Marta, Liviu: The Late Bronze Age Settlements of Petea-Csengersima (Satu Mare, 2009)
III. Habitation of te Suciu de Sus Archaeological Culture
majority of oversized needles with disc and protuberances discovered in graves and bronze deposits had been broken or bent . The association of these pieces with the elite’s garments of that time is indicated by the discovery of a big needle with protuberances within a tumulus grave at Nyírkarasz-Gyulaháza, besides gold jewellery and bronze weapons (a sword, a dagger, a battle axe). This link is further enforced by the fact that the majority of the deposits in which needles with disc and protuberances are present and weapons were considered specific of the elite (swords, daggers, less frequent axe types) 290 291. The association of these garment accessories with the elite and the inconvenience of an every day use suggest their occasional use, in festive context. In the eastern edge of the settlement five vessel deposits were also discovered, each containing a vessel in standing position, placed with the mouth upward. Three of these can be attributed to the Suciu de Sus culture (PI. 4/4, 13, 11/16), one vessel to the Lăpuş II— Gáva I habitation, and one pot could not be culturally attributed (PI. 12/13). The pots have been discovered complete but due to the poor quality of the clay they broke and could not be restored. An amphora was placed on the base of pit S10 complex4 (PI. 13, Fig. 8). The flat base and cylindrical walls of the pit attest a certain care taken in its digging. The mouth of the vessel was damaged by the plough. A second amphora had the same position (PI. 4/4), however it was buried higher than the preceding vessel, but the pit has not reached the sterile soil. This is the reason why this vessel was severely damaged by ploughing. Single amphora deposits, buried with the mouth upward or downward are widespread in the European continent292. For the period of the Late Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age this vessel type deposits are well attested in the area of the Tisa Plain293. Its ritual character is in fact given by the frequency in occurrence that outline a well defined model. One of the pots, attributed to the Suciu de Sus culture, based on its form, can be considered a ritual deposit (PI. 11/6). The pot contained a clay weight, while outside the pot, next to it, there was another clay weight (PI. 11/14,15). Clay weights are often present in deposits, within the finds of vessel deposits as well as within complexes with funeral character294 295. The human skull discovered in pit 189 within the settlement at Petea—Csengersima is likely to have links with the religious beliefs of the time. Human skeletons or only parts of these are often found in settlements that date the Late Bronze Age. They belong to different cultures of the European region. On one hand their interpretation is associated with certain religious or funeral practices, while in other instances their presence within settlements is linked with profane events293. In the case of pit 189 from the setdement at Petea—Csengersima, the heterogeneous archaeological material and its dispersion throughout the fill of the pit indicate that the filling of the pit took place during a longer time span and implicitly that it can be attributed a profane character. However, the presence of a sheep skull in the close proximity of the human skull, at the same level of the fill, is likely to be interpreted as a religious ritual (fig. 20). An additional argument is the presence of the jawbones that indicate that both skulls had been buried shordy after decapitation. Certain finds discovered within the setdements can also be linked with religious manifestations. The bird-shaped representations (PI. 91/11, 26/3) are an illustration of the symbolic nature of some religious ideas which are universally encountered within the Bronze 290 Marta 2005, p. 85-86. 291 Ópályi (Mozsolics 1963), Tiszabezdéd (Mozsolics 1973, p. 182-183, taf. 57D), Beltiug (Mozsolics 1973, taf. 57C; Bader 1978, p.120, taff. 77), Chudl’ovo (Kobal’ 1998, p. 33-34 taf. 1-4). The only deposits where this association is absent is that from Petea and the deposit found in 1937 in an unknown point within the village of Obava (Kobal’ 2000, p. 91, taf 17G). 292 Stapel 1999, p. 104-106. 293 V. Szabó 2004, p. 86. 294 Kacsó 1990, p. 80-81 (at Libotin pit G1 found under a burnt deposition contained 23 clay weights); Dumitraşcu 1994, p. 106 (Biharea - M3); S14cx.5 (Petea—Csengersima, phase Lăpuş II—Gáva I). 295 Peter-Röcher 1994; Stapel 1999, p. 221-255. 47
