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

Ivan Popovich handles. There is a horizontal fluting on the neck from which triangles hang (Pi. VI.

6). The basic chronological features on this urn from barrow 13 can be compared with the urn from the cemetery of Ózd (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary) (KEMENCZEI 1986.104.fig

. 38.5.). An analogous picture of the burial rite was noted in barrow 9 of the same cemetery. An urn was placed with calcinated bones in the centre of the space under barrow, in a small pit (diameter: 1.5 m, depth: 0.25 m). Among the bones was a piece of iron and a small ring (diameter: 38 mm) (BÖHM-JANKOVICH 1936.50-51.). The burial was covered by the remains of the fire moved from the place of cremation (Pi. VI.) A black polished, biconical pot was used as an urn. The rim is missing. There is horizontal fluting on the shoulder from which horizontal ornaments go down. There is a trace of a vertical handle on the side of the vessel (Pi. VI.

1). This type of vessel has convincing analogies in the barrows of the East Hallstatt Culture and is dated to HC (VADÁSZ 1986. 217-226. Abb.4,12.). The material displayed above not only makes it possible to correct the starting date of Kushtanovica type sites, tending to make them older, but also to outline an early phase of the first period of the sites in this circle. These date to the second half of the 7th first half of the 6th centuries B.C. Stratigraphic observations played a deciding role in this attribution. In the neighbouring culture of Vekerzug, J.Chochorowski drew attention to the existence of post-Gáva finds in it (CHOCHOROWSKI 1984.114), but did not dare to separate them into an independent chronological horizon. We think that such an outline of a group would be correct. As was determined above, a house with a sunken floor at the settlement of Mali Heiivci was filled with post-Gáva material and covered by two surface structures with a post construction that was accompanied by Kushtanovica type ceramics, among them gray wheel-turned pieces (Pl. XV.8) that were in use in our region at a rather late date (NÉMETI 1982.141., DUSEK 1976.424., POPOVICH 1992/A.), that is to say, the 5th century B.C., or more precisely, the middle of latter century. It is also noticeable that without exception all burials with post-Gáva finds were found under barrows, below the level of the burial surface in small sunken pits, the contours of which were not always clearly visible. These burials were covered by the remains of the fire which had been moved from the place of cremation outside the barrow. This feature was borrowed by the Kushtanovica population or may have been brought into the area by the inhabitants of Kyjatice sites. From the second half - end of the 6th century B.C. in the Carpathian Basin and apparently in the Transcarpathian region as well, sites appear whose finds include objects with analogies in the Scythian culture or else using Scythian patterns. Barrow 8 in the famous Kushtanovica cemetery was dated to the second half of the 6th - beginning of the 5th centuries B.C. It was a part of a group consisting of 16 barrows and was situated in the centre of it. It is noteworthy that the largest barrows were built in a chain from east to west. South of them, small barrows were spread out, not grouped around a centre (BÖHM-JANKOVICH 1936.34.0br.l.). Barrow 8 was 2 m high while the diameter of its base was 18 m. T.Lehoczky made a trench in the northern part of the barrow but did not find burials. In the process of the investigation of the barrow (BÖHM-JANKOVICH 1936.44-50.) it became clear, that graves had been concentrated in the southern part of the burial surface, almost in the centre. The floor was slightly strewn with earth enough to equal the living surface. Burials proved to be almost undisturbed. The collective grave was placed on the level of the living surface and filled with a 30 cm thick layer of burnt soil that was brought from the site of cremation made outside the barrow. The northern group of finds consisted of 18 vessels: basically these were urns „sealed" with bowls. Five vessels were found a little above the living surface. The second group of finds consisted of broken vessels and was placed in the centre of the collective grave. The southern group of finds consisted of 4 vessels. In the same place, 3 mounds of burnt bones were found. According to J.Böhm and JJankovich urn burials (vessel 2 and vessel 8) have a primary significance in the determining the date of the site (BÖHMJANKOVICH 1936.45.). The urn (Pl. VIII.5) was filled with 1340 g of calcinated bones and „sealed" with a bowl (PI. VIII. 1). The urn is a biconical pot with a straight rim, well profiled neck, slightly ovoid body and slightly profiled base (Pl. VIII.5). The bowl is conical with an inverted rim (Pl. VIII.l). Among the bones was a necklace consisting of 22 beads. One was polychrome and 21 monochrome. The polychrome bead is in the shape of a pressed sphere and made of black glass paste and decorated with yellow wavy lines. It has a diameter of 8 mm. Ring shaped monochrome beads (diameter: 3 mm) are made of red, black and brown glass paste. Glass paste beads are rather common ornaments used by the population of the Carpathian Basin in the Late Hallstatt. The polychrome bead belongs to type 19 and the monochromic beads to types 1,2,3 of the Vekerzug Culture (CHOCHOROWSKI 1985.5156. Abb. 10.). An open bronze bracelet made of wire with a round cross-section comes from this grave. The diameter of the cross-section is 0.5 mm. It is decorated with incised parallel lines combined with X-motive at the terminals (PI. VIII.

4). This type of bracelet has genetic connections with the earliest Hallstatt forms. It belongs to type 5 within the classification of the Vekerzug Culture (CHOCHOROWSKI 1985.59.Abb.ll,15.). Bone objects found in the urn must be dated not later than the second half of the 6th century B.C. They must have been part of one artifact, but were placed in the urn in an already fragmented condition. These are fittings made of canaliculate bone, richly decorated with a geometric ornament consisting of triangles. There are a total of 8 of these objects (BÖHM-JANKOVICH 1936.45-47. Tab.X.1-7,9-). The best preserved find is a marvelous mount, it may be a detail from a quiver for carrying both bow and arrows. It is cylindrical with two sharp ends between which the bowstring could be easily have been fixed. The length of the fitting is 11.5 cm and the 82 A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997