Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 34-35. (2014-2015)
Articles
New prehistoric discoveries from AlbifKézdíalbis (Covasna county, Romania) 9 can help to a more precise dating of the material. Simultaneous impression (Zahnstempelung) was widely used in the 3rd period of the culture, mostly to fill the spiral and meandric hooks and other complex motifs.10 Another specific decorating technique of this period was the incrustation with white material,11 also present at the Albi^-Márton kert (Márton garden) site. In Rotbav pottery decorated with this technique was found mostly in the 3rd (upper) level,12 which was dated in the 15th century BC.13 Similar material is known from Baraolt, Cicäu, Sibi^eni, etc.14 The pottery belonging to the Gáva culture has analogies from the Media§, Poian, Reci and Teleac sites.15 The ceramic material is insufficient for a precise dating, instead the casting mould and the clay figurine can give us a clearer picture. In the present state of research we don’t know any analogy for the casting mould,16 although many socketed axes, with similar form and decoration were discovered at Blandiana,17 Nou Säsesc, Sämbäta Nouä I, Fize§u Gherlii II,18 Bancu19 or in the vicinity of Sängeorgiu de Pädure.20 These kinds of weapons/tools were ranked by M. Rusu in the C1Qtype.21 The distribution area of this type of socketed axe is Eastern-Europe.22 The first socketed axes with parabolic decoration appear in bronze hoards at the end of the Bronze Age (BzD-HaA), being used on different scales till the end of the HaB period.23 Axes decorated with parabolic motif, combined with parallel, double ribs under the rim were found in the hoards of Moigrad-Täuteu and Sängeorgiu de Pädure- Fize§u Gherlii horizons, belonging to the HaBl respectively HaB2 periods.24 10 Andritoiu 1992, 52. 11 Andrifoiu 1992, 52. 12 Dietrich 2014a, 180. 13 Dietrich 2014b, 61. 14 Boroffka 1994a, Taf. 8/3; 45/12; 47/3; 123/8. 15 Pankau 2004, Taf. 5/2-4; Méder 2006, Taf. 8/1; 9/1-2; Székely 1966, pl. III/1-3; IV/1-3; Ciugudean 2011, pl. IX/2. 16 Boroffka - Ridiche 2005, 185. 17 Aldea - Ciugudean 1988, 76, pl. II/3. 18 Petrescu-Dimbovifa 1977, pi. 298/7; 313/13; 341/7; 345/13. 19 Roska 1937, 144, 85. Kép/3. 20 Roska 1942, 76, fig. 90/5. 21 Rusu 1966, 27. 22 Boroffka-Ridiche 2005,153. 23 Rezi 2009, 51-52; Boroffka - Ridiche 2005, 154-155, 203, fig. 9. 24 Aldea - Ciugudean 1988, 73; Petrescu-Dimbovifa 1977, 125-135. In the autumn of 2009 in the nearby commune Cernat, at the place called Hegyes (fortified Early Iron Age settlement) a bronze hoard was discovered by archaeologists. Between the objects was a socketed axe with parabolic and triple rib decoration. The hoard was The anthropomorphic figurine has good analogies from the settlements at Teleac,25 Raco$, Krivce, Lissicniki or fahnäu^i,26 all of them belonging to the Early Iron Age. On the basis of the above mentioned parallels and after N. Boroffka’s reconstruction,271 consider that the piece had a triangular upper part, lowered hands and discoid formed bottom. Thus it can be listed within the so called “en-violon” type figurine. The incised lines may represent the décolletage of clothing,28 or most likely necklace or some kind of jewellery, but one cannot exclud other clothing accessories as well. The figurine may be also reversed (the discoidal part would be the head), but the analogies suggest the correctness of the previous idea. N. Boroffka dated the figurine from Teleac in the HaB,29 while A. László suggests a wider time spam.30 Two other pieces belong to the HaC period.31 The meaning and significance of these objects can’t be determined without question. Some researchers link them to fecundity rituals,32 others claim that “they were used in the field of magic and witchcraft”33 or as amulets.34 Contrary to different opinions most of the authors agree with the cultic significance of these objects. Recently the distribution and the possible interpretations of these anthropomorphic figurines of the Early Iron Age was resumed by S. Berecki.35 Based on the archaeological finds the Late Bronze Age36 settlement from Albi ^-Márton kert can be linked to the 2nd phase of evolution (maybe the first half of the 3rd stage?) of the Gáva culture, which is dated to HaBl-B2. In absolute terms of chronology this means the period between 1050-880 BC.37 dated to the HaBl-B2 period (V. Szabó 2011, 339). Kindly information from Gábor V. Szabó, whom I would like to thank on this behalf. 25 Vasiliev 1985-1986, 82, fig. 2/14. 26 Sirbu 1999, 67, fig. 2/4; 3/1, 5; 4/1-2. 27 Boroffka 1994b, 76. 28 Boroffka 1994b, 76. 29 Boroffka 1994b, 75. 30 László 1995, 95. 31 Vasiliev 1985-1986, 84. 32 Vasiliev 1985-1986, 84; László 1995,92. 33 Sirbu 1999, 57. 34 Boroffka 1994b, 78. 35 Berecki 2013, 313-319. 36 The placement of the Gáva culture in the Late Bronze Age or in the Early Iron Age is disputed, for further information see Ciugudean 2010,172-173. 37 Ciugudean 2011, 81, fig. 3.
