A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 36. - 1994 (Nyíregyháza, 1995)
Katalin Bíró: The role of lithic finds in the Neolithic archaeology of the Alföld region
The role of lithic finds in the Neolithic archaeology ... notable lack of obsidian - was for „political" reasons. In my opinion, by the beginning of the Late Neolithic Period the Lengyel Culture moving to the east had obtained a certain „monopoly" over the raw material sources of the Tokaj Mts. Recent archaeological studies on the Csőszhalom Group (and, also, the Gorzsa Group on the deep south) both speak for the importance of Lengyel influence on the territories to the east of the Danube. The spread of Lengyel Culture (material culture, features, people?) was, in my opinion, largely motivated by trade and the control of raw material source regions. For the investigation of changes in the raw material supply of the Alföld region, a series of maps have been produced to register changes in the distribution of important raw material categories. As details of this study are under publication (BIRÓ in press), only a sample of the most prominent changes are presented here, i.e., changes in the obsidian distribution between the Middle and the Late Neolithic period (Fig. 3/a-b). Conclusions Lithic evidence forms a unique, invaluable source of archaeological information. The range of data to be expected include morphologically based typology, technology, use interpretation and raw material distribution studies. All these details add up to prehistoric reconstruction with a special emphasis on the economic elements of prehistoric societies. References BIRÓ in press Biró, K.: Raw Material Economy of the Late Neolithic in Hungary. In press for the Proceedings of the Vlth International Flint Symposium . Madrid 1991. BIRÓ-DOBOSI 1991. T. Biró, K.-T. Dobosi, V.: LITOTHECA - Comparative Raw Material Collection of the Hungarian National Museum. Budapest 1991. BARTUCZ et al. 1940. Bartucz, L.-Dancza, J.-HollendonnerJ.-Kadic, 0.-Mottl,M.: Die Mussolini Höhle (Subalyuk) bei Cserépfalu. Geologica Hungarica Ser. Palaeont. 14.1940. De GROOTH 1988. De Grooth, M.E.Th.: The organisation of flint tool manufacture in the Dutch Bandkeramik. Analecta Praehistorica Leidensia 20.1988. KALICZ-MAKKAY 1977. Kalicz, N.-Makkay, J.: Die Linienbandkeramik in der Großen Ungarischen Tiefebene. StiiäArch. Budapest: Akadémia Kiadó 1977. KOZLOWSKI 1972/73. Koztowski, J.K.: The Origin of Lithic Raw Materials Used in the Palaeolithic of the Carpathian Countries. AAC 13.1973Katalin BIRÓ Hungarian National Museum Department of Information H-1450 Budapest, Pf. 124. Hungary Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1994 161
