Ilon Gábor: Szombathely őskori településtörténetének vázlata (Szombathely, 2004)

Ilon Gábor To close the initial thoughts of this Introduction, I would further remark that (i) I restrained myself from providing detailed descriptions of the mass artifacts in order to sustain the content easy-to-read. The regional, national, or international significance of certain items exempted me from doing so in certain cases. (ii) This book has been completed with the aim of providing scientific information and with the hope to raise the attention of professionals, as well, along with a clear awareness that such objective may be attained following the complex and detailed field works of the excavation spots. To satisfy the interest of foreign readers a relatively extended English summary is also available and included. (iii) The Pre-history of the administrative area of Szombathely cannot be researched on its own, thus - similarly to the authors of the Szombathely monograph published in 1998 - I attempted to include a brief outlook to certain parts of Western Hungary. At the same time, I did not focus on the ancient territory of Savaria (approximately the entire land of today's Vas County), as a full study is being under way to be completed by Mária Károlyi. I was advised on this fact by the 3rd edition of Vasi Szemle a few weeks prior to the completion of my work. I should therefore note that the above mentioned publication unfortunately will have no capacity to present the results of the years passing the mid' 90s', which period gave place to extremely intense researches. Eventually, I am hereby pleased to express my gratitude towards my colleagues, who even up to the slightest extend contributed to the compilation of this book: L. Balogh, botanist, F. Derdák, geodist, J. Edőcs, restorer, Cs. E. Kiss chief restorer, M. Károlyi and G. Kiss, archaeologists, K. Kiss, administration chief. The data of various excavations performed in concern to scattered artifacts were provided by further archaeologists specialized in the Roman Age, T. Buócz, P. Kiss, M. Medgyes and O. Sosztarics. I apprecikate the enthusiastic restoration activity of E. Ferencz and Cs. E. Kiss, restorers, K. Riha, assistant restorer, and Zs. Kóbor, restorer, university student. I am also grateful to J. Rasztovics, my ex-archaeologist technician student, with whom I have reviwed a few hundred kilograms of artifacts recovered during field works in the past decades, amongst which there were items from Szombathely also. Finally, I am not least grateful to my ex-archaeologist technician students, who contributed to the completion of drawings, graphical works and other field analyses and activities: K. Anderkó, Т. Век, Zs. Farkas, G. Kiss, Á. Nagy, M. Nagy, M. Polka, I. S. Hamvas, В. A. Szilasi and G. Vámos. I also appreciate the field and museum work of A. Molnár and K. Gál, archaeologists, ex-university students at excavations. January 15, 2004 in the City of Kőszeg The Author 12