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 type of nail shaped earrings although a more concrete definition is impossible because of the missing head. Nail shaped earrings were widely spread over both Central and Eastern Europe. They can be found in great numbers in Poland (MOSKWA 1976.9-89.)- hi Scythia, nail shaped earrings are dated to the 6th - 5th centuries B.C. (PETRENKO 1978.25.). A bronze fastener (Pl. X.12) comes from this grave. It is known in the Polish literature under the name „Trzeszówca type spirals". It is made from a bronze wire with a round cross-section, turned in one and a half circles. In the larger part of the body there is a bronze spiral made from a thinner wire. Its diameter is 1.5 cm. The fastener is dated to the 5th century B.C. (POPOVICH 1985.59.). In the Polish literature it is considered a local product of the terminal phase of the Luzice culture Tarnobrzeg group (MOSKWA 1971.35.). We should mention two silver beads (Pi. X. 13,14) and 41 blue, brown and green pasta beads as well as a closed bronze bracelet with a segmentedl cross-section (PI. X. 17,18) among the finds from this time. The first half of the 5th century B.C. is also represented by a barrow from the village of Bukovinka/ Beregbükkös situated between the villages of Kushtanovica and Bukovinka. In all probability, this barrow had been part of the cemetery of Kushtanovica. The barrow from Bukovinka is a typical representative of individual burials. Its height is 1.2 m while the diameter of the base is 6 m. An urn covered by a bowl was found in the centre of the surface under the barrow 3, at a depth of 0.6 m. There were accompanying vessels situated 0.5 m to the south. Cremation was carried out outside the barrow (ZATLUKAL-ZATLUKAL 1937.9596.Abb.9,10.). The urn containing 2820 g of bones, is biconical with the body following very strict lines. Its rim is slightly elongated. Its maximal width is in the lower third of the vessel. The bowl covering the urn deserves a special attention. It was made of pink ceramic clay. Such material was used by Greek potters for black glazed ceramics (ONAIKO 1966.29.). Although the vessel was deformed during the restoration, in a whole it is well shaped. It is a lekanis decorated on both sides by slightly up turned braided handles combined with knobs and M-shaped handles in pairs on opposite sides. The rim is inverted, the body strictly conical, ending in a low base. The surface is black polished (Pi. XIV.2). The diameter of the rim is 24 cm, the height is 98 cm and the diameter of the base is 8 cm. This type of vessel with black figures was produced in the workshops of Attica in the 5th century B.C. (ANTICHNYE 1984.333.Tab.CXLIL3.). The black lekanis from Bukovinka is still one of the few examples of Greek ceramics from Kushtanovica type sites. Import products also include a bronze hydria from Dobroselie/Bene. The story of this marvelous find is still obscure. According to data from the author of the first publication (POSTA 1914.19-37.), it was bought by the Transylvanian National Museum in Kolozsvár where it is still kept today. A certain L.Schtrantz, the owner of the find, said that it had been found in the vicinity of Dobroselie village (at that time: Bene) under the bridge across the river Borzhava/Borsova in the water and was full of mud (PÓSTA 1914.17-20.). It is noteworthy, that in their monograph the brothers J. and E.Zatlukal write that in the same vicinity were found a gold plate with an animal style depiction and a temple-ring (ZATLUKAL-ZATLUKAL 1937.147., KOBAL' 1992.175.). Unfortunately, the fate of the latter finds is unknown. The composition of these finds suggests that all may come from a burial of a person holding a special social status. Up until recently there had been a free-standing barrow situated in the apple garden of the experimental agricultural station at Bakta in the fields of the neighbouring village of Muzhiev/Nagymuzsaly (it is unknown how the fields were divided between the villages at the time when the hydria was found). The 6 m high (from the modern level) barrow known by local inhabitants as Szépasszonydomb has been robbed several times (this is shown by trenches and pits left by the grave robbers in the barrow). The Zatlukal brothers may have found and documented finds, among them the hydria, from this barrow. In addition, all hydrias known to date, have been found outside of Greece and come from burials. They have always come from rich graves (BASHILOV 1966., KOBAL' 1992.175., DIEHL 1964.79-81). In 1981-1982, a special group from the archaeological expedition of the Uzhgorod State University (chief of the group was V.G.Kotigoroshko) excavated the „Szépasszonydomb" barrow with the help of bulldozer. Unfortunately, the results are still unpublished. Let us shortly describe the basic characteristics of the hydria. It is a slender vessel with a well profiled, slightly conical neck, a fan-shaped rim rising from the shoulders and into a horizontal rim with its edges bending down. Judging from the base the vessel had a basering. The hydria was made of bronze. B.

Posta suggested that it had been gilded (PÓSTA 1914.24.). It is 42 cm high with the diameter of the body 32 cm and the diameter of the mouth 20.2 cm (Pl. XIII.1-6). The body of the vase is made of plate bronze while the rim and the handles were attached. It becomes clear when we look at the holes on the rim through which they were attached to the vase (PÓSTA 19l4.Fig.ll.C). Horizontal handles are attached under the shoulders from two opposite sides. They are slightly raised and end in palmettes (Pl. XIII.5). The handles have a hexagonal cross-section, with a belt of small globules in the middle. All hydrias usually have, in addition to the horizontal handles, a third, vertical handle to make it comfortable for pouring the liquid these vessels were made to store. There is no vertical handle on the hydria from Dobroselie, but a siren-form has been preserved on the body of the vessel and the place of the handle can be seen on the rim. The handle may have been torn off by the same robbers who may have thought that it was gold. Thus, the vertical handle ended in a sculpted representation of a siren (Pi. XIII.

2,4). The face of the siren is well preserved: the hair is precisely arranged behind the ears and hangs down the shoulders. It is fixed on the forehead by a diadem. The female breast is well profiled. Her arms are extended with hands slightly raised up turning into wings. Her bird's legs are raised with an expanded tail in the background. The tail and wings are connected with two branches and transform into a palmette with nine spirals. Compositional and stylistic features made it possible to place the find from Bene to a special type of hydrias decorated with sirens (BASHILOV 1966.304-309.). 86 A Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 1997