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

Régészet - Ivan Popovich: Periodization and chronology of Kushtanovica type sites in the Transcarpathian region

Periodization and chronology of Kushtanovica type sites... ter, found in a simple cemetery without barrows, make it possible to synchronize the finds from Huszt with the artifacts of the Mezőcsát Culture within the framework of HC,. Speaking in absolute dates, this would be closer to the middle of the 7th century B.C. Earlier I placed this grave in the first half of the 7th century B.C. (POPOVICH 1989.135.). Questions of the chronology of Kushtanovica type sites were first raised by J.Böhm, who identifed their age as the 6th-4th centuries B.C. (BÖHM 1933.199.). M.I. Smishko suggested a much earlier date (SMISHKO 1966.139-153). One of the late bronze depots was used to determine the lower chronological boundary, the Hallstatt chronological attribution of which is undoubted (POTUSHNIAK 1954.142-144). Use of Hallstatt bronze depots to determine the starting date of the Kushtanovica sites was the result of an insufficient level of knowledge concerning the economic activities of the population. According to this hypothesis, iron appeared late here, and this seemed to be demonstrated by the single finds of iron objects in the Kushtanovica graves. This fact led to some scholars suggesting that in the beginning phase of its development the population of the Kushtanovica group used bronze tools and that the general appearance of iron in all branches of crafts came only in the La Téne period (SMIRNOVA-BERNIAKOVICH 1965.97.). This early date was also supported by E.A.Balahuri who identifed the oldest finds as coming from the 7th - 6th centuries B.C. He came to this conclusion after the find of a bronze depot in the village of Iarok/ Árok (BALAHURI 1973.162-164.). The depot consists of two bronze axes, a solid round plate and two bronze casts (BALAHURI 1973.ris.l/ 1,6,8,11.). Both axes belong to a wide spread type, which appeared in the Carpathian Basin in the 13th century B.C. All these types were used for a very long time. Such axes were in use in the Bronze Age and in the Early Hallstatt (BADER 1978.91-92.). The author of the publication considered the etalon for the dating of the depot to be the bronze disc, the diameter of which is 15 cm and thickness 0.15 cm. He identified it as a mirror. There are traces of breakage on the plate, but they should not be considered to be at the place where the handle of the mirror was attached, as E.A. Balahuri believes. The author of the article is right emphasizing that the appearance of mirrors in the Carpathian Basin is connected with Pontic Greek influence. This he postulates, makes it possible to date the Iarok depot to a late period, that is to say, to the 7th-6th centuries B.C. and thus, among the early Kushtanovica type finds. The absence of any chronological markers on the bronze plate arouses doubts as to the accuracy of its attribution. On the first hand Balahuri emphasizes the appearance of moulds in the production of mirrors at a settlement of the Noa culture, the date of which does not oppose, in any way, the chronology of axes from the depot. Thus, the depot from Iarok cannot be used in the definition of the lower temporal boundary of the Kushtanovica type sites. However, the determination of the starting chronology of the Kushtanovica finds as the end of the 7th beginning of the 6th century B.C. has an increasing number of supporters in light of recent investigations. For this reason, G.I.Smirnova recently supported the redefining of its beginnings from the middle of the 7th century B.C., which she earlier thought to be correct (SMIRNOVA-BERNIAKOVICH 1965.102-103.), to the turn of the 7th - 6th centuries in connection with the move at this time of the Chiernyi Les population to the west (SMIRNOVA 1989.19-32.). This opinion is shared by Polish scholar J.Chochorowski. He thinks that at the end of the 7th - beginning of the 6th century B.C. cultural changes spread over the territories situated in the direct neighbourhood of the Carpathians, Transylvania and the Transcarpathian region (CHOCHOROWSKI 1987/A.170.). We still lack reliable archaeological sources however needed to demonstrate for the suggested date. It is true, that the determination of the Alsótelekes-Dalinka horizon in the territory of Northeastern Hungary, synchronized with the Early Scythian sites of the Transylvanian and West Podolian group within the framework of the 7th - beginning of the 6th centuries B.C. (CHOCHOROWSKI 1987/A. 170-171.) provides a real basis for this question. Some dwelling complexes at the settlement of Mali Heiivci/Kisgejőc date to the second half of the 7th beginning of the 6th centuries B.C. The settlement was found in 1973 (POPOVICH 1973.157-159., POPOVICH 1974.51-62.). To date, 2000 m

2 of cultural territory have been investigated. Already, the first field work has shown the presence of „post-Gáva" ceramic forms and this has made it possible to suggest the existence of an early chronological horizon (POPOVICH 1975.36.). In 1986-1988, 836 m

2 of a whole cultural area was investigated at this settlement. Here, 6 dwelling houses and 22 economic-utilitarian pits were excavated (POPOVICH 1991/A. 80-82.). In feature RVII 1986, we observed that these semisubterranean dwelling houses must have been covered by two surface structures with a post supporting the construction of the walls and roof. In the fill of the above mentioned dwelling houses material was found permitting chronological division. House 1, 1986 is oval, with its long axis oriented east-west and is 8x6 m in size. Walls are bent towards the plain, well pounded floor. It is 0.2 m deep. In the grayish fill we found bowls with a thickened edge to the rim and decorated with a braided ornament as well as bowls with a plain horizontal edge and decorated with an incised geometric ornament of triangles. Other ceramic finds included black polished pots and miniature vessels with a fluted decoration. All together 160 ceramic objects have been found in the features (Pl. II.2-9). Pottery from the dwelling pit can be placed to the 7th - beginning of the 6th centuries B.C. and synchronized with the horizon Alsótelkes-Dalinka in Northeastern Hungary (CHOCHOROWSKI 1987/A170171.ric. 6,8.). Pit 4 may be dated to the same time. It is oval, 2.3x2.2 m in size, with a depth 0.8 in. In its fill we found 40 ceramic fragments, among them fragments of thin walled dippers decorated with incised triangles. Two surface houses with finds from a later period were almost the same in terms of their size and structural features. House II RVII 1986 is rectangular and measures 6x5.7 m. It was oriented towards the cardinal directions. Among structural features the postholes should be mentioned. On the basis of these postholes, it was A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997 79