Somogyi Múzeumok Közleményei 3. (1978)

Régészet - Bárdos Edith: Avar temető kaposvár határában

AVAR TEMETŐ KAPOSVÁR HATÁRÁBAN 65 RESCUE EXCAVATION ON THE FINDSPOT NR. 33 OF KAPOSVÁR The findspot Nr. 33 of Kaposvár is a known archeological and ethnographical district from the Avar Period. In the year 1968 Eugenia Szimonova had an excavation at the sand-pit. The second campaign of excavations took place in 1969, when 147 graves were excavated from the 19rd of May to 10rd of October. In the year 1975 the construction of the road Nr. 61 had began and the workwrs found some graves. The rescue excavation was carried out by Bárdos Edith in 1975. (From 13rd July to 21 rd of July, and from 9rd of September to 1 rd of October.) The cemetry is situated not far from Kaposvár. By the rescue excavation 55 graves came to light. The grave pits were oblong with rounded corners. The depth of the graves varried between 90—326 cm. The dead were buried in extended supine position with forearms extended beside the body. The only exception was the grave 30, where the skeleton was contracted. It was found lying on its left side. Two graves of horsemen wereexcavated in the cemetry. In grave 14 the sekeleton of the horse lay on its right side of the male with skull pointing in the opposite direction of that of the man skeleton. The grave of the horse was disturbed. The grave 57 also contained a disturbed skeleton of a horse. Phenomena suggesting food and drink was not found in any graves. The direction of graves were oriented roughly W—E. Graves 27 were disturbed. In the case of every disturbed graves disturbance may have been due to grave robbing. In this cemetry the graves may be considered as richly furnished. Among the grave-goods occüring in male graves the belt-mounts from 7 graves (1., 10., 14., 20., 32., 47., 58. graves) should mentioned as the most closely datable finds. Such mounts with palmettes are generally assigned to the last phase of the Avar Period. The most usual implement was the iron knife. Iron strike-a-Iight were found in one of the male graves. (Grave 3.) Weapons were found in two male graves (14., 57.) — a sparhead and an arrowhead. From the female and children graves the most usual implement are the earings. (4., 5., 9., 23., 28., 46., 58. graves.) Earings consisting of circular loops and glass beads pendant. The most characterise glass are the melonseed-shaped beads belonging to the Late Avar Period. From the grave 9 we found some lunuals. Bracelets came to light from the graves 4., 5., 48. Also in the grave 48 there was a sabretache with a bronze bell and a needle-case. The grave-goods from the excavated part of the cemetry belong to the Late Avar Period. (8rd century.) £. Bárdos