Budapest Régiségei 40. (2007)

TANULMÁNYOK - Endrődi Anna - Horváth M. Attila: Kora bronzkori arany korong Csepel-szigetről = Early Bronze Age gold disc from the Csepel Island 21

KORABRONZKORI ARANY KORONG CSEPEL-SZIGETRŐL EARLY BRONZE AGE GOLD DISC FROM THE CSEPEL ISLAND A test excavation in 2004

1 and the investment-led archaeological excavation carried out in 2006 unearthed close to 800 objects on the Northern End of the Csepel Island (Nagyduna sor) on an area of 120,000 or so square meters. We had to effect both excavations before the construction of the Central Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) extending over an area of 29 acres. (Fig. 1) The finds number a total of 233 objects dating from the Bronze Age, two hundred and twenty of which are either specimens of the Bell Beaker group Csepel or specimens of the Nagyrév Culture, the remaining thirteen being representatives of the late Bronze Age Urnfield Culture. Covering the Budapest-Csepel region, The Bell Beaker group Csepel appeared over a narrow stretch along the Danube in the middle of the 3

rd millennium B. G (the second period of the Early Bronze Age in Hungarian terminology), simultaneously with other Central European Bell Beaker groups (Fig. 1.1). The artifacts concurring with cremation and inhumation burial grave goods feature alongside the Bell Beakers bronze daggers, wristquards and bone buttons with v-shaped bores and span a relatively short period since they arguably merged with the Nagyrév Culture.

4 Both banks of the Danube are densely dotted with Bell Beaker finds of the Csepel Group, spanning the distance between Tököl and the Northern Edge of the island on one side, and from Szigetszentmiklós to Hollandi út on the other.

5 Further inland, we uncovered part of the cemetery of the Bell Beaker group Csepel on the WWTP excavation site, where we found urn and scattered cremation graves. As expected, the cremation urns covered by lid bowls and the graves contained types of earthenware peculiar to the Bell Beaker Culture. The most remarkable finding in 2006, the golden disc had lain hidden in cremation urn no. 741, and had also contained beaker paraphernalia (cf. Fig. 1.2 and 2.1-5). The urn grave surfaced 200 meters away from the Holocene Danube riverbed. No grave spot was to be observed. ACCOMPANYING GRAVE GOODS 1. Urn with a bulging rim, engraved ribbing and band handle; dented and highly fragmented (fig. 3.5). Found in the sub-humus. It is typical of the Bell Beaker Csepel group specimens also found in the Békásmegyer,

6 Csepel-Vízmű (Waterworks)

7 and Budatétény

8 area. 2. Lid dish with corrugated bottom; rim with a tapering knob; placed upside down on the urn (Fig. 3.2). A variant with embellished rim was also in widespread use in burials and settlements (cf. Békásmegyer, Szigetszentmiklós-Üdülősor

9

). However, with its corrugated bottom and knobbed rim, the present specimen arguably belongs to a later ceramic phase (Budatétény, Albertfalva).

10 3. Footed bowl even-rimmed, provided with a base; found west of the urn, turned with its mouth down (fig. 3.4), and presumably moved from its original position. The finishing of the base is reminiscent of the latest phase of the Csepel Group, specimens of which are to be seen among the Budatétény finds.

11 4. Mug with conical belly one-third way up, and band-handle, found below bowl no. 3. (Fig. 3.3). Burial earthenware that are suggestive of a high social standing ("Beigleitkeramik"), differ from the present specimen in terms of their rounded belly, with conical belly being a salient feature of the Budatétény and early Nagyrév Culture.

13 5. Gold disc. Found inside the urn (Fig. 2.4, 3.1, 4.7 a-b) on the ashes. In the extensive graveyard of the Csepel Bell Beaker Culture two gold discs turned up inside two different urns on the BudakalászCsajerszke location in 2005.

14 6. Calcinated bones inside the Urn. The Csepel finds can be dated to the Early Bronze Age, phase 2b, and are related to the late Csepel Bell Beaker group. Embellished with concentric circles and originally bulging in the middle, the gold disc measures 1,6x1,4 cm in diameter. Along the hem, there are 4 holes arranged diametrically (2 at each end), along with a bigger hole in the centre (Fig. 4.7. a-b). Originally, it would have been a dress decoration item, but was presumably later converted into an amulet by boring the bulging middle. The hem of the disc is warped, and was placed in the grave itself with a flaw on it. Although examination is currently underway, it can safely be claimed that gold discs of the Western groups of the Bell Beaker culture are related to our finds. A comparison with the early Bronze Age Nagyrév vessel found in the Budapest-Pannonhalmi út region, on which the Sun is symbolized by engraved concentric circles, leaves no doubt about the present specimen also being one such symbol (Fig. 4.6). The same ornament appears on a motive ornamenting the entrance of the passage grave from Anhelu Rojo (Alghero) (Fig. 4.5J

5 in Sardinia 25