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

Öcsöd-Kováshalom (P. Raczky)

P. RACZKY latter areas, a possibility supported by the results of chemical and physical analyses. Beside bitumen-coated pottery, the lower layer of the Öcsöd settlement yielded also a number of black painted vessels. Black painting was either in wide bands together with plastic decoration or independent, accentuating the form of the vessel. By the younger phase the tendencies in pottery decoration can be observed in their fully developed form: vessel surfaces are divided into 2 to 4 panels filled with incised geometric motifs derived from textile patterns. Spiraloid and concentric patterns are replaced by rectilinear ones. Beside a perceptible decline of bitumen-coated pottery, a flavour for black painting in wide bands can be noted. Plastic ornamentation is rich and varied and can thus also be regarded as a characteristic element of Tisza pottery decoration. Flowerpotshaped vessels become increasingly popular; one variant of this vessel form has a wide, collar-like neck. Its occurrence at Öcsöd indicates that in contrast to earlier suggestions this vessel form already makes its appearance during the classical phase of the Tisza culture. These vessels are usually fired to a yellow or yellowish-red colour and are almost without exception ornamented with textile patterns. Large-size Szakálháttype face pots apparently lose their appeal and are supplanted by small anthropomorphic vessels. The formal and stylistic Reconstruction of a model representing a house (sanctuary?) in the form of a quadrangular lid and decorated with incised geometric motifs. Classical Tisza culture. H: 6.3 cm [29] changes described in the above are but a few random examples chosen to illustrate the process. The number of recovered pottery fragments and intact vessels runs into tens of thousands and offers a suitable basis for computer analyses with a view to quantitative analyses that will hopefully yield a representative picture of the material culture of the Tisza culture. A few unique vessel forms of the ceramic inventory must be mentioned. These include a straight-sided suspension vessel with wide mouth and quadrangular base that can be assigned to the early phase, as can a quadrangular, unusually shallow bowl with four holes under its rim on one side and stylized animal heads set on the four corners of the rim. The unusual form and execution of this latter vessel undoubtedly set it apart from vessels of everyday, utilitarian use. Flat or conical vessel lids occur in large number among the pottery. They are seldom decorated and thus specimens with a rich incised ornamentation or plastic decoration, such as geometric human figures and a small lug taking the form of the human body from waist upwards can be regarded as exceptional. Conical lids occasionally terminate in a human or animal head with special emphasis on the gaping mouth. That these forms probably had some ritual importance beyond their utilitarian function is suggested by the occurrence of a similar lid in the cult assemblage from Vésztő, and also by the fact 76