Achaeometrical Research in Hungary II., 1988

ENVIRONMENT - Levente FŰKÖH: The role of malacological examinations in arheology

territory of the former Laskó-stream). The thickness of this grey clay may be tens of meters. We managed to excavate it down to a depth of 400 cm. At some places sandy and calcareous stripes were observed in the clay. Unfortunately, no fossils came to light from this sediment. Borings continued in order to clearly determine the geomorphological position of the former stream. Borings confirmed our hypothesis and clarified the former position and direction of the stream relative to the archaeological site. At the end the evaluation of malacological finds, found at the archaeological sites, was carried out. Ninety soil samples have been analysed. Most of them sample contained the remains of Unio pictorum (bivalve) and Cepaea vindobonensis (gastropod). Comparing similar finds from other archaeological sites, it may be concluded that these molluscs served as nutriment for ancient people. The frequency of Unio remains is also indicative of a river in the vicinity of the site where bivalves must have been found in quantities. This perishable food does not withstand transportation over long distances. This fact also supports the one-time presence of a river nearby. From the occurrence of Cepaea vindobonensis we can conclude that the area was bushy, where this gastropod species must have lived in masses. Other observations also support the speculation that Cepaea were exploited as food (Gór-Kápolna-domb). There is an other big large gastropod - Lymnaea stagnalis - that may have served as a nutriment. This species may also be found in great quantities at some sites. The presence of animal also marks the closeness of an environment permanently covered by water. Deposit remaining inside the gastropod shell could preserve useful information. When a gastropod dies in the environment where it had lived, its shell will be filled with the sediment characteristic of its habitat. These sediments may, for example, contain remains of small molluscs. In the case of the archaeological sediment examined here, the fill of gastropod shells was not of lake or swamp origins. These shells were filled with sediment in an anthropogenic environment. Other gastropod species {Helix pomatia, Bradybena fruticum, Monacha cartusiand) occuring at the site support the presence of shrubby, riverside associations. The method of collecting the aforementioned samples was singling. It is not exact, because it contains only species recognisable by naked eye. Therefore, sediments were also washed in sieves whenever possible. Examinations of the fauna sieved from the sediment confirmed the results of the malacological analysis, established the same sequence that had been made by boring previously. There was a woman's grave in profile 122/4. She was buried in a contracted position. A soil sample taken from the sediment that filled her pelvis contained the following species: Succinea oblonga, Carychium minimum, Vallonia pulchella, Pupilla muscorum and Vertigo alpestris. These species are indicative of a wet meadow environment in which, in addition to the autocthonous fauna, the remains of the previously allochtonous fauna could also be found. On the basis of their habitat preferences, gastropod species occurring in these samples carry the following environmental information: Bradybena fruticum - this animal lives in the vicinity of rivers, streams, ditches at humid, shrubby places. Cepaea vindobonensis - this species inhabits shrubby, grassy biotopes. It lives at warm, sunny places, but avoids closed, wet forest environments. Helix pomatia - this gastropod occurs both in wet and dry territories in shrubs, groves and small forests. It does not like, however, scattered steppe vegetation. In summary, it may be said that the archaeological settlement was established in the immediate vicinity of a stream. The course of this stream was paralleled by a shrubby 2U