Quaternary International xxx (2017) 1e15

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Quaternary International

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Evolution of a design system in the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin. Transformations of the vessel-based human representations of the Middle Szakalh at culture and the genesis of the Late Neolithic Tisza culture's ‘textile’ decoration*

Katalin Sebok}

Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eotv€ os€ Lorand University, Múzeum krt. 4/b, Budapest H-1088, Hungary article info abstract

Article history: It is a rare opportunity, at least in the research of the Neolithic, when one gets the possibility to look Received 31 May 2016 ‘behind’ ceramic decorations and see a concept at work. It is even more rare to be in the position to watch Received in revised form how these concepts and ideas, related customs, designs and decorations change together through 4 January 2017 consecutive periods and cultures as part of an interlinked system, creating very diverse phenomena but Accepted 16 January 2017 always preserving something, thus maintaining a continuity of the whole. Beside using carefully selected Available online xxx questions and analytic methods the find material in focus must also meet several criteria to provide a suitable source material, involving the constitution of the ceramic sets, the complexity and structure of Keywords: Ceramic style the decorations, the technological background and its social implications, and perhaps a relatively un- Social signaling disturbed cultural development. The present paper attempts to describe the emergence, transformations Middle and Late Neolithic and decline of such a system, focusing on changes of practical, social and possible cognitive functions of Eastern Carpathian Basin certain vessel types, incorporating diversified archaeological observations, and utilising concepts from Cultural identity the field of social signaling. Cognitive function © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

1. Background major transformation took place in several Szakalh at settlements in a smaller area, resulting in fundamental social and ecological The study covers Middle and Late Neolithic archaeological cul- changes and leading, eventually, to the emergence of the Late tures from the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin, more precisely Neolithic Tisza Culture that persisted until the dawn of the Copper from the territory of the (Alfold€ in Hungar- Age (Kalicz and Raczky,1987, 25; Raczky and Anders, 2009, 32). This ian) in the first place. During the Middle Neolithic this area was turn was only a peak of a lasting and extended process concerning occupied by the easternmost variant of the Linear Culture the whole of the Carpathian Basin, starting around the emergence (LPC), the so-called Alfold€ (ALPC). In a of the LPC groups in the area. Due to a subsistence pattern different younger period of the ALPC (phases IIIeIV), around 5300e5200 cal from that of the preceding period the importance of territoriality BC several independent groups evolved from the previously quite gradually increased throughout the Middle Neolithic. This brought homogenous cultural unit, with the Szakalh at Culture (Fig. 1.) about a significant, continuous emergence of stress, answered in amongst them (Kalicz and Makkay, 1977,106e107, 1982, 54e62; the material culture by a pronounced raise in material signaling, as Raczky and Anders, 2009,31e32). Around 5100e5000 cal BC a reflected by the ever growing complexity of ceramic decorations, the appearance of multilevel settlement patterns with central places marked by large enclosure systems (by the Late Neolithic:

* e e The current paper is based on the author's oral presentation titled ‘Memory, Makkay, 1982,110 111; Raczky and Anders, 2006,18 19; 2009, identity, possibility: a symbolic decorational system as a medium of cultural re- 39e43; Raczky and Sebok,} 2014, 338), and a gradual increase in membrance and social signaling in the Neolithic of the Carpathian Basin’ presented both the amount and the complexity of expensive personal orna- in the section A11f d The Role of Art in Prehistoric Societies, UISPP 2014 Confer- ments, funerary equipment and funerary symbols (for a thorough ence, Burgos, 05. 09. 2014. The research was subsidized by the National Research, fi survey on the causes, incentives and phenomena of representations Development and Innovation Of ce project ID: NK 101024. E-mail address: [email protected]. of social inequality in the period under study see Siklosi, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2017.01.020 1040-6182/© 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article in press as: Sebok,} K., Evolution of a design system in the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin. Transformations of the vessel-based human representations of the Middle Neolithic Szakalh at culture and the genesis of the Late Neolithic Tisza culture's ‘textile’ decoration, Quaternary International (2017), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2017.01.020 2 K. Sebok} / Quaternary International xxx (2017) 1e15

Fig. 1. Distribution of the settlements of the Szakalh at Culture and the transitional period. Black dots: sites with jar-shaped face pots; black and white dots: occurrence of both the jar-shaped and the cylindrical type variants. Sites mentioned in the study: 1: Abony-Serkeszek-d ul} o;} 2: Battonya-Godr€ os€ ok;€ 3: Battonya-Parazs-tanya; 4: Csanytelek-Újhalasto; 5: } Csongrad-Bokros; 6: Gyoma-Ozed; 7: Koml€ o-Birka-j} ar o-legel o;} 8: Kunszentmarton-Kett oshalom;} 9: Rak oczifalva-Bagi-f oldek€ 8A. After Sebok,} 2009, Appendix, Fig. 1.

28e38). This course seems to have progressed throughout the Late observed between the three groups, providing a greatly inhomog- Neolithic as , ending in a crash-like change of lifestyle due to enous inventory with only a few dedicated ‘signal’ types. When the joint effect of social processes and climatic-environmental looking at ceramic vessels as signals, their ‘signal value’ usually factors resulting in fundamental economical changes approxi- consists less of the applied materials and more of immaterial in- mately around 4500 BCE (Gyucha et al., 2014, 286e287; Gyucha gredients like the appearing technological and cultural knowledge and Parkinson, 2013, 523; Kalicz and Raczky, 1987,26e27; Link, (the latter represented by the correct use of the culture's design and 2006, 43; Yerkes et al., 2009, 1087). decoration rules), and the amount of invested labour (Bliege Bird The evolution of the (material) culture in the study area can be and Smith, 2005, 230e231). It must be noted that by the evalua- said to be unbroken (i.e. undisturbed by major infiltrations, immi- tion of the value of applied materials the ingredients with symbolic grations or decisive influences from the neighbouring cultures) value, i.e. characteristics that add to the total value of an object but between the Middle Neolithic and the end of the Middle Copper are undetectable for anyone outside the maker/user community, Age. As a result, the ceramic inventories of the consecutive cultures are obviously not accounted for (therefore any estimation of value share a basic composition and characteristics as well as a common is necessarily inaccurate to some extent). It follows from this that technological and probably basic production background, all root- high economical and/or symbolic value is not necessarily accom- ing in the socio-cultural and stylistic traditions of the LPC. panied by clearly visible traits and thus only a part of the objects The ceramic inventories of all cultures under study basically with high symbolic, social and/or signal value is identifiable by consist of three large clusters (or four, including miniature vessels, using archaeological methods. The total of this labour adds up of which but cannot be interpreted as obviously regular types in a two types: beside the amount the investment of which is un- household's inventory). The first cluster, embracing the over- avoidable by the making of a vessel (or any object) there can be an whelming majority of the ceramic finds and including a wide range amount of extra work invested to enhance the elaboration and/or of vessel forms is that of the probably primarily or exclusively symbolic qualities of the end product. The amount of work repre- utilitarian ceramics. The vessels in this group may be smaller, sented by these ‘extra’ choices was named ‘aesthetic labour’ by D. middle-sized or larger, of medium or good quality. Excellent finish Wengrow (Wengrow, 2001,169e170). Aesthetic labour can be (polish or varnish) appears only on smaller liquid containers like manifested by choices of shape (e.g. by symbolic forms), by the less closed cups and bowls. The applied decorations are simple, quality of finish, and most certainly by decorations, especially by scarce, moderate and basically functional like knobs, bosses or those without an utilitarian aspect (or downright against func- applied cordons to enhance grip, finger impressions, or mainly tionality). The proportion of basic and aesthetic labour varies by rough barbotine decorations to raise surface. This basic set is vessel. When the amount of aesthetic labour in an object (in rela- completed in each culture by a small cluster of vessel forms tion to that of basic work) is unproportionally high, it may be incorporating only a few types which are usually small, less presumed that its primary function is partially or wholly non- frequently medium sized, of good or excellent quality, and utilitarian (in terms of social signaling: even if there is an actual completed by a more or less elaborate decoration. The third group utilitarian element in the primary function, the object's context and is that of the large, immobile or built-in containers (or bins). The estimated economical/symbolic value must be interpreted in the quality and design of these varies greatly by culture, but as a rule light of all detected elements of value. As invested labour itself is an they're always more or less decorated. ingredient of value, even the investment of ‘basic’ labour adds to In terms of social signaling significant inequality is to be the signal value of an object. Thus for example huge, undecorated

Please cite this article in press as: Sebok,} K., Evolution of a design system in the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin. Transformations of the vessel-based human representations of the Middle Neolithic Szakalh at culture and the genesis of the Late Neolithic Tisza culture's ‘textile’ decoration, Quaternary International (2017), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2017.01.020 Download English Version: https://daneshyari.com/en/article/11020417

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