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

ENDRŐDI ANNA-HORVÁTH M. ATTILA containing the finds of the Bell Beaker culture and dated to the time of the Bunnanaro culture. This period is parallel with the time of the Bell Beaker Csepel-Group. In an earlier study we highlighted the hitherto unknown religious concept of the Csepel Bell Beaker Group with the help of observations made on the Budapest-Albertfalva excavation site, which were further substantiated by archeo-astronomical examinations and two shards displaying channelledknob ornaments. The schematic representation of the Sun symbol appears, although rarely, in the accompanying grave goods of the Csepel Group. During the test excavation carried out on the WWTP in 2004 we came upon a cremation urn covered by a lid bowl and embellished with 4 jutting ornaments in the Bell Beaker Group Csepel graveyard no. 3 (Fig. 4.1).

16 The embossed or engraved concentric circles enclosing knobs that embellish the "Beigleitkeramik", the German for vessels accompanying grave goods, are rare in the case of the Bell Beaker group Csepel and can arguably be classified as abstract and schematic representations of the Sun.

17 We have also drawn attention to the fact that similar ornaments also occur on the gold "Sun" discs in the Western regions of the Bell Beaker culture (the finds number 21 gold discs from Ireland, 6 from Scotland, 5 from England and 1 from France).

18 The gold disc recovered in the Banc Tyndol region Scotland (grave find) carries three concentric circles, with two holes in the middle by means of which it could be fastened. The outer circle is skirted by a punched pattern.

19 (Fig. 4.4) A similar sun disc is known from the Kirk Andrews-Isle of Man region England carrying a threefold punched circular pattern with two holes. (Fig. 4.3)

2Q Closely related to this set of finds is our smaller scale gold disc that surfaced on the Csepel Island, which bears out our claim that sun discs and vessels found among grave goods dating from the early Bronze Age strongly referred to the individual's social standing. 26