Tálas László szerk.: The late neolithic of the Tisza region (1987)

The Late Neolithic of the Tisza region: A survey of recent archaeological research (N. Kalicz and P. Raczky)

THE LATE NEOLITHIC OF THE TISZA REGION A survey of recent archaeological research [N. KALICZ-P. RACZKY] The concept of 'Late Neolithic' and its interpretation has, from time to time, undergone various changes in Hungarian archaeological research. Seeing that the periodisation of various archaeological phases, horizons and periods differs considerably even within one country, it seems essential to start with a brief review of the present interpretation of this concept, and an outline of the history of previous research. The main emphasis will naturally be on the findings of recent large-scale excavations, neglecting for the present purpose an exhaustive description of minor rescue excavations and surface collections; in other words, this discussion will be based on the finds from the multi-layered settlements (tells and tell-like mounds) investigated at Gorzsa, Szegvár, Öcsöd, Vésztő and Herpály. HISTORY OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH The possibility of distinguishing a younger or final phase, as an independent chronological category, within the Hungarian Neolithic was first suggested by F. Tompa on the basis of his excavations at Bodrogkeresztúr (TOMPA 1927, 49, 269-277). He published his chronological chart of the Neolithic in 1929. In his view the earliest and older phase of the Neolithic was represented by the spiral-meander ornamented pottery of Central Europe and the Bükk culture of Northern Hungary that had evolved from it. The transitional phase between these two complexes, termed proto-Bükk by Tompa (1929, 26), was later redefined as Alföld Linear Pottery. He explained the evolution of the Late Neolithic Tisza culture by the transformation of the Bükk culture in the Upper Tisza region and its gradual southward migration. The concept of the younger or latest Neolithic Tisza culture at that time embraced the pottery ornamented with incised meandric patterns, as well as the painted pottery assemblages from Herpály and Csőszhalom (TOMPA 1929, 44-57). He assigned the Lengyel culture of Transdanubia to the younger, second phase of the Tisza culture, and traced its development to the Transdanubian expansion of the Tisza population. In fact, Tompa had correctly identified the culture complexes that are even today regarded as the main representatives of the Late Neolithic in Hungary. Roughly at about the same time as Tompa, V. G. Childe also 11