Zalai Múzeum 15. Horváth László 60 éves (Zalaegerszeg, 2006)

Irena Šavel: The Excavation Site „Behind Raščica near Krog” the Settlement of the Somogyvár–Vinkovci Culture

The Excavation Site „Behind Rascica near Krog" the Settlement of the Somogyvár-Vinkovci Culture 139 Hollow no. 432, 431 in qu. 8 was of irregular oval shape, measuring 6.30 x 3.70 m in size, and 0.40 m in depth. It was located below stratum no. 1 and buried in stratum no. 5A. The fill consisted of grey-brown clay with the following artefacts: 538 fragments of prehistoric pottery, 139 pieces of lep, 2 microliths and a fragment of a quern. Architecture The excavation site was either mixed with the cultivated stratum or was located immediately beneath it. Many important archaeological structures were damaged because the prehistoric settlement had been subjected to heavy and extensive cultivation for several decades. Features were preserved mainly as small or large hollows, concentrations of household roughcast (i.e. lep), post holes, water reservoirs, hearths and fireplaces. Buried features were found (no. 554, 013, 314, 298, 540, 183, 589) measuring up to 10 m in diameter and above-ground structures such as no. 6 measuring 17 x 10 m in size, a concentration of post holes in qu. 34, 35, 50, 51 that indicates the presence of a larger feature measuring 8 x 10 m in size, a concentration of post holes and smaller hollows in qu. 92, 93 that could also indicate above-ground structures. Eight water reservoirs were found, as well as one fireplace and two hearths. Outside these features around thirty larger features were found, which were later interpreted as hollows. Their dimensions ranged from 6.3 x 3.7 m to 1.00 x 0.8 m and were approximately 0.5 to 0.85 m deep. Finds The prevailing element at the site Behind Rascica is pottery, though there is a great number of finds that were made of stone (chippings, kernels, blades), as well as several stone-axes and querns. Among the most common forms from the period of the Early Bronze Age are pots (Figs. 3: 5; 4: 5; 5: 1; 6: 1, 4). The vessels are mostly biconical in shape, normally have cylindrical necks, thickened mouths (plastic split rib) and strip-like handles. Also, many smaller jugs with one or two handles (Fig. 4: 1-4) and several bowls were found. The latter normally have semi-circularly rounded bodies (Figs. 2: 1-3; 3: 3, 6, 7), but there were also some pointed (Fig. 6: 5) and deep (Fig. 5: 4) bowls. Cups usually have cross-shaped feet (Figs. 2: 4, 5; 3: 1, 2, 4), while bowls have handles (Fig. 5: 5). There were also several spindles (Fig. 4: 7), two pieces of moulds, one made of sand-stone (Fig. 6: 3) and the other of clay (Fig. 6: 2), two wheels of a model handcart (Fig. 5: 3, 6) and a piece of the ornamented wall of a handcart (Fig. 5:2). Most of the vessels are ornamented. The prevailing modelling type is that where the decoration is raised from the wall of the vessel. This modelling method also includes mouths that have been attached to the outsides of the vessels and frequently ornamented with fingerprints. These were found on pots (Figs. 3: 5; 4: 5; 5: 1; 6: 4) or bowls (Figs. 2: 1; 5: 4). Incised decoration is another type of ornamentation that can often be found on bowls and pots, and is sometimes accompanied by stitches (Figs. 2: 2, 5; 3: 6; 4: 5) and ornaments made with the furrow-stitch technique (Fig. 3: 3, 7). There are some cases of application made on the walls of the vessels (Fig. 6: 1). Bigger vessels are often decorated by the barbotin technique, which is normally located on the lower part of a vessel (Fig. 5:1). The prevailing elements in the case of stitches and ornaments made with furrow-stitch technique are geometrical motifs; especially as horizontal lines or incised V patterns (Figs. 2: 4; 3: 1, 7). Similarly frequent are hatched triangles in combination with zigzag (Fig. 2: 2-5), scale motif (Fig. 3: 1, 6) or stitches (Figs. 2: 2, 5; 3: 6; 6: 5). It is quite obvious that Behind Rascica is a settlement that belongs to the cultural group of the Somogyvár-Vinkovci culture, which was spread throughout the Pannonian Plain in the Early Bronze Age (KALICZ-SCHREIBER 1986, 249). In the older literature these two cultures were treated as two separate groups (for example GARASANIN 1983, 471^175; BONA 1963-1964, 17-63), but over the years they were gradually merged into one entity - the Somogyvár-Vinkovci culture (BONDÁR 1995, 197). Some authors feel that the carriers of the SomogyvárVinkovci culture occupied the area that had previously been settled by the late Vucedol culture (Vucedol C). The latter was supposedly and to a certain extent contemporary with the early Somogyvár-Vinkovci culture - a fact that was demonstrated by Vucedol finds in the strata of the early Vinkovci culture (DIMITRIJEVIC 1979, 338; MARKOVIC 2003, 120). At the Behind Rascica site quite a few elements were found that speak of a certain amount of contact or influence, for example the decoration of the wall of a model handcart (Fig. 5: 2) with the motif of Andrew's cross that is usually found on the normal or cross-shaped feet in the late classical Vucedol phase (DIMITRUEVIC 1979, 293, T.32: 3, 8). G. Bandi suggested that in the first phase of the Early Bronze Age the cultures of Makó and Somogyvár-Vinkovci were contemporaneous, while in the second phase the Nagyrév and Glockenbecher-Csepel cultural groups started to appear in the area of the Makó culture, while the Somogyvár -Vinkovci culture remained intact (BÁNDI 1981, 25). He also mentioned that the Somogyvár-Vinkovci