Marta, Liviu (szerk.): Satu Mare. Studii şi comunicări. Seria arheologie 26/1. (2010)

Nagy József-Gábor - Körösfői Zsolt: Early Iron Age Storage Pit at Porumbenii Mari-Várfele (Harghita County)

Nagy József -Gábor-Körösfői Zsolt

The village of Porumbenii Mari is located 10 km east from Cristuru Secuiesc, on the right bank of the Târnava Mare River’s middle section, in the Porumbenii Mari Valley. The first mention and geographical specification of Porumbenii Mari - Várfele was by Balázs Orbán.1 2 Afterwards, several authors mention the site in the literature.3

Over this period of time some archaeological findings discovered at this site were brought to the Transylvanian National History Museum’s storage. It is worth mentioning the black-brick red and black-yellow, polished pottery fragments, decorated with incised meanders and channeling donated by Samu Borbély and Eugen Groza in 1922-1923 and 1934.4 A “Villanovan urn”5 fragment as well was believed by Márton Roska to have come from this site.6

The pottery fragments found by Sándor Ferenczi in the summer of 1933 completed the series of the finds from Porumbenii Mari-Várfele. One can distinguish urn fragments decorated with channeling, incurved bowl fragments and a stone net weight.7 8

In the 1950’s István Ferenczi and Géza Ferenczi’s field walks provided new information about the Early Iron Ages settlement from Porumbenii Mari.9 Following the research made in the sixties by the Ferenczi brothers, several vessel fragments were brought into the Museum of Cristuru Secuiesc.10

An important milestone of the research at this site was the rescue excavation carried out by Zoltán Székely and István Molnár.11 During the archaeological recovery of the

Early Iron Age Storage Pit at Porumbenii Mari-Várfele (Harghita County)1

1 I would like to thank Dr. Zsolt Molnár-Kovács for his work on revision of the study.

2 „A Vágás pataka és Küküllő összefolyása közti Várfele sarka nevű előfokon, a tető-csúcsot oly sánczolatok körítik, mely egy itt állott váracsra engednek következtetni” (Orbán 1868, 30). The site is located on the height called Várfele, between the confluence of the Vágás stream and the Târnava Mare River.

1 Macrea et al. 1951, 306; Popescu 1958, 144, nr. 23; Popescu 1958a, 482, 23; Horedt 1961, 181/6; Morintz 1970, 95; Ferenczi - Ferenczi 1973, 339; Ardeu 1995-1996, 210, nr. 153/a; Benkő 1992, 112-113, 15/12; RepHar 2000, 159, nr. XXVIII g/2 (462).

4 Kalmar - Crişan 1995, 754, nr. IV, pl. V (MNIT, Cluj-Napoca, INV. 2879-2962 = P. 54481,45499-45562, 45564-5. 6).

5 The Villanova type um, the most characteristic vessel of the Gáva culture, which in Transylvania bares importance only

for the historiography, drew the attention of many researchers, who noticed the resemblance with the early Italian ums (Childe 1929, 291). Later István Foltiny considered the „pseudo Villanova ums” as the characteristic vessel type of the Gáva group, separating the variants into different periods (Reinecke Br. D - Ha A-B) and areas (Carpathian Basin). This researcher contradicted the connection with Northern Italy and emphasized the importance of local groups such as Füzesabony, Egyek, Berkesz-Demecser, Noua, Suciu de Sus, Otomani, Wietenberg, Vatina, Gârla-Mare, Dubovâc and Vatya (Foltiny 1967, 65-67).

6 Roska 1942, 192, nr. 31 (MNIT, Cluj-Napoca, INV. IV. 2484); Márton Roska in his archaeological repertory marked the Porumbenii Mari settlement on the sites map belonging to the Villanova-Hallstatt culture (Roska 1942, 192, 349- 350, XVII, 124).

7 Roska 1942, 192, nr. 31 (MNS, Sfântu Gheorghe, INV. 8168-9); Ferenczi - Ferenczi 1958, 19, nr. 111/la; RepHar 2000,

159, nr. XXVIII g/2 (462).

8 This study refers mainly to the early and middle period of the Early Iron Age of the research area. Although the terminology Reinecke Hallstatt A-D used in the Romanian literature applies mostly to the Central European Region, because it has a well established tradition it will be used hereafter. Gogâltan Florin, based on the chronological systems established by the researchers Amália Mozsolics (Mozsolics 1984, p. 47-48), Tibor Kemenczei (Kemenczei 1996, 247- 271), Vasiliev Valentin (Vasieliev et al. 1991, 102-129) and Károly Kacsó (Kacsó 1990, p. 42-49) divided the Transylvanian Late Bronze Age into three periods; Late Bronze Age I-III, Central European Br. B2-C-Ha A, and the Early Iron Age into four periods: Early Iron Age I-IV, Ha A2-B,-Ha D (Gogâltan 1999-2000, 43-47).

9 Ferenczi - Ferenczi 1958, 18-19, nr. Ill/la (MHR, Odorheiu Secuiesc, INV. 3780-3809, 5072). On the Vártető site, located North-East of the modern day settlement, there is a mention in the earlier literature of an Early Iron Age settlement which can be linked to the one from Várfele. It was probably a satellite settlement located close to the fortified settlement. The name Vártető may indicate a refuge fortification to which there are analogies from the same time and in similar locations at: Someşul Rece-Cetate, Huedin-Bolic and Sărăţel (Ferenczi-Ferenczi 1958, 19-20, III/1 b).

10 Benkő 1992, 113 (INV. 188-190, 268-270, 421,988-989); RepHar 2000, 159, nr. XXVIII g/2 (462).

" Popescu 1958, 144, nr. 23; Székely 1959a, 194-196; Horedt 1961, 181/6; Székely 1966, 29; Benkő 1992, 113; RepHar 2000, 159, nr. XXVIIIg/2 (462).

Satu Mare - Studii şi Comunicări, nr. XXVI /1, 2010