Cristian, Virag (szerk.): Neolithic cultural phenomena in the Upper Tisa Basin (Satu Mare, 2015)
Katalin Kovács: The Role of Bodrogzsadány int he Late Neolithic Evolution of the Bodrog Valley
Katalin Kovács of the horizontal settlement,36 Polgár-Bosnyákdomb,37 Hajdúböszörmény-Pród,38 in Hungary; and in Slovakia at Oborin,39 Egres,40 Hrcel41 and Cicarovce-Vel’ká Mol’va.42 According to the ceramic forms and decorations, the material can be dated to the second half of the Late Neolithic period, which is parallel to the I-II (Santovka)43 and II phase of the Lengyel culture,44 the III phase of the Tisza culture,45 the III phase of the Herpály culture46 and the beginning of the Pleszów-group.47 The relations of the sites at Bodrogzsadány Based on the observations made at the three registered sites, these sites actually indicate two Late Neolithic settlements. One is a smaller, 4-4.5 ha wide settlement, which is located on the hill and its side, on both banks of the Bodrog, at the confluence of the Bodrog and Zsadány streams (Sárazsadány-Templomdomb and Sárazsadány 02). The other horizontal settlement (Sárazsadány-Akasztószer) is much larger in extent, almost 23 ha, and lies south of the previous site on a flatter area. We know little about the chronological relations of the two settlements, as the excavation results of Sárazsadány are still unpublished; however, the preliminary reports tell us that next to the similar red-on-white ware as appeared among the Bodrogzsadány finds, the find material also contained finds from the Tisza culture indicating an earlier phase.48 Based on the above, we can postulate that the Sárazsadány settlement was the first to be established; while the Bodrogzsadány settlement is only founded after the disappearance of the Tisza culture. The two settlements existed contemporaneously on the basis of the occurrence of the red-on-white ware; however, it is not known whether the settlements are abandoned at the same time, or one after the other. The question of why two settlements are established so near, only a few kilometres away from one another, can be answered by the geographical location of the Bodrogzsadány site: the settlement lies on a well-guarded hill, half surrounded by waterflows. Due to the vicinity of the two settlements, they must have been in connection with one another; however, the exact characteristics of these relations, for example, whether a tell and horizontal settlement relationship typical of the Late Neolithic settlements of the Great Hungarian Plain had existed, cannot be determined so far. The Late Neolithic development of the Bodrog Valley The Bodrog Valley was regarded as a densely populated area compared to other regions in the Late Neolithic period. Similar settlement concentration can be seen in Southeast Slovakia; however, in other regions the settlements are scattered (Pi. 3). Of course, the settlements in the Bodrog Valley did not exist in the same period, as chronological differences can be demonstrated between them. Before the Late Neolithic period the Bükk culture spread in this region, its settlement can also be found at Bodrogzsadány. Here the unearthed Bükk and Late Neolithic pottery finds did not have any relationship with each other; consequently, there must have been a hiatus between the two occupations. A similar hiatus could be observed between 36 Raczky et al 1997; Raczky/Domboróczki/Hajdú 2007; Sebők 2007. 37 Raczky/Anders 2009. 38 Raczky/Fodor/Mester 2010. 39 Vizdal 1961; Vizdal 1962; Siska 1968, 92-93; Vizdal 1970. 40 Gasaj 1978; Gasaj 1981. 41 Kaminská 1987; Kaminská/Pelisiak 1991; Lichardus/Lichardus-Itten 1997, 182. 42 Kaminská 2007, Kaminská 2010 . 43 Pavúk 1994. 44 Pávák 1965; Pávák 1981; Némejcová/Paváková 1986. 45 Kalicz/Raczky 1987, 25-27. 46 Kalicz/Raczky 1984. 47 Kaczanowska 2006. 48 Bognár-Kutzián 1959, 202; Bánffy 2008, 163. 234
