Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 34-35. (2014-2015)

Articles

LATE IRON AGE FINDS FROM THE COLLECTION OF ISTVÁN DÉNES"

SÁNDOR BERECKI

Keywords: Late Iron Age, caves, Värghi§ Ravine, pottery, metallurgy

Cuvinte cheie: a doua epocä a fierului, penteri, Cheile Värghisului, ceramicä, metalurgie

The collection of István Dénes consists of a large amount of archaeological materials dating from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages, collected and excavated in the caves from the Värghis Ravine and from other sites in the area. The present paper presents the Late Iron Age materials of this collection, comprising mainly common pottery. The importance of the Late Iron Age finds is given by their place of discovery, while a metal melting furnace discovered in one of the caves brings into discussion new elements for the interpretation of the use of these natural shelters.

The Late Iron Age materials from the collection of István Dénes can be considered neither numerous nor remarkable. The finds from the end of the Late Iron Age are almost exclusively potsherds, mainly hand-made, seldom wheel-thrown and in all cases they are common forms. Nevertheless, the place of discovery of the finds is exceptional, since, even if a considerable number of caves with Late Iron Age materials are known, their comprehensive analysis has not been completed. Generally, in the case of the caves, the Late Iron Age materials belong to the upper layer; therefore, because of the often minor geological deposits the Late Iron Age materials appear mixed with the finds of the later periods even in the cases of archaeological excavations.

In the Várghi§ Ravine, Late Iron Age materials were collected from the caves nos. 1200/9 (Lublinit), 11, 12, 14 (Almási or Orbán Balázs), 23, 27 (Cseppköves), 33 (Átjáró), 36 (Kőfalas), 57 (Alagút), 80 (Vízfeletti), 87 (Kőcsűr) and 106 (Cserepes), as well as from Mere$ti-Pipások dombja and three further sites from Rácodul de Sus. In addition to the above, the earlier literature mentions further Late Iron Age finds from the caves nos. 1, 3 and 20.1 In the records of István

’This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education, CNCS-UEFISCDI, project number PN-IIRU-PD-2012-3-0316.

Dénes entitled “Jelentés a Vargyas-szorosban levő 1200/122 számú sziklaereszben (Párkány) végzett ásatás eredményeiről”2 and the archaeological notes entitled “Kőbezárt világ. Régészeti kutatások a Vargyas-szoros barlangjaiban”3 Dacian pottery is mentioned from cave no. 122 (Párkány). Besides the summarizing - yet not always identical - tables of the “Cave list” Late Iron Age finds from caves nos. 4, 6, 34 (Ablakos), 35 (Csontos), 54, 81 (Fehéroszlop), 101 (Orgonákbeli) and 107 (Oszlopocskák) are mentioned. However, no Late Iron Age finds could be identified from these latter caves in the collection.

From cave 1200/9 (Lublinit) four hand-made rim and body fragments of pots and one rim fragment of a deep bowl are preserved (PI. 1/1-5). The brown and greyish brown fragments were tempered by crushed potsherds, coarse and fine sand, all of them presenting strong calcareous sediments on their surface. One of the pots was decorated by impressions, another with pinched ornament.

1 Boroneanj 2000, 64, 66-68.

2 Translation: Report about the results of the excavations undertaken in the overhang no 1200/122 (Párkány) from the Värghf Ravine.

3 Translation: World locked in stone. Archaeological surveys in the caves of the Varghi§ Ravine.

MARISIA XXXIV-XXXV, 2014-2015, p. 17-30.