KOVÁCS TIBOR: TUMULUS CULTURE CEMETERIES OF TISZAFÜRED / Régészeti Füzetek II/17. (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Budapest, 1975)
III.Some considerations on the cemeteries
We found several hairdo decorations and ear-rings among the jewels worn on the head in our graves. The triple boat-shaped hairdo decoration made of one plate was worn like its predecessor by the groups of people of the Tisza area. 9 2 The hair decoration found next to the skull of grave D (Fertőihalom) was made of bronze plate (Pl. 34-D/l). They etched the line pile motive into this then plated the whole surface with gold. An example of this made of gold plate of similar size and decoration came to light from the disturbed grave 282 (PI. 26-282/1). These two pieces provide an excellent example for the fact that a given people in some cases used the same technique, similar or identical decoration in their metal workshops. Furthermore the similarity of shape and motives of these jewels, their almost identity, may be an important proof for the hypothesis that the gold imported from Transylvania was used up by the local metal workshops. This probably applies to the gold wire hair rings found in graves 171, 217, 326 (Noppenring) (Pl. 21-217/8, Pl. 30-326/4). 9 3 The position of the rings in grave 160 (under the skull) and in grave 161 (on the skull) indicate that these were worn by the women in their ears. Ear-rings were usually made of circular wires, thus very few remained in an identifiable condition (for example PI. 15-160/19-20, PI. 29-319/7, Pl. 34-D/2). The people living in the Tisza area during the Middle and Late Bronze Age did not know the torque. 9 4 They wore necklaces of different material strung of pendents, beads. Most likely only the women wore them, because no objects indicating necklaces were found in the graves of men. The frequency of objects indicated necklaces in graves of our cemetery is as follows: three pendents of twisted bronze wires, so called spiral tubes were found in 26 graves, cast bronze pendents in 36, bored animal teeth in graves 44, 102, 304 (PL 44-44/3, PL 10-102/26, PL 28-304/910), bored shells from graves 18, 29, 98, 102, 161, 284, 342, and from grave D (see Pl. 34-D/4), beads of bent bronze plate in grave 102 (PL 10-102/25, PL 14-157/1-5), clay beads in graves 81 and 132 (PL 8-81/10-11, PL 11—132/4—5), and fayance beads in grave 56 (PL 5—56/15). It is here that we mention the amorphous amber piece found in grave 342 (PL 31—342/17) which bears a decoration of radii scored lines. Its function is unknown. It is possible that the piece saved the condition of raw material before processing, imported here. From the listing of these figures one cannot come to far reaching conclusions, because at cremation mostly the small objects forming necklaces became deformed or disintegrated. At the same time the data of skeleton graves indicate that necklaces were composed mainly of bronze pendents, and beads of other material like amber, fayance, gold, which had to be obtained from other areas were extremely rare. 9 5 Since the majority of necklaces strung on animal tendon disintegrated at the time of burial, this jewel is seldom found in a position which would indicate it stringing, or generally its original condition (see graves 160, 102, 324). The most beautiful necklace was worn by the woman of grave 342 (fig. 25). There were different bronze pendents and shell beads hanging on the necklace composed completely of spiral tubes. 9 6 We found bracelets in 54 graves. Most of them contained one (grave 31), two were found in 19, three in 2, and four in another 2. A certain rule can be observed that the extensively jeweled women wore generally two bracelets (see graves 143, 175, 342, 359) less generally three (graves 66, 160) or four (graves 102, 330). 9 7 In the cases of male burials containing arms, five did not contain bracelets, there was one in grave 73, and two in grave 252. If the individual wore one on each arm, they both were, without exception, of identical types. At most the decoration may have varied, the phenomena we already observed in the case of pin-pairs. Like for example we found pairs of bracelets with pin endings of circular wire in graves 51, 110, 143, 157, 274; and identical, so called seal-ended examples in graves 82, 132, 252, 176. There were four pieces of the first one in grave 330 (PL 30-330/3-6) and four of the second type in grave 102 (PL 10-102/6—9). Differenc versions of the so called seal-ended bracelets were worn by the individuals buried in graves 56 and 342. On other words, only the bracelet wearing custom of these two differ from the above mentioned. Variations of rings of ribbed plates or bent wires are found in 56 graves. No difference can be noticed between the rings worn on fingers or toes. Except for one, the number of rings on limbs in the undisturbed graves was four as a maximum. It seems that no rings were worn in thumbs and big toes, or only a very few did (see Fig. 9 and 12). 9 8 We must close this brief summary of jewels with an unfortunate negative result, that no typical plate diadems, and belts characteristic to the Tumulus grave culture were found at Tiszafüred. C. Arms. Surprisingly few weapons were found in our cemetery. There was not a single sword or lance in any of the graves. The best picture of the period's fighter is provided by the equipment of grave 174 (Fig. 14). His dagger and his flinstone" to sharpen his weapons were found on the pelvic bones. The so called rimmed ax, which must have been used as tool and a weapon was behind the skull, the bronze punch was on the upper arm bones. 10 0 From the position of the flintstone and the dagger it seems that these were worn on a leather belt. Aside from these mentioned two other fighters were buried with daggers at Tiszafüred. Two of these were placed after cremation into their graves, and four before. Of these latter ones, in three cases, the daggers were next to the hands, or in the hands, and in one case behind the arm. This means that in graves 73, 99, 135, 252 the dagger was placed in a „ready to use" position by the relatives, according to the contemporary beliefs, sending the dead prepared to the other world. Differently of these, as we saw, the dagger of grave 174 was placed according to wear under the belt. This difference of the position of daggers in graves can be seen during the earlier centuries of the Bronze Age, but even though we know little of the reason of the difference of these rites. 10 1 47
