Kovács Tibor (szerk.): Neuere Daten zur Siedlungsgeschichte und Chronologie der Kupferzeit des Karpatenbeckens (Inventaria Praehistorica Hungariae 7; Budapest, 1995)

Pál Raczky: New data on the absolute chronology of the Copper Age in the Carpathian Basin

yet be defined with certainty The implications for the Balkans and the Carpathian Basin are that the TiszapolgárVinca D

3-Sàlcuta-Gumelnita-Krivodol IIIII horizon and the ensuing Bodrogkeresztúr-Bubanj Hum Ia-Krivodol-SälcuJa-Gumelnit,a III complex also predate the 3rd millennium B.C. In view of the climatic changes often associated with historical events, certain points made by H. Todorova must by all means be considered in this context.

54 The drastic climatic changes in the early 4th millennium, indicated by the geological evidence, was in all probability a destabilizing factor in the Kodzadermen-Gumelnita-Karanovo VI subsistence and may have been the decisive factor leading to the abandonment of the Bulgarian tell settlements. It cannot therefore be pure coincidence that the majority of FN sites on the Peloponnesos are cave sites (such as Klenia and Alepotrypa), or that fundamental changes can be noted in settlement patterns compared to the preceding Late Neolithic development. W Phelps too has suggested the effects of climatic changes in this respect.

55 It would appear that the changes in the settlement patterns in Bulgaria and Greece can be linked to the same climatic and ecological changes in the early 4th millennium that affected a wider geographic region. J. Petrasch has noted that changes in the settlement patterns of the Bulgarian tells, i.e. the discontinuity between Karanovo VI and VII, as well as the 'eneolithic humus layer

1 observed on a number of Neolithic tells in Yugoslavia, can be essentially compared to the break between Sitagroi III and IV on the one hand, and that between Mandalo II and III on the other.

56 It follows from the above that the absolute chronology of the Copper Age of South-East Europe and the Carpathian Basin cannot be reconciled with the 'historical' or short chronology. In contrast, cultural correlations, as well as the earlier, perhaps somewhat rough chronological estimates can be more readily fitted into the calibrated C-14 or long chronology. In view of this theoretical consideration we are not merely fully justified in using C-14 data, but we are practically compelled to make use of the comparative evidence offered by this approach. A. Snodgrass, who can hardly be accused of being an ardent adherent of the 'New Archaeology

1 has aptly noted that "the real lesson, reinforced by the appearance of further radiocarbon dates from the Aegean is surely that we must use these radiocarbon dates as the basis for all chronological comparisons between the Aegean and other radio-carbon dated sequences."

57 Another misunderstanding concerning calibrated C-14 dates must also be dispelled: the currently available calibration curves show little, if any, chronological variations toward the present, the only difference is that they offer a secure correlation between dendro- (calendar dates) and classical C-14 dates with considerably fewer errors. H. Wilkomm's analysis has convincingly shown that calibrated C-14 dates tend to be more consistent and can thus rightfully be used in making chronological comparisons.

58 I. Bognár-Kutzián was one of the first to propose an absolute chronological framework for the ECA (Tiszapolgár) and the MCA (Bodrogkeresztúr) using calibrated C-14 determinations, suggesting a date between 4210 + 220 and 3800 + 200 B.C. for the former, and between 4010 + 220 and 3595 + 170 for the latter.

59 The early framework originally proposed by E. Neustupny and C. Renfrew

60 was gradually refined using calibrated C-14 calendar dates,

61 and the following dates now appear to be fully acceptable: 4500/4400 to 4000 B.C. for the ECA, 4000 to 3600/3500 B.C. for the MCA and 3600/3500 to 2600/2500 B.C. for the LCA. This absolute chronological framework can, at the same time, be neatly correlated with the relative chronology based on archaeological comparisons between various cultures of South-East Europe. The Tiszapolgár dates harmonize with the late 5th millennium and early 4th millennium dates for GumelnitaSàlcuta-Karanovo VI, while Bodrogkeresztúr dates conform to the 'transitional period

1 in Bulgaria.

62 The Greek FN, spanning the period between 43003700/3500 b.c.,

63 allows archaeological contacts with Tiszapolgár, Bodrogkeresztúr and, also, with Hunyadihalom. The Central European links of the Balaton-Lasinja complex outline another direction for archaeological comparisons.

64 (Similar correlations have already been proposed by J. Petrasch for the Baden culture;

65 however, the definition of the cultural context of the archaeological 'type fossil

1

, the so-called gynaeco-form vessels, can be plausibly challenged.) Observations made by Zs. Virág and N. Kalicz at the Zalavár site

66 indicate that the fashion of large gold discs can first be attested in the Balaton-Lasinja I period in Transdanubia - i.e. in the Bodrogkeresztúr period -, in the early MCA. The copper disc found at Zalavár can be assigned to the Stollhof-Csáford type. It is also fairly clear that the type survived into the Furchenstich-RetzBajc period

67 which corresponds to the Hunyadihalom phase in the Great Hungarian Plain.

68 The use of these discs thus spans a longer period of time in the Copper Age of western Hungary;

69 nonetheless, a comparable specimen recently found on the HornstaadHörnle I site near Lake Boden has been dated to the early 4th millennium by B. Dieckman on the basis of 4 Todorova (1989). " Phelps ( 1982) 368-371. "

6 Petrasch (1991). Snodgrass (1985) 37. ,8 Willkomm (1988). ,v Bognár-Kutzián ( 1985) 296. Table 2. oU Neustupny (1968): Neustupny (1969); Renfrew (1969); Renfrew (1970); Renfrew (1973) 76-120. 61 Sherratt (1985); Sherratt (1986); Durman-Obelic (1989); Bankoff-Wmter (1990); Tnngham (1991); Forenbaher (1993); Hertelendi et al. (1996). "Todorova (1981) 205. 208. 210. 212; Todorova (1982) 48-50; Todorova (1991 ) 91-92; Georgieva (1988). 63 Coleman (1987); Coleman (1992) Vol. II. 203-207 (Fig. 2-5). 64 Kahcz (1973); Kahcz (1980); Kalicz (1991); Kahcz (1992). 6-' Petrasch (1984). 66 Virág (1986) Fig. 4. 1. Fig. 5. 10-13; Kahcz (1991) 361-363. Fig. 1. a-b <m p. 363. 67 Pavelcik ( 1979). 68 Kahcz (1980) 257-267; Kahcz (1988) 85-87; Kalicz (1991) 362375; Horváth (1994). 69 Patay (1985) 43-45; Makkay (1976) 286-290; Kahcz (1982a) 12-16; Bona (1987) 64-72; Kahcz (1991) 361-362.