Marta, Liviu: The Late Bronze Age Settlements of Petea-Csengersima (Satu Mare, 2009)

III. Habitation of te Suciu de Sus Archaeological Culture

exclusion of some pottery fragments that could not be incorporated into more precisely defined pottery forms was avoided. To achieve a more complete statistics, but at the same time having the possibility of more precise inclusions — necessary in the case of limited categories which on the other hand have chronological importance — I considered a gradual division- as being suitable, which could have several subdivisions (general forms, types, subtypes, variants). The table below shows the number of the major vessel forms within the setdement.

IDENTIFIED

VESSEL

FORMS

A

M

P

H

O

R

A

E

P

O

T

S

STORAGE

VESSELS

COOKING

VESSELS

BOW

LS/

DISH

ES

C

u

p

s

T

R

A

Y

S

L

I

D

S

S

T

R

A

I

N

E

R

S

EMBER

PROTECTORS

S

P

O

O

N

s

783

93

237

1 1

90

126

210

7

2

3

2

2

A.mphorae

These represent the category of vessels with narrow base, a conical body with the maximum diameter at the level of the shoulders, pronounced neck and out curving rim. It is a category with medium frequency, represented by a percentage of 11,87%. Two complete vessels were of 35-40 cm in height, but within the Suciu de Sus culture (if we include the Lăpuş I phase) the height of these vessels varies between 16,6 cm73 and 100 cm74. On the basis of the architecture of the main components, the amphorae have been divided into three types. Given the fragmentary state of the pottery, the types could only be established for a number of 26 vessels.

Type 1 includes vessels with wide out curving rim, short and arched neck, the body having its maximum inflection point in the upper part and with its lower half growing narrower towards the base (typological table I, PI. 13, 26/2, 32, 59/1). The vessel is shorter then the diameter of the mouth. 7 examples of this type have been identified within the complexes of the settlement (26,92%). Type 1 amphorae are usually richly ornamented. The decoration is rather unitary in concept, consisting of two horizontal registers which cover the body and the neck of the vessels. The main register is on the body of the vessels, comprising four large incised-excised or channelled spirals, their protruding tips being at the middle of the body. One small spiral departs from each large spiral, decorating the shoulder of the vessel. The tips of these small spirals are also protruding. The second register adorns the necks of the vessels. Usually the area below the rim or sometimes the edge of the rim is emphasized by means of a strip of oblique, vertical or hachured lines (motifs HA, HB, HC). Rarely is the upper side/face of the rim decorated, and as opposed to other intensely ornamented forms (cups and bowls), the base is never decorated. The shoulder has perforated lugs of the false small handle type (PI. 26/2), which are analogous to the small handles that can be found on some examples discovered in other sites75. Type 1 is well represented in sites with excised pottery of the Suciu de Sus culture (phases II76 and III7’).

73 The vessel from Satu Mare (Bader — Lazin 1980, fig. 17, Marta — Szőcs — Gindele 2007, nr. 113).

74 Kacsó 1981, p. 26.

75 Stanovo (Zátlukal - Zádukal 1937, 6. ábra), Nyírmada (Tóth - Marta 2005, abb. 4), Dorolţ (Marta 2007, ris. 1/3).

76 For the purpose of analysing the pottery of the Suciu de Sus culture I used an evolutionary scheme with three phases (realized by T. Bader) so as to illustrate the way in which the transition period from incision to excision (the Culciu Mic phase — II phase) reflects a transitional character in the sphere of pottery forms as well.

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