Kőszegi Frigyes: A Dunántúl Története A Későbronzkorban (BTM műhely 1. kötet Budapest, 1988)

Időrendi és történeti áttekintés (The history of Transdanubia during the late bronze age.) Bilingual-bilingvis.

Similar phenomena accompany the new find group in Transdanubia (Csepel-Szabadkikötő, Kakasd, Pécs-Jakabhegy, etc.). No such proof exists yet whereby we could think of an ethnic presence of the Prescythian culture in the region. It is for certain that the unity of the Urnfield Culture in Transdanubia suffered a break in spite of the fact that the Prescythian coloured Transdanubian find group is far less so strong as experienced in the Great Plains. The Urnfield Culture is strongest during this period in southern Transdanubia, especially in the Mecsek region and to the directly joining region of the Danube, Drave, Save areas. It is certain that during the second half of the HB period, in the time following the hiding of the Romand type hoards, significant masses of the Vál Cultures people withdrew to the southern border of the region, furthermore to Slovenia, where they formed important components of the Dálya-Kiskőszeg and Maria Rast (Ruse) Urnfield groups. Some Prescythian type finds north of the Balaton indicate that the major economic centers did not escape the attention of these people and their interest had been extended to Sághegy near Somlyó and to Velemszentvid as well. The treasure finds of the Hajdúböszörmény level and along with the end of the east Hungarian Bronze Age can be dated to the ninth century B. C. The same century produces the Prescythian occupation and the development of the new culture. It is likely that the appearance of the elements of the Prescythian Culture happened not much later in Transdanubia and this was part of its southwestern, western expansion. This expansion was gradual, this consequently west of here in Austria for example these finds (Stillfried) are already contemporary, with the HB3 phase, whereas in the north they show up even under younger circumstances (Podoli). The Este Il/a and the late phase of Villanovan in Italy date the also typical objects of the Prescythian horizon to the eight century B.C.

539 Some Transdanubian treasure finds represent the Prescythian period completely and it is very likely that Dinnyés, Dunakömlőd, Budapest-Angyalföld and Kálóz-Hatvanpuszta mean its end in Transdanubia. The bronze and gold objects of the finds indicate that though the hegemony of the earlier metallurgy ceased, the expertise of the masters was still necessary. This relates mainly to the gold cups of Angyalföld with their slightly changed forms, although they were made after the examples of the old bronze vessels saving the decorative traditions of the Urnfield period. Iron metallurgy,however, is a brand new profession in Transdanubia and the first iron objects (knives, spearheads, axes, horse bits) undoubtedly were imported. These early workings with iron are not surprising, since it much earlier replaced the bronze industry in Macedonia, and the early specimens of iron metallurgy could be noticed in the lower Danube area, Transylvania, etc.

540 Thus iron as raw material in itself cannot be a good enough reason to date the Dunakömlőd find and generally the full Thraco-Cimmerian type material to the HC period. It is likely that the iron knife from one of the graves of the Vöröshadsereg Road cemetery can be dated to the HB period and the same chronological conditions are reflected by the Dálya-Kiskőszeg graves too. Iron as new raw material must have played an important role in the transformation of the economic life, consequently in the sociopolitical development. The changes in ancient Greece, with the Doric tribes coming to power, the consolidating process of the Protogeometrie period happened during the mass appearance of iron, and the influence of these historic events, even if belatedly, could be more and more felt in Italy than later north and east of the Alps as well. These phenomena could be noticed somewhat earlier in the lower Danube area and in the eastern Carpathian Basin area than in Italy or in the area of northern Austria which sufficiently explains the different datings of the Prescythian material. Starting with the last phase of the Urnfield period the historical development in Transdanubia and the Great Plains significantly separate for a long time. Whereas the first continues the line of development of the western regions as part of Central Europe, east Hungary joining the circle of the Steppe region becomes the stage of the ever — changing migrating peoples. Undoubtedly the above events and the expansion of the Prescythian rule lead to the basic changes in the mode of war. Instead of the arms of the tactics based on the foot soldiers activity, and previously used, the long iron spearheads and the lengthened bladed sword came in general use. The ever increasing horse furniture also indicates that the more agile equestrians stepped forward in the tactics and this mode was taken over by the western neighbours of the Prescythians.

541 The Prescythian influence was most likely only a short lived episode in the history of Transdanubia because a new culture and a new people emerged, the Statzendorf-Gemeinlebarn—Kalendenberg Culture of the eastern Alps with its strong Balkanic elements put an end to the Prescythian expansion. The earlist elements of the Early Iron Age Tumulus Culture appeared in the northwestern corner of Transdanubia, according to our latest sources starting of the period HB continuously.

542 During the period HC the major part of Transdanubia gets under their control and several significant settlement centers had been established. Their expansion leads to the end of the Prescythian era in the eastern part of Transdanubia, and it is very likely that some east Transdanubian Prescythian type hoards can be dated to this period.

543 The up to now only scattered sites of the end of the Bronze Age Urnfield Culture in Transdanubia makes us presume the staying on of part of the native population, not as much as in the southern region of Transdanubia and ini the area between the Drave and the Save. Some of the earthworks settled earlier have been lived on and it seems that