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Budapest Régiségei 36. (2002) – in Memoriam Rózsa Kalicz-Schreiber

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Budapest Régiségei 36. (2002) – in Memoriam Rózsa Kalicz-Schreiber BUDAPEST RÉGISÉGEI XXXVI. 2002. PÁL RACZKY EVIDENCE OF CONTACTS BETWEEN THE LENGYEL AND TISZA-HERPÁLY CULTURES AT THE LATE NEOLITHIC SITE OF POLGÁR-CSŐSZHALOM (Relationships between Central European and Balkan ritual practice and sacral thought in the Upper Tisza Region) Following the first test excavations in 1957, compre­ ideological fusion between the underlying thought hensive archaeological research at the settlement of processes.2 The macro-level analysis of topographic Polgár-Csőszhalom began in 1989. This project phenomena at the site of Polgár-Csőszhalom has, reached a qualitatively new phase in 1995, when res­ thus, revealed the coexistence of Lengyel as well as cue excavations preceding the construction of the M3 Tisza-Herpály cultural i. e. stylistic units at this settle­ Motorway allowed large surfaces to be uncovered. As ment. It is also of great importance that the 28 a result of this extensive field work, as well as the use hectares area of the Late Neolithic horizontal site at of interdisciplinary methods, it became clear that the Polgár is characterized by settlement features of the well-known central mound, considered a tell site in Lengyel Culture, a unique occurrence in the Great the literature, had been surrounded by a 28 hectares Hungarian Plain during this period. This fact, in and large, single-layer, horizontal settlement. of itself, allows conclusions to be drawn concerning Aerial photographs and magneto metric surveys the decisive role the Lengyel Culture played in the meanwhile clearly outlined a system of concentric cir­ Late Neolithic of the Tisza Region. Similar cultural cular structures that measured 180 m in diameter. It connections were already outlined in a previous study- comprised five circular ditches and a triple palisade. by István Ecsedy. Although he did not carried out These surrounded the tell and practically isolated it detailed research on this topic, he indicated the instru­ from the external settlement. On the basis of observa­ mental role strong Lengyel Culture antecedents and tions made during the excavation, it could be unam­ their inf luence played in the emergence of the Copper biguously concluded that the two settlement phenome­ Age in the region of the Tisza River.3 More recently na (i. e. tell and the horizontal settlement) formed a G. Lazarovici has listed a number of points which sup­ composite structure that functioned synchronously. port the existence of a closer cultural contact between Moreover, a number of archaeological data have sug­ the Lengyel Culture in Transdanubia (Western Hun­ gested that it is not the tell and the pertinent concentric gary) and the Iclod Culture in Transylvania (Roma­ ditch system that should be considered a typical settle­ nia).4 Marked but sporadic occurrences of the Trans- ment, but the external, horizontal part of the occupa­ danubian Lengyel Culture in the northern section of tion. According to this topographic interpretation, the the Great Hungarian Plain may, in principle, be tell itself is an area of distinguished function, isolated explained by the outstanding strategic and trade from the spheres of everyday activity The concentric importance of this region in the northeastern corner layout of settlement features within, the central build­ of the Carpathian Basin. This significance is further ing^), special finds, and the unusually great number of accentuated by the geographical proximity of natural decorated ceramic sherds of non-mundane function as obsidian mines in the nearby Tokaj Hills. Evidently, it well as the unusual spatial distribution of masses of must have been these same features that played a fun­ animal bone confirm the communal/sacral character of damental role in the infiltration of the Lengyel Culture the unit surrounded by concentric ditches.1 from the direction of Little Poland.5 Strong tendencies Beyond the aforementioned results, the duality of reflecting the delineated system of contacts may be the tell and concentric ditches seems to reflect a sym­ clearly recognized in the geographical distribution of biosis between the Tisza-Herpály type tell settle­ stone tool raw materials recovered from Polgár-Csősz­ 6 ments known from the Great Hungarian Plain and halom and their own connection network. Lengyel ditch systems of Central European character, 2 usually found in Transdanubia, in Western Hungary. RACZKY 1995; RACZKY-MEIER-ARENDT ET AL. 2002. 833-838, 840-849. These structural phenomena may also represent an 3 ECSEDY 1982.76, 91 4 LAZAROVICI-DRASOVEAN-MAXIM 2002. 11-12. 1 RACZKY ET. AL. 1994; 1997. 5 KACZANOWSKA-KOZLOWSKY 2001. 13-14. 79 PÁL RACZKY The aforementioned research results show the emi­ implies at least two levels of sacral activity character­ nent archaeological significance of the Polgár-Csősz­ ized by different degrees of organization. It may be halom settlement, since these large surface excava­ hypothesized that certain activities were related to tions not only expose a reliable profile in a narrowly house units, that is, to the family as a social entity. In defined area during the Late Neolithic. In addition, addition, however, special activities were isolated they facilitate the drafting of broader cultural connec­ from the mundane, household environment, within tions in eastern Central Europe. the concentric ditches, possibly requiring a different This overall picture, previously supported by type of communal organization. archaeological topography can be better founded and In the sphere of Lengyel cultural influence, bet­ further elaborated on using the new data to be pub­ ween Trans dan ubia and the Upper Danube region, lished in this paper. Consequently, the present article areas distinguished by circular ditches tend to demar­ is a review of archaeological phenomena and monu­ cate sacral spaces. This observation is further corro­ ments from Polgár-Csőszhalom that either played a borated by the example of Se, a settlement where the role in ancient ritual activity or represent differences fragments of 130 anthropomorphic figurines were and similarities between the sacral activities of the found within the concentric ditch system, while they Lengyel and Tisza-Herpály Cultures. tend to occur but sporadically at coeval sites.10 A simi­ Burials represent a noteworthy manifestation of lar observation was published from the settlement of how space was internally sub-divided at Polgár-Csősz­ Tesetice in Moravia, where anthropomorphic figu­ halom. They also help in distinguishing between the rines occurred 3.5 times more frequently from within prehistoric significance of various areas. The horizon­ the circular ditch system than in the pertinent hori­ tal settlement covers 4.5 hectares outside the tell. This zontal settlement.11 These examples indicate the clear surface revealed the remains of 62 houses and 116 connection between a particular archaeological fea­ graves. The latter formed small clusters of one, two or ture (circular ditch system) and a special group of arti­ three. Meanwhile, a population of 30CM00 souls may facts (anthropomorphic figurines). be estimated on the basis of the houses. Thus, the rest In contrast to the aforementioned cases, figurines of the population must have been buried somewhere whose sacral meaning may well be hypothesized were else. Moreover, children's graves occur but rarely in equally likely to come to light from the inner tell area the single-layer, horizontal settlements among the and the external, horizontal settlement at Pol­ houses. They occur very frequently however, within gár-Csőszhalom. It may be said, in general, that there the tell, surrounded by the circular ditch system. is no evident concentration in the spatial distribution Already Ida Bognár-Kutzián noticed during her first of figurines within this settlement. This observation survey excavations in 1957, that the trench opened on seems to suggest that at Polgár-Csőszhalom both ter­ the Polgár-Csőszhalom tell contained two graves of ritorial units served as areas of non-mundane activity. children, four of adult men and a symbolic burial (with An assemblage of miniature figurines were found grave goods considered male attributes). Women's in one of the burnt houses within the tell area sur­ graves, on the other hand, were missing.7 In addition, rounded by the ditch system.12 The best spiritual and the analysis of animal bones from these early excava­ formal parallel to this find was found in a cultic assem­ tions was suggested the consumption of tremendous blage from Cicarovce.13 These phenomena represent amounts of meat. These impressive data encouraged Tisza-Herpály Culture traditions where similar sacral population estimates based on meat consumption that behavior may be observed at the sites in question. are hard to consider realistic.8 From the viewpoint of the present investigations, Subsequent statistical analyses of the animal an essentially new type of find came to light from the remains brought to light during the course of recent central place within the circular ditch system at the tell excavations showed a dominance of wild animal settlement of Polgár-Csőszhalom, a fragmented, remains within the circular ditch system, while food anthropomorphic vessel (Fig. 1. la-c, 1. 2a-c). Fortu­ refuse around the houses in the external, horizontal nately the original shape of this vessel can be reliably settlement were characterized by a majority of domes­ reconstructed: its body is follows the form of a human tic animal remains.9 torso, decorated with two legs bent at the knee. This chain of interrelated evidence not only shows Meanwhile two small arm-shaped clay columns origi­ that various parts of the settlement played different nate on the broken profile line of this biconical vessel roles in the life of the prehistoric community This also (Fig. 1. 2a-c). Unfortunately the rim that must once 6 BÁCSKAY-T. BIRO 2002. 851; KACZANOWSKA-KOZLOWSKY 1997. 225. 10 KALICZ 1998. 65-66. 7 BOGNÁR-KUTZIÁN 1963. 383, 414. UPODBORSKY1985. 210. «VÖRÖS 1987. 27-29; MAKKAY 1991. 323; RACZKY 1998. 482-486. n RACZKY ET AL. 1996. 9 SCHWARTZ 2002.
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