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

A PLASTIC ORNAMENTED VESSEL FROM SZÁZHALOMBATTA-FÖLDVÁR toward West from here - was the result of trade contacts.

25 The craftsmen - influenced by the Aegean-Anatolian form and style - produced their products locally and step by step on a higher level. The high standard local smiths and pots connected themselves into long distance trade and craftsmen and merchants became a strong and important stratum of the society The vessels with plastic ornaments could belong to rich persons - may be warriors, bronz-smithers, or merchants - who also wanted to stress the importance of men in the society by these decorations.

26 In case of the Százhalombatta "female" jar other expalanations can be also given. In an agrarian community - such as tell people crop rotation and animal husbandry was very important and the value of cereals was outstanding. Both the archaeological material and the settlement levels prove a long peaceful development for about 400 years without any violent distruction on the Százhalombatta tell. The long residence (approx. 1750-1350 B.C.) without strong devastation horizons was due to a gradual development and supposes a stabile economic and social organisation. In the everyday life of this community cereals and cultivation played an important role as proved by hundreds of grinding stones bearing traces only of ground cereals. The end of the settlement is dated to the Koszider phase of the Vatya Culture and marked by a Koszider bronze hoard, three Koszider pottery depots found in 1991 in trench No. II and by Pit No. 2 with numerous Rákospalota pottery together with the "female" jar. In pit No. 2 fragments of more then 50 vessels came to light together with hundreds of sherds indicating that in this Closed" pit not a carefully hidden pottery depot was found. From the top of the pit Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Celtic pieces also were revealed proving the later disturbing of the pit. Even if we do not consider it a pottery depot assemblage we suppose that these nicely decorated vessels - dishes, jugs, bowls were dug for some reason. The custom of throwing broken sherds into graves and pits against evil spirits can be followed through centuries. In this pit it also could be observed, and what is more, that the two-handled jar was also fragmented, the pot had to be completed. There were five pieces of the vessel found far from each other and in various depth, and some burnt seeds occured nearby too. These facts rise the assumption that with the broken plastic decorated "female" vessel and burnt seeds a kind of fertility-rite could go on in the neighbour25 KOVÁCS 1973. 28. 26 KOVÁCS 1973. 29. hood of the pit and finally they were thrown into the pit together with a lot of sherds and nicely decorated pots. Because there was not much grain in the pit it was not a storage pit nor was the pit in Mende in my opinion. The two-handled jar representing f emaleness could also refer to a kind of goddess (goddess of crops, or vegetation or fertility) as the concept of deity can be accepted on the Bronze Age cultural level. Although very little is known about Bronze Age beliefs and religion one thing is sure that in farming societies - such as the Vatya society - cereals were very valuable and they had to be protected. To assure good, heavy crop and rich harvest some rites may have been done following the change of seasons. On the evidence of southern examples it can be supposed that the rites took place inside, in the middle part of the house where the hearth was erected and fire took an important role. In our trench close to pit No. 2 there was a destroyed fireplace (hearth No. 2) belonging to the same level. Our hypothesis is that the ritual fertility offering was presented around hearth No. 2, some seeds were burnt, some nice "Rákospalota" decorated jugs and other vessels were used during the ceremony The female jar - representing fertility goddess or goddess who protects the cereals for the community - may have been broken into pieces on a stage of the rite. Finishing the offering ceremony pit No. 2 was dug, some of the burnt seeds, broken pots and all the vessels used during the rite, were put into the pit together with ash collected from the fireplace. It is worth mentioning that no rubbish, no animal bones were found in the pit. The closest pair of our "female" jar is the antropomorh 'male" vessel from Mende (Pest county). Both may have represented a deity (goddess and god) responsible for protecting grain. The fact that most of the plastic pieces came from Vatya settlements confirm our assumption that in such a peasant-like-community where corn production was so important, rites connecting to cereals must have emerged soon. Good harvest, fertility always relates to women, so this is why our vessel symbolizes femaleness. In other cases - weapon decorated 'male" vessels the strength of man is represented: man can protect the grain even by struggle if it's necessary The religious thinking of the Vaty coulture both man and woman played an important role. Men could assure the safety of agricultural product, while women could guarantee fertility to produce next year crops. 283