Maróti Éva szerk.: Régészeti tanulmányok Pest megyéből (Studia Comitatensia 22. Szentendre, 1991)
Pásztor Adrien–Vida Tivadar. Bizánci éremleletes sír a budakalászi avar temetőből
Discussion The earring belongs to the group of Byzantine pulled-up earrings with one spherical decoration 7 . Its sphere made of silver plate could be reconstructed despite its being very fragmentary. Representatives of this type occur in the first half of the 7th century only rarely, their fashion became generally spread only in the Middle and Late Avar period 8 . We know granulated variant of this type made of a thick plate from early finds from Budakalász. Taking into consideration that pieces with thin plate spheres widely spread later, we can suggest that thick mounted spheres were used as patterns at that time. Some remained beads of the necklace and the biconical spindle-whorl are generally spread Early Avar types. Formal, technical and style aspects of the ring refer to two main directions. Its closest analogy is the gilded bronze ring found in the grave 5. in the cemetery of Fenékpuszta-Horreum 9 . On this piece we can see glass inlays similar to that of the one from Budakalász. Glass inlays are surrounded by a frame with a hook ending. Similar elements of form and technique can be seen on the gold ring from Mezőbánd 10 and silver rings from Fenékpuszta excavated by Lipp u . Both of them are characteristical pieces ot the cogged animal style II, and there are glass geometric inlays in symmetrical order on the ring from Mezőbánd. At the same time all the rings mentioned above are related by widening head cut out of a thick plate and by using precious metals (at least as gildening) and Kerbschnitt technique. Joint occurance of the above mentiodne elements of decoration and technique can be traced on other Early Avar finds. Recently analysed partial form of the П style 12 can be found not only on the ring from Mezőbánd, but on the sword suspension lug from Bocsa, that was decorated by triangular precious stones and cogging. Belt-mounts (stray finds) from Budapest-Farkasrét 14 , decorated pin from Környe 15 and hinged belt-mounts from Tiszabura 16 have been also ornamented by glass inlays and the П style. A rhomboid Kerbschnitt referring closely to the ring from Budakalász, can be seen on the buckle from Mártély 17 and on the so-called Jankovich large strap-end 18 , but we can add a lot more finds. On the basis of technical similarity we have to list here the mythical animal of Jankovich 19 and a stray find silver armring from Hungary 20 . This relation is proved not only by cogging and glass inlay, but also by the technique of the glass inlay too. István Kovács has already determined in the case of the ring from Mezőbánd, that the flat glass inlays cut in shape were put into the carved gold plate from the lower side, and they were fixed by soldering another gold plate 21 . The same technique was noticed recently by Éva Garam in the case of the Jankovich-animal mentioned above. Small gold plates were foldered under the red garnet inlays of this piece 22 . Bronze is not suitable for this kind of soldering, that is why gildened bronze rings from Budakalász and Fenékpuszta-Horreum could be carved from the upper side to get a cavity so as to have a place for glueing in precious stone and glass pieces carefully cut in shape. Decorations mentioned above refer to the well-known circle of finds that can be characterized by Kerbschnitt technique, cloisonné glass inlays, triple cogging and animal style П. The ring from Budakalász can be listed among other pieces of this circle. In this case the form is dominated by the geometric composition and the animal style appears only in traces: the triple cogging that occurs frequently with it in the Carpathian Basin, and densely carved pattern reminding animal claws or mane. On the closest analogy: the ring from Fenékpuszta-Horreum the animal style does not appear at all, there then main role is played by geometric composition. In the frist half of the Early Avar Age the joint appearance of these atylistical marks can be considered to be the characteristic feature of the Carpathian Basin. After the changes of political status quo in the region, different cultural traditions met in the local craftsmanship: Late Antic 23 , Byzantine (Italian) 24 , German (including Italian Langobard influence) 25 , Avar. These styles mixed at 246
