Kovács Tibor - Stanczik Ilona (szerk.): Bronze Age tell settlements of the Great Hungarian Plain I. (Inventaria Praehistorica Hungariae 1; Budapest, 1988)

Judit TÁRNOKI: The settlement and cemetery of the Hatvan culture at Aszód

Amphorae and amphora-shaped vessels The settlement material is fragmentary and barely suitable for typological analysis. On the other hand, a variety of forms and decorations are offered by the cemetery. The most frequent type of amphora is shown in PI. 13:18.

12 This is the most general type on other sites as well. Its undecorated variant also occurs (PI. 7 :5); the relatively complete specimen from the floor of level I of the settlement can also be assigned here (Fig. 1). The characteristic decoration of this type are the short, horizontal ribs with vertical notches or marked with finger tip impressions (PI. 6:3-4, PI. 7:6) and incisions in net-pattern (PI. 6:5, PI. 7:4). It varies greatly in form, but only a few rib-ornamented specimens are known: these have been published by Kalicz from Hatvan and the surroundings of Vác.

13 These latter have also been recovered from graves, similarly to the Tápióbicske vessels.

14 The two rib-ornamented amphora fragments from the humus and subhumus-layer of the settlement (PI. 4:8, PI. 5:9) can be assigned to this type. The type shown in PI. 13:16 is represented by two vessels of the Bag cemetery. It is more frequent in undecorated form (Vatta-Testhalom, Szihalom, Tápióbicske),

15 but the curved plastic ornament occurring in our material is also known. A vessel analogous with our specimen —decorated with pointed knobs (PI. 6:1)—is known from Hatvan, others, corresponding to the rib-ornamented amphora (PI. 6:2) were found in the surroundings of Vác and in the Hatvan-Hárstelep cemetery.

16 Amphorae with ovoid bodies, similar to the one shown in PI. 7:2 were found at Szelevény and in the Örvény cemetery.

17 The amphora-shaped vessel with one handle (PI. 13:14) is represented by two specimens in our material. The vessel shown in PI. 7:3 is current in the entire distribution area of the Hatvan culture, both its undecorated and decorated variants (Tárnáméra, Örvény, Tószeg, Tápióbicske, Hatvan).

18 Nevertheless, the horizontal row of impressed dots under the shoulder-joint and the applied groups of knobs have not been noted earlier on this type. The best parallels of the other one-handled vessel (PI. 7:1) can be found in the material of the Vatya culture, although the Vatya specimens are significantly larger. Kalicz has published a vessel similar to the Bag specimen from Szelevény,

19 but even this could be a Vatya product. The amphora-shaped vessel from Bag resembles this specific type, but its decoration and fabric is of Hatvan character. Two vessels from the cemetery (PI. 8:6—7) represent the type shown in PI. 13:17. The knob-and rib-ornamented sherds found in the subhumus and humus layer of the settlement may have belonged to similar amphorae (PI. 4:3, PI. 5:13). This type is generally characterized by its large size, the four handles on the carination line, the plastic ornament, and often by the grooved knobs on the shoulder. Judging from the parallels in well-dated assemblages and the decorative pattern (primarily the knobs), this type can be assigned to a late period of the culture. The distribution area also seems to be an argument for this: the vessels of this type occur in the western region of the Hatvan culture (a number of them are from Hatvan, further specimens have been reported from Szirák, Bag—called Vácszentlászló in other publications-and Jászdózsa).

20 This region was less affected by the Füzesabony infiltration, thus a longer survival of the Hatvan population can be assumed. Many sherds of the setttlement material cannot be linked to vessel types. It is conspicuous that the only ornament of the sherds from the lower layers (III—II and partly I) is the textile-impression or the deep, coarse scoring ('Besenstrich'). The frequency of this kind of decoration appears to gradually decrease during the later periods (humus-subhumus layers) of the settlement. Even though it is also attested in these layers, the finer scoring and the coarsely smoothed surface are general. At the same time, the number of the knobbed ornamentation increased. The knobs even appear on traditional Hatvan types like amphorae. Tins tendency is especially well attested by the cemetery finds: none of the 54 vessels are textile ornamented, while there is a high percentage of knob decoration showing external influence. Jars with wide mouth They represent a characteristic pottery type of the Hatvan culture. The lower two-thirds of the surface are often textile-impressed or scored, in the later period only coarse, as can be seen in the case of amphorae as well. The fragments of horizontally outward leaning rims also belong to the type in question (for example PI. 5 :18). The large-sized fragment from the subhumus layer (PI. 4:18) can be reconstructed judging from the shape of one of the vessels from the cemetery (PI. 9:6). Nine jars with wide mouth were found in the cemetery, all of them belong to the type shown in PI. 13:9—10. The most simple and most common form is attested by the vessels shown in PI. 9:6 and PI. 10:1. The lid with knob-handle of the latter is very similar to the one from a grave in Hatvan, Ifjúság street.

21 Less frequent are the vessels with knobs on their shoulders (PI. 9:2, 4). A similar jar is known from the Tárnáméra cemetery.

22 It is conspicuous that the lower part of the Tárnáméra vessel is ornamented with the traditional textile-impression, even though it is assignable to the later period of the culture judging from the knob ornament. Two thin-walled sherds decorated with large knobs from the settlement can also be assigned to this type (PI. 4:2, PI. 5:11). The combination of smaller and larger knobs appears on a vessel of this type (PL 9:11) which seems exceptional since it has been found only on cups and jugs of the Hatvan culture so far. These latter vessels can be assigned to the second half of the Middle Bronze Age.

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