ACTA GGM DEBRECINA Geology, Geomorphology, Physical Geography Series DEBRECEN Vol. 3, 145–153 2008 Changes in the state of Cumanian mounds lying in the vicinity of Karcag from the end of the 18 th century till today Karcag határában fekv kunhalmok állapotváltozása a 18. század végét l napjainkig Judit Bukovszki & Csaba Tóth Department of Physical Geography and Geoinformatics, University of Debrecen, H-4010, Debrecen Egyetem tér 1. P.O.Box: 9 Abstract & Due to the frequently contradictory data of different Cumanian mound surveying, in the vicinity of Karcag surveying was repeated in 2007–2008. Plotting the geographical distribution of the mounds on the digital elevation model and on the soil map of the area it was revealed that most of them are located in the near-water marginal zone of flood-free ridges lying at the edge of formerly extensive swamps. These areas are covered by meadow solonetz soil today. It was determined that the number of mounds was reduced by 40% due to carelessness and only in the last three decades 25% of the compared mounds suffered from deterioration (carrying away, damage, elimination of loess grasslands). Majority of the mounds in the vicinity of the town have an intact main body with ploughed surface thus presenting no or moderate landscape value. Regarding the 53 mounds only four is considered as highly valuable from nature conservation point of view. Összefoglalás & A rendelkezésünkre álló kunhalom-kataszterezések sokszor ellentmondó adatai miatt Karcag határában 2007–2008 folyamán megismételtük a kunhalmok felmérését. A terület digitális domborzatmodelljén és talajtérképén ábrázolva a halmok földrajzi helyzetét, kiderült, hogy túlnyomó részük az egykor kiterjedt mocsarak peremén húzódó ármentes hátak vízközeli, peremi sávjában épült, amely jelenleg réti szolonyec talajokkal jellemezhet terület. Megállapítottuk, hogy a kunhalmok száma 40%-kal csökkent az emberi gondatlanság miatt, és csak az utóbbi három évtized folyamán, az összevetett halmok 25%-a szenvedett el állapotromlást (elhordás, roncsolás, löszgyepek elt 9nése). Zömében ép halomtest 9, de szántott, tájképileg nem, vagy csak közepesen értékes kunhalmok fordulnak el a város határában. A vizsgált 53 kunhalomból természetvédelmi szempontból csupán négyet találtunk kiemelten értékesnek. Key words & Cumanian mounds, anthropogenic geomorphology, digital elevation model, nature conservation, survey of state Tárgyszavak & kunhalmok, antropogén geomorfológia, digitális domborzatmodell, természetvédelem, állapotfelmérés Introduction high (5–10 metres) elevations occupying smaller areas, and appearing as flat, cone or semi-spherical elevations. These Almost one century has passed since the first are in almost every cases ancient burial mounds. At the publication of a real geographical study of Cumanian same time they were accepted as border mounds by certain mounds in the Földrajzi Közlemények by Béla Kozma that settlements” (G YÖRFFY 1921). shed new light on the problem compared to the earlier To name prehistoric mounds as Cumanian mounds is archaeological publications. Based on the surveyed 1200 rejected by several authors as in many cases mounds were and the plotted 800 mounds he referred to the Great used by several peoples through thousands of years (for Hungarian Plain as one of the richest area in archaeological living, burial, etc.) and in the case of several thousand findings on the Earth. He revealed that most of the unexplored mounds it is impossible to determine which mounds are concentrated in an area bordered by people constructed them (J ERNEY 1851, H AMPEL 1889, Püspökladány – Balmazújváros – Tiszafüred % Fegyvernek KOZMA 1910). Uncertainties in the name are reflected well mainly in curvilinear bends on the flood free parts of active in the title of the publication of István Jakabffy: Are and abandoned beds (K OZMA 1910). Cumanian mounds Cumanian? In his opinion the term The present paper gives an outline on the law of the Cumanian mound is a literature term that although shifted location and on the changes in number and state of into the common language but it is not known generally mounds due to anthropogenic effects in history on the among the people of the Great Hungarian Plain (J AKABFFY example of a settlement, Karcag the surroundings of which 1957). Conservation of the term might be good in respect have the largest mound density in the country. of the fact that it reflects the anthropic character of the origin of the mounds by referring to the burial habits of the Origin of the term Cumanian mound Cuman people separating them from the hill-like forms of natural origin (ridge, sand dune) (K OZMA 1910, ZOLTAI The term Cumanian mound in the Hungarian language 1938, TÓTH 1999, TÓTH 2002). is originated from the notes of Willelmus Rubruk and Philippe de Toucy who recorded the large number of burial Nature conservation relations of Cumanian mounds mounds and the burial rituals of the Kun people (G OMBOS 1937, G ÁRDONYI 1893, 1914; L ONGNON 1957). Using Cumanian mounds are important geomorphological, these sources it is possible that early Hungarian researcher landscape, cultural historical, flora and fauna value retaining István Horváth was the first to apply the term in literature objects of the Great Hungarian Plain. Breaking the dullness (H ORVÁTH 1825). According to the definition of the of the landscape they represent important scenic, Karcag-born ethnographer, István Gy rffy: “A mound is orientation and benchmark places. In their surroundings an elevation that is known in the literature as Cumanian significant soil degradation (secondary sodification, mound. These are located mainly in flood free, relatively structure deterioration, etc.) is experienced due to the water 145 ACTA GGM DEBRECINA Geology, Geomorphology, Physical Geography Series Vol. 3 2008 regulation works of the 19 th century and the intense Research methods agriculture. This degradation affected the surface of the mounds in only a limited extent. Thus good quality Based on earlier publications and available maps chernozem soil remained on the mounds holding (primarily 1:25000 and 1:10000 topographic maps of the 1 st significant soil value while formerly characteristic and today and 2 nd military surveys) mounds around the town were very rare loess grassland vegetation on the top of the identified in the field. This was necessary due to the mounds retain important biological value. Grasslands of contradictory character of data published earlier and to the the mounds elevated like islands from the monoculture deterioration of the state of the mounds in recent decades. vegetation of the surrounding arable lands represent a dryer In the survey the cadastre sheets used in the national survey and warmer micro-climate giving shelter and excellent and GPS instruments were applied. Data analysis was habitat for numerous vertebrate and invertebrate animal performed with the help of the software Microsoft Excel species. Therefore Act LIII of the year 1996 on the while for creating maps from the data the software protection of Nature designates every Cumanian mounds ArcView 3.2 was applied. in Hungary as “ex lege” protected sites. Results Research history of the mounds around Karcag Studying the geomorphological map of the lowland Cumanian mounds around Karcag were first loess plain landscape type of the Nagykunság it can be mentioned by Jen Cholnoky who suggested the pattern of stated that the geographical distribution of the Cumanian the ancient Tisza beds studying the curvilinear distribution mounds is characterised by a curvilinear appearance instead of the mounds (C HOLNOKY 1907). István Gy rffy drew of a scattered pattern ( Figure 1 ). Cumanian mounds are the first maps of the ancient sites and mounds (G YÖRFFY located in almost every case on the flood free but near 1921) located in the vicinity of the town. water forms of the lowland landscape that otherwise has First survey of the mounds based on field experience very small heights differences. These forms are mainly the was performed by I STVÁN Ö RÖKÖS in 1977 who as retired ridges of active or abandoned river beds, swamp edges and from agriculture knew well the surroundings of the flood free islands. Simultaneously, in the northern part of settlement. Kurgan cadastre of the Trans-Tisza part of the the Nagykunság several hundred Cumanian mounds were Great Hungarian Plain was published by D ÉNES V IRÁGH formed by heightening of semi bond wind-blown sand in 1979. This work involved no field study it summarised forms (e.g. large ripple marks). This indicates that nomad the number, diameter and relative height of the kurgans by cultures building mounds were completely adapted to the settlements on the basis exclusively of archive and map- variable micro-relief of the Great Plain landscape. store documents. This publication indicates that most kurgans could have been in the surroundings of Hortobágy in the Trans-Tisza region with the number of 320 while in the vicinity of Karcag there could have been 134 mounds ensuring second place for the town in the Trans-Tisza region. In 1980–1981 carrying out the cadastre of the Cumanian mounds in Szolnok county, Albert Tóth identified 31 Cumanian mounds in the field in the vicinity of Karcag. Main goal of the survey was to help the protection of the rapidly deteriorating mounds by presenting their state at that time. This survey gave a much detailed image on the mounds, their accessibility, geomorphological conditions, grade of disturbance, type of cultivation, landscape and botanical values. Besides giving archaeological and cultural historical information as well the survey classified mounds into 7 groups (T ÓTH 1988, 1989, 1990). The act of 1996 on the protection of Nature prescribed the preparation of a national Cumanian mound cadastre. Field survey of the mounds around Karcag was performed in 2000 and 32 mounds were involved in the national cadastre (T ÓTH 2004). This detailed survey was Figure 1 Geomorphological map of the northern part of the aimed – among others – to record accurately the Nagykunság (T ÓTH 2007) geographical position (co-ordinates in the United National 1.