A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 37-38. - 1995-1996 (Nyíregyháza, 1997)

Régészet - Mikhailo Potushniak: Some results of research on the Middle Neolithic layer froma multilevel settlement near the village of Zastavne/Zápszony-Kovadomb in the Carpathian Ukraine

The shape and size of one of the kilns (feature 12) has a direct analogy on the settlement of Diakovo/Nevetlenfalu, where it was also registered as number 12 (POTUSHNIAK 1979.58.ris.l). We found rich and colourful archaeological material in the fill of the investigated features. We collected some ten of thousands of fragments of potteiy. More than 200 pots were partly or totally restored. On the basis of their technological features the pottery can be divided into two groups. The first technological group consists of kitchen and table pottery with thick and medium thick walls. It was used for preparing and serving food, as well as for its preservation and storage. It was made out of well prepared clay tempered with chamot, sand and sometimes short cut straw. The surface was covered by engobe, sometimes polished (more frequently from the inside) and painted polychrome in light ochre or red brown shades. The surface was levelled, but not smooth. In general, the pottery was well fired. In the first group pottery can be divided into the following types: a. cylindrical, spherical sided large and medium pots, with one or two pairs of handles that were placed close to the rim, in the middle or lower part of the body. The outer side of the pots and especially their base was covered by a layer of fresh clay for to resist fire (Pi. III. 1-10, IV. 1-3), b. large and medium size pots with a high, narrowed neck, spherical body and, as a rule, a pair of handles on the border of the neck and body (Pi. IV.4-9, V.l-5), c. pan-basins, sometimes rather large (Pl. V.6, 8, Pi. VI.1,3, 5,8), d. mostly medium sized, conical and frequently deep bowls, among which we have many pieces with a wavy rim (Pi. V.7,9,10) giving the mouth a rhombic shape. There is one sherd from a conical bowl with a pouring lip at the rim (Pi. V.10). Many bowls have well polished surfaces. The inner surfaces are black. The majority of the ceramics of the first group are represented by unornamented vessels. This can be explained by their use in common, eveiyday activities. Some pieces were decorated by an impressed ornament made by fingers, or oblique lines at the rim. The latter motif is frequently encountered on bowls. Beside the practical function, different kinds of knobs and handles, situated symmetrically on the surface of the pot must also have had ornamental significance. The walls of the pots, especially on the shoulders, were sometimes decorated by plastic, scalloped and profiled impressions or incised lines and bands. The second technological group involves predominantly thin walled pottery, not in everyday use, and made for festive and ritual purposes. It was made from well cleaned clay containing a natural mixture of talc. The clay was tempered with chamot broke into small pieces and limestone powdered. This pottery was medium fired. The middle of the walls are sometimes grey, not sufficiently fired. However, we frequently encountered well fired examples. The surfaces are pink, reddish or light brown. They are well polished and engobed and sometimes with a black inner polish. Most of the pots are small. The second group of potteiy can be divided into the following types: a. small, spherical cups with a narrowed throat (Pi. VI.

2, 6-7, 9-13); among them we encountered several pear shaped pieces with an accented rim (PI. VI.

14); some of these spherical cups have a tall cylindrical and bell shaped foot (PI. VI.

15-17); we have some pieces with a square body that was formed by pressing the wall from the inside, or by big semi-spherical knobs attached to the most convex part of the body, b. bowls sometimes with conical, but predominantly with arching walls; among these are many pieces with scalloped rims or ornamented with four tongue or petal-shaped knobs moved slightly outwards (Pl. VI.4, Pi. VII.

1-2), c. tulip shaped vases on tall cylindrical and bell shaped pedestal; the edges of the rim were made in the form of four petal shaped knobs inclined outwards (Pi. VII.

5,11), d. pots with tall cylindrical, convex or conical necks and spherical, egg-shaped as well as sometimes square bodies (Pi. VII. 3,6,8-10), e. large (20-24 cm high), thin-walled pots with spherical bodies, as a rule with a pair of semispherical or knob shaped handles with horizontal, narrow holes (Pi. VII.

4,7), f. a relatively large (25-27 cm high) pot with a wide opened throat and an everted, profiled neck; the body widened at the shoulders with walls conically narrowed in a downward direction; one of the pots with an accented rim and slightly narrowed throat has a spherical body ornamented with a pair of zoomorphic handles reminiscent of the chap of a pig or a wild boar (PI. IX. 1). The second technological group was ornamented exclusively by painted compositions carried out in a black and sometimes cherry red colour. The basic elements of the ornamental pattern are bands of various widths used in the composition of an unfinished pseudo spiral, filled triangles, rhomboids, various geometrical shapes, meanders and so on (Pi. VIII.

1-19, PI. IX.1,2). In general, the painted segments are badly preserved. The best specimens were preserved at the humid environment at the bottom of deep pits. The largest collection of painted ceramics from the settlement was gathered inside a pottery kiln (feature 79b). Detailed analysis of the ceramics has shown that painted patterns can be observed on 90 percent of the second technological group of pottery. An analogous situation can be observed with other settlements of the PPC in the Carpathian Ukraine. In almost each of the features we found some (up to 20) fragments of decorated Bükk type pottery. Whole vessels and broken pieces of pottery were found as well. The majority were thin walled, spherical and pear shaped small vessels or sometimes bowls. The basic elements of the ornamental composition are bunches of thin incised lines formed in spiral and rectangular geometric patterns. The decoration was placed on a black, rarely brown, well polished, bright surface. The pattern covered the entire surface of the vessel and frequently its bottom as well. Rather often 36 A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997