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

Ilon Gábor and an infant's grave (object 8) were recovered. From object 10 (a pit) the wheel of a cart model came to light. The first and worthwile action to take samples and to process data for prehistoric environmentarchaeological purposes in Vas County took place (by Pál Sümegi and his colleagues) at the Metro site. Pollen tracks worth to test were recovered in 24 objects rooting back to the Early Copper Age. Based on the sizes of the post holes and the pits detected, vast majority of the pollen quantity had been scattered in a radius ranging from a few to a maximum of 200 meters. However, the aspect of spreading from a long distance may not be excluded totally as a result of pollen showers inflicting a permanent impact. On the basis of the pollen material composition, it has been pointed out that the long-sized post houses were erected by the Copper Age community in a wet and extremely ruffled floodplain, i.e. in the floodplain of the Gyöngyös Creek. Based on the data available, this part of the floodplain was presumably inactive and relatively dry in the Copper Age and the groundwater table was deeper located. Of course, the said community was conceivably capable to settle in the floodplain as a result of a short dry period. The distribution of wood pollen samples allow us to assume two smaller and ruffled forest spots as well as hardwood and softwood grove forest remains nearly 200 meters from the row of houses in NorthEastern and South-Western directions on the edge of the pollen volumetric capacity. Of course, it is conceivable that oak, alder, willow, possibly beech trees as well as elderberry and hazel bushes as part of the grove forests' shrub level were scattered in the floodplain, yet either open and natural floodplain meadows, or those of evolved on liquidated forest areas dominated substantial portion of the floodplain. The presence of reed, etc. suggest that underwater swamp milieu evolved at the lower points of the floodplain, in the creek beds filled up and in the indentures behind the creek plateau most of the year. The peresence of certain plants refer to sour soil. The appearance of wheat and cornflower in connection to corn fields managed by traditional land cultivation techniques confirms active agriculture. The negligible amount of these pollen seeds raises two points: (i) wheat cultivation was performed on a low-scale horticultural level; and (ii) grain cultivation was performed farther and said pollen seeds were only spreading in, or carried by other plants, animals and people, or possibly by the grain transport into the tested zone. To justify the above, the results of only two sample venues are demonstrated hereunder. The sample of post hole no. Ill recovered east of house no. 2 and that of post hole no. 107 constituting a structural element of house no. 2 (Appendix 2 - no. 2). By these aspects it may be concluded that (i) the gardens may have been located just around the houses; and (ii) the pollen seeds of the mint samples taken at the house confirm a house construction between July and September (following the traditional harvest). Another remarkable novelty is that this has been the first instance in Hungary to determine the age of a human made structure within the calendar year based on pollen sample analyses. Exquisite artifacts confirm the appearance of the Balaton-Lasinja Culture of the Middle Copper Age: a pit filled with pottery (object 425: Fig. 29) and four cremated burials on the slope under the Reiszigforest (Fig. 30.). The remains of a large house (7,6 x 17,75 meters in size) with bench foundation, wooden post structure, plastered clay walls, pitched roof, a size of 134,9 m

2 in ground space (Fig. 28) nearby the graves may be associated with this culture. 98