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

with divided lugs (PI. 11:4, 5, 7) and with incised and knob-ornamented rims (PI. 11:9, 11). The pot with one handle (PI. 11:10) seems to be different. It is distinguished from the traditional Hatvan forms by the character of the decorative pattern, the smoothed surface and the handle, even though its shape resembles the vessels of Hatvan style.

36 Cups, jugs On the basis of the complete vessels of the cemetery the fragments from the settlement can also be reconstructed. The profiles of the plain one-handled cups are S-shaped (PI. 10:6—7) or the funnel-shaped neck joins immediately to the globular or flattened globular body (PI. 10:8-9). Similar vessels were found in level II of the settlement (PI. 2:13). They are at home in the entire area of the Hatvan culture and in the neighbouring territories. Nevertheless, they can be regarded as typical Hatvan products, the cups in PI. 10:8-9 are undoubtedly of Hatvan character. The undecorated cups of the neighbouring cultures-especially those of the Vatya culture —are different in shape although the cultural determination is often difficult in case of plain cups.

37 The keeled cup (PI. 10:7) widening at the bottom resembles vessels of the Vatya culture. The two jugs and the decorated cups offer more possibilities of comparisons. The cups with knobs or with grooved knobs and especially the combination of smaller and larger knobs can be traced to outside influence in the Hatvan culture. Decorated vessels of this kind were found in the subhumus (PI. 4:3. 7, 10) and humus (PI. 5:16) layers of the settlement and in the cemetery-material (PI. 10: 10—11, 14). It is difficult to find their exact parallels as their shapes are of Hatvan character while the decoration is of Füzesabony origin. The comparable specimens from Megyaszó, Gelej and Pusztaszikszó also belong to the Füzesabony culture.

38 Even though Kaliczs monograph lists numerous Hatvan forms and decorations, similar cups were not included. Isolated cups of this kind can be assumed to be Füzesabony products even if Hatvan features can be recognized. The facetted shoulder of a cup fragment (PI. 10:12) has many parallels in the Late Füzesabony material. No close analogies of the jugs (PI. 10:15-16) are known. Both resemble the Füzesabony jugs although the latter ones are somewhat different: the rims are more flaring, the bodies are flattened and carinated.

39 The neck of the jugs with grooved knobs encircled by dots is also decorated-this is a common characteristic of the Late Füzesabony. Bodrogszerdahely period.

40 The ansa lunata (PI. 5 :14) and a true Füzesabony cup with turban-shaped belly (PI. 5:8) from the humus layer strongly argue for the synchronity of the cemetery and the upper layers of the settlement. Two incrusted sherds were found in level II (PI. 2:16, 17) which possibly represent so-called Tokod-type cups. These frequently occur on Hatvan sites, both imported specimens and local imitations. They can be assigned with certainty to the end of the first period of the Middle Bronze Age.

41 Some words must be said about the various clay objects from level II of the settlement. The violin-shaped idol (PI. 2:11) and the miniature clay axe (PI. 2:2) are typical Hatvan products. The exact parallel of the idol is known from Tibolddaróc;

42 similar clay axes

43 were found at Tibolddaróc. Mezöcsát and Szihalom.

44 The portable fire-place or cauldron, the strainer or fire-guard (PI. 2:15) and the wheel-model (PI. 2:6)

45 are frequent and widely distributed finds of the Middle Bronze Age settlements.

46 Summary It seems very probable that the Aszód-Manyik settlement and the Bag-Peresdűlő cemetery belonged to the same community. The pottery and the topography of the sites seem to support this. From the scanty evidence Kalicz made important observations concerning the general pattern according to which the settlement and the cemetery had been organized.

47 Aszód is a good example: the distance between the settlement and the cemetery is not large, but they are separated by the Galga river. Another cemetery belonging to the Manyik settlement may have lain in Aszód itself where in Csendes street a cremation grave with vessels has come to light during house-building activities.

48 Judging from the related vessels and decorative pattern-i it can be established that the Bag graves can be assigned to the latest layers of the settlement, i.e. to the humus, subhumus and level I. The internal chronology of the settlement can be summarized on the basis of the typological sequence (the reconstructed types are shown in PI. 12). Level III (original humus) and level II yielded typical finds of the developed Hatvan culture. The amphorae with textile ornament and the "Hatvan pots" are dominant. The idol and the cups are also characteristic. The late Hatvan period is attested

49 by the fragments of Tokod-type cups, the wheel model and the clay axe from level II. From level I onwards a change seems to have taken place. The textile-ornament and the "Hatvan pots" were no longer current, while the gradual increase of pots and jars characteristic of the Middle Bronze Age can be recognised. New decorative patterns, as well as knobs, grooved knobs, dotted circles appear on other pottery forms. This change is also reflected by the cemetery material and the finds of the humus-subhumus layers. Jugs and cups of Füzesabony character with turbanshaped belly and ansa lunata handle, bowls and incised decorations reflecting Vatya III influence appear. Even the decoration of the traditional Vatya amphorae and jars with wide mouth changed. The transformation and disintegration of the earlier uniform material culture can