Budapest Régiségei 36. (2002) – In memoriam Rózsa Kalicz-Schreiber (1929-2001)

Poroszlai Ildikó: A plastic ornamented vessel from Százhalombatta-Földvár : Vatya-Koszider phase = Plasztikus díszű edény Százhalombatta-Földvárról : Vaty-Koszider fázis 281-290

BUDAPEST RÉGISÉGEI XXXVI. 2002. ILDIKÓ POROSZLAI A PLASTIC ORNAMENTED VESSEL FROM SZÁZHALOMBATTA-FÖLDVÁR (Vatya-Koszider phase) The main goal of the excavation campaign on Százhalombatta-Földvár led by the "Matrica" Museum between 1989 and 1993 was to test the layers of this well-known tell-site. Beyond the stratigraphical investigation our other purpose was to research the changes of the settlement system vertically and horizontally For this reason two trenches (trench 1:

10 x 15 m in size trench II: 15 * 20 m in size) were opened on the southwestern part of the Bronze Age earthwork, close to the area where the Koszider bronze hoard was found (Fig. 1). We reached the subsoil only in trench I in a depth of 340-380 cm and for different reasons the work in trench II had to be stopped in 1993 on level 3. Because of the intensive clay extraction of the Brick Factory established in 1893, working untill 1970 's - a good part of the original site was already destroyed. After the first rescue excavation in 1963

1 a further, approx. 50 x 200 m area disappeared on the southern part when the museum started the field work in 1989.

2 Százhalombatta-Földvár multilayered settlement belongs to the earthwork system of the Vatya Culture enclosing the oval distribution area in Transdanubia and the Danube-Tisza Interfluve. The agrarian communities created this system to control and defend the most important crossing places and their economic and tribal territory Six levels were identified in trench No. I. The upper most level highly much mixed (Celtic, Iron Age, Koszider) because of ploughing, then there was a level belonging to the Koszider phase of the Vatya Culture, there have been two Vatya and two Nagyrév levels with house remains observed. People of both the Nagyrév and Vatya Cultures lived in houses of the same type: mud-walled, beaten earth floored, round cornered houses with or without post holes structure - proving the Nagyrév origin of the Vatya Culture. It could also be observed that the houses were built above each other in four levels with the same orientation (northwest-southeast oriented buildings) indicating that the settlement structure did not change during the Early and Middle Bronze Age.

3 As usually in the case of Vatya layers, the surface was destroyed by several pits therefore caused a lot of dif1 KOVÁCS 1969.161-169. 2 VICZE 2001. s POROSZLAI 2000. 20-21, Fig. 8, 9,13. ficulties. We could hardly recognize remains of houses or even floors in the Vatya levels because of of the great number of pits starting from the upper most layers. Altogether 26 pits occured in trench I belonging to different levels. Most of them started from level one and two. (Pits 1,3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 started from level 1., pits 2,10,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 and II/l started from level 2). The fills of these pits were different but mostly contained a lot of ash, charcoal, clay daub, seeds, rubbish - referring to smoking pits, clay extracting pits, refuse and storage pits. Storage pits full of charred seeds (e.g. pit No. 10) indicate that the valuable seeds were protected within the settlement. They were not used for a long time perhaps because of insects and worms - but filled in soon and new ones were dug. Reaching the Early Bronze Age levels (Nagyrév Culture) numbers of pits decreased and much better preserved buildings could be revealed.

4 My paper is about a unique vessel revealed in pit No. 2 occuring in the southeastern part of trench. I, starting from level 2. This level was indicated by very small yellow and grey disconnected floor fragments, post and stake holes, destroyed hearths or ovens.

5 Pit No. 2 came to light - after removing the debris above level 2 - as an approximately 2 x 2 m, very soft, grey ashy area, east from hearth No. 2. (Fig. 2). (Relative depth: 125 cm). Digging this pit we could observe the bottom in a depth of 224-270 cm as a hard chalky layer, belonging to level 4. Going downwards the pit became narrower: from 260 x 340 cm it changed into 200 x 120 cm in size. Among the hundreds of sherds and complete pots ("Matrica" Museum, Inv No: 98.68.1-366., 98.132.1-64) the so-called Rákospalota type of the Vatya-Koszider Culture is the most characteristic. This regional group of the culture was identified after the typical and outstanding form and decoration of its fine ware in the northeast part of Transdanubia.

6 The most frequent and leading vessel type in our pit is the so-called Rákospalota jug or jar with ansa lunata handle. It is a fine and smooth fabric, black-burnt and thin-walled with a biconical belly sometimes with small pointed bosses on it. It can be undecorated but more 4 POROSZLAI 1996. 5-15. 5 POROSZLAI 2000. Fig. 5. 6 SCHREIBER 1967. 48-50. 281