Achaeometrical Research in Hungary II., 1988

ANALYSES - LITHICS - Katalin T. BIRÓ: The study of polished stone implements in the Carpathian basin

rated for these implements. It is even less likely to make definite chronological statements on the basis of polished stone tools alone. The lack of valid typology can be explained by two equally important factors. First, the polished stone tools represented considerable value and are therefore seldom found in settlement debris, certainly less frequently than chipped stone implements and pottery. The other reason is closely related to value as well: polished stone implements were frequently re-worked, re-sharpened. Quite often, the original function is no longer observable on the residue. There are even some extreme opinions on polished stone tool typology (ANTONI 1990), that reject the morphological typology of polished stone tools altogether. The apparent standardisation in workshop assemblages and depot finds, however, seem to contradict this view. 2.1.3. On history of the study of polished stone tools in Hungary Polished stone tools are often mentioned as "thunderstone" or "God's arrow", by ploughmen and typically get more frequently into private collection as stray finds with insufficient evidence on context than other, less spectacular elements of the archaeological record. The topographical collections of the last century mainly increased these private collections: one of the most important such collections is that of Canon Ebenchöch from the environs of Győr, currently stored in the Hungarian National Museum. Excavations by Mór Wosinszky also started in the last century and offered a very important material from this respect as well. By the excavation of the famous Lengyel site, Wosinszky paid special attention to lithic industry, to both chipped and polished stone tools. He made some technological observations as well (WOSINSZKY 1893). The next important stage - already in the first half of our century - is the activity of Márton Roska, who recognised the importance of provenance studies and technological investigation of the material (ROSKA 1926) From time to time, the problem of polished stone implements was raised in connection with important Neolithic and Copper Age cemeteries. Polished stone tools, as items of special prestige were laid in the graves (typically that of rich men). Studies of the major burial grounds (e.g. Zengővárkony, DOMBAY 1939, 1960 pp., Tiszapolgár-Basatanya KUTZIÁN 1963, 1972, Jászladány, PATA Y 1968) had already dealt with one or another special lithic raw material or characteristic form, or their formal and functional relations to early metal tools. More recently, there were several new studies on polished stone tools, from typological (ZALAI-GAÁL 1991), ethnoarchaeological (ANTONI 1990) and technological (BIRO 1992) aspect. During the course of studying the complete lithic assemblage from Aszód, where large settlement and cemetery surfaces were opened by N. Kalicz (KALICZ 1985), all phases of production of the polished stone tools could be observed. The study of polished stone tools received a new impetus from a current OTKA project (T-013638) as well as the activity of young colleagues within the framework of the education of archaeological technicians, geologists and archaeologists. This way, a new survey of the Velem-Szentvid polished stone tools was accomplished (HARCOS 1997), as well as the study of the complete lithic material from the Százhalombatta Bronze Age "motte" (HORVÁTH 1997), and there are some important petroarchaeological projects that started with the participation of students in geology, as will be mentioned in detail below. 116