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

Márta SZ. MÁTHÉ: Bronze Age tells in the Berettyó valley

The fragmented remains of a living surface of mixed yellow clay were also noted. Level 1 consisted of badly preserved floor fragments uncovered in the southeastern corner. A large, deep posthole and a few smaller ones were located at the edge of the trench. No other remains were found which could have made a reconstruction possible. It must here be noted that the pottery recovered from the pit and from level 1 was generally secondarily burnt and deformed by fire. Neither daub fragments, nor other burnt debris were found, even though the finds were brought to light from an ashy layer mixed with charcoal. Material culture It would be vain to attempt an evaluation of the finds from trench 1 which was disturbed by the medieval pit (see note 69). The material from trench 2 represents only the upper part of the sequence thus only the problems related to the published material will be discussed here, Plates 36—40 show a selection from the finds recovered from level 1 and from the pit dug into it together with the finds from the humus-subhumus layer. Level 1 and the pit contained also heavily burnt pottery. Chronological differences can hardly be established. In the following we shall attempt to offer a typological analysis. It seems essential to distinguish between the Gyulavarsánd C type finds and those of Koszider character (Otomani III, Felsőszőcs). There are few difficulties in the separation of the classical Gyulavarsánd sherds. The one-handled rounded cups, whose decoration is built around an empty trefoilshaped area, is fairly widespread in the Gyulavarsánd world (PL 36:1). Cups with undifferentiated necks and spiral decorated knobs (PL 36:2, 4; PI. 40:4) and their large-sized variants (PL 37.3, 5, 7) are also popular. These cups with spiral-ornamented knobs were found alongside those with turban-shaped bodies and short necks (PI. 36:6, 7, 8, 10). The incised or notched decoration highlighting the ornamental spirals appear to be diagnostic of the latest, most sophisticated variants (PI. 36:3). Similar vessels have been recovered from level 1 at Herpály where a cup reminiscent of Felsőszőcs was also found.

70 This type was not too frequent at Szilhalom (PL 25:5). A variety of one-handled jugs ornamented with notched horizontal ribs or incisions and flat knobs have also come to light (PI. 36:12-13). They occurred at Szilhalom (Pl. 26:4, 6; Pl. 33:1; Pl. 34:8), at Herpály, and in the upper layers of Békés. The traditional fish-frying pan is also attested (PL 39:13). The jar with wide mouth, ornamented with framed stitch decoration, can also be assigned to the classical phase (PI. 37:8). Zoltai found a matching jar at a depth of 3 spits at Bakonszeg. Other finds of the classical phase include thin-walled decorative bowls with large pointed knobs well attested also in the Füzesabony C and Vatya III regions (PI. 37:1) and the vessels decorated with knobs encircled with incision-marked grooves (PI. 39:2) which survive also into the phase following the Gyulavarsánd C period. This Late Gyulavarsánd style definitely has local antecedents as shown by the flamboyant ornamental vessels with extremely thin walls (PL 37:2; PI. 38:9; PI. 39:8). The first appearance of Felsőszőcs elements can be linked to this late period (PI. 38:3, 4, 7, 10; PI. 39:3, 7) which also occur on the tells in the Ér and Szamos regions, simüarly to various elements reminiscent of the Koszider features in the Tisza region (PI. 38:11; PI. 40:2, 5, 6, 10). Previously there was no evidence for such an early appearance of Felsőszőcs elements in the Berettyó region even though Bona had assumed a hypothetical Middle Bronze Age group in the Körös region preceding the Tumulus Period and the classical Felsőszőcs culture.

71 Bader called attention to the sporadic occurrence of similar early, regional groups on the tells of the Ér valley

72 and compared them with the finds recovered from the layers assigned to the Middle Bronze Age at Kiskolcs (Culciu Mic) and Bujánháza (Boine^ti) in the central area of the Felsőszőcs culture.

73 The Late Gyulavarsánd period had probably been induced by some sort of ethnic movement. The fairly homogeneous tell cultures begin to show the first signs of disruption, marked by the appearance of alien pottery traits that signal the beginning of a new period. GÁBORJÁN-CSAPSZÉKPART Introduction The site Mes to the west of Gáborján village beside the road leading from the cemetery to the Berettyó river, at a distance of about 200 m from the latter. It is covered with a thick acacia-wood. This site evolved differently from the majority of other tells, and its form is also unusual. It accumulated on an alluvial cone deposited in a meander loop of the Berettyó. The site includes a single-layer Bronze Age settlement extending over an area of 130x80—100 m, whilst the tell itself lies in the southeastern corner of the plateau (Fig. 18). An earlier settlement belonging to the Copper Age Tiszapolgár culture has also been identified. Traces of a fortification from the Early or Middle Bronze Age have also been noted but its exact chronology is unclear in the lack of an excavation so far. The name "Csapszékpart" is here used for distinguishing this