viktória - KULCSÁR Gabriella 1999. Figs. 18.4-5; 27.1; 55.6-7. 27 FISCHL Klára 1998. Fig. 53.1-2. 28 CSÁNYI Marietta 1982-83.1992. 29 CSÁNYI Marietta - STANCZIK Ilona 1992. 118; CSÁNYI Marietta TÁRNOKI Judit 1992. 30 CSÁNYI Marietta 1982-83. 31 SZABÓ Géza 1992. Pis. VI.9; VII.10; XXIV.10,11; etc. 32 SZABÓ Géza 1992. Pl. LXVIII. 33 B. HORVÁTH Jolán - KESZI Tamás 2004. 75.107. 34 SCHREIBER Rózsa 1984. 20; GIRIÓ, Milorad 1971. 203; TASIC, Nikola 1972.17-18, Pl. III.9. | 312