Kelemen Imola (szerk.): A Csíki Székely Múzeum Évkönyve 7. (Csíkszereda, 2011)
Régészet - Tibor-Tamás Daróczi–Imola Kelemen: A bronze age bridler decoration from Mihăileni (Csíkszentmihály), Depr. of Ciuc
A BRONZE AGE BRIDLE DECORATION FROM MIHĂILENI (CSÍKSZENTMIHÁLY), DEPR. OF CIUC Tibor-Tamás Daróczi, Imola Kelemen The object was found in the modern village of Mihailem (Csíkszentmihály) in the Depression of Ciuc.1 Its exact provenance is unknown but two sites are mentioned in the county’s repertoire as possible candidates. One of them is the graveyard of the catholic church, while the other is the site not far from this called ruinele satului Czibre.2 3 It was donated to the Szekler Museum of Ciuc (Csíki Székely Múzeum - Miercurea-Ciuc/Csíksze- reda) and it is registered at this institution under the inventory number 474 (pl. 1). In the repertoire, it is referred to as a “bone disc, with a central perforation, decorated in the so-called Mycenaean style”. The disc has a diameter roughly around 7.7 cm and a thickness varying between 0.3-0.6 cm. It has a central, circular perforation of a 0.5 cm diameter. It is slightly arched and its edges are thickened by a 0.3 cm wide ledge. The inner part is thinner than the edge, and on the back the object gives the impression of having been hollowed out. Its shape is not perfectly circular, since a chip or cut has made the arch of the disc slightly irregular, i.e. straight. The front part is decorated and has a smoother finish. The entire decoration was created either through carving or drilling. The central perforation is bordered by simple, shallow circular carving. Projecting from this are five rays, comprising of rough half-circles, which in turn are linked at their top by smaller half-circles. The connection in the motif between the half-circles of the projecting rays and the linking ones is made by full or almost complete, carved circles. These circles have point-like drillings in their middle and point-like drillings occur between the pairs of circles as well. The final elements of the decoration are further pointlike drillings in the areas between the projecting rays. Contrary to the description in the repertoire the disc is not of bone but antler5 and has neatly smoothed surfaces on both sides. Whether this polished surface is intentional or due to usage is unknown. In one instance, the method of drilling can be recognised by the little bulk left in the middle of the point-like shape, showing that it was drilled with a hollow, tube-like object. Plate 1. The antler disc from Mihăileni (Csíkszentmihály) 1 We would like to thank Laerke Recht for her help and suggestions and the co-workers in the Szekler Museum of Ciuc: Judith Bereczki for kindly placing the disc at our disposal and Gyöngyvér Nagy for taking the photographs. 2 CAVRUC 2000, 152, XXVIIb-1,2, no. 426,427. 3 Many thanks to Alice Choyke, who kindly pointed us in the right direction. A Csíki Székely Múzeum Évkönyve VII., 2011, p. 27-32. 27
