A nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyvei 53. (Nyíregyháza, 2011)

Régészet - Németi János: Bronzkori vaj készítő edény (köpülő)

Bronzkori vaj készítő edény (köpülő) Bronze Age butter churns In 1976 in Pi§colt, at the site of Homokosdomb, a rescue excavation led by the author of the article took place. During the excavation a peculiar pot was discovered. This vessel has got round base and knobs at the inner surface. These kind of objects are known in the special literature as "distillation" vessels. Analyzing the pot we remarked the interesting characteristics of the find which could have been used in the preparation process of the butter. The butter probably was made by shaking. The analogies of the vessel discovered in the Carpathian Basin come mainly from the Early Bronze Age. Vessels with interior knobs were unearthed at Medie§u Aurit-Csonkás, Andrid-Bikadomb, Cápleni-Királyföldek, Carei-Bobáld I., Pi§colt-Homokosdomb, Otomani-Várhegy, SanisläuHomokosdomb, Salonta-Testhalom. Recently, archaeological research has started to focus again upon the problematic of prehistoric "distillation" vessels. Shards with interior knobs appeared already in the Late Copper Age (Baden Culture) and related articles which analyzed their problematic considered them to play role in the butter making process. The shreds are characteristic not only for the Early Bronze Age, such vessels were used during the whole period of the Bronze Age until the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (Barrow Grave Culture). We could establish a few types of the analyzed butter chums as pots with flat base and globular body. Sometimes they are barrel or egg shaped. In a few cases in the inner base of the pots there are crossed ribs associated with one or two inner knobs. On the neck of the vessel in question there are holes. These kind of pots were probably used for preparing alcoholic liquids or were used for souring or decantation. It can be suggested that gases formed during the procedure left through the holes. Ethnographical records revealed that butter chums (composed by a pot, a perforated lid and a hitting stick) were used in the household activities until the beginning of the 20

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