Környezet és ember. MOMOSZ XI. Őskoros Kutatók Összejövetele. Ősrégészeti Tanulmányok / Prehistoric Studies III, 2023
Can Neolithic Rondels be Interpreted as Processional Sites?
This paper seeks to answer the questi... more Can Neolithic Rondels be Interpreted as Processional Sites? This paper seeks to answer the question whether it is possible to detect ritual movements in the Central European Neolithic that are similar to processions well-known in antiquity. We discuss first the characteristics of processions in complex societies on the basis of a few examples from antiquity, and then reviews the prehistoric sites where archaeological evidence in the literature suggests their existence. Examples from the history of religion show that the symbolic landscape that evokes the mythological past takes on meaning through a variety of ritual activities, and thus becomes tangible for the community. The most important rituals can be organised in large ritual series, can take place in several different locations, and are often combined with spectacular processions. Procession is one of the most common community rituals. The procession has meaning and, as it moves through time and space, it can successfully communicate this meaning to society, it will be effective if it has an audience and is guided. Thus, its most important feature is the common process of moving a large number of people in orderly succession, or in a formal and ceremonial manner. Processions are often parts of bigger religious ceremonies. Here we stress the communal–ritual function of circular enclosures (rondels) from among their multifunctional interpretations thus we examine processions of sacral character. Our starting point is the fact that rondels are demarcated from inhabited areas of settlements. It raises the possibility that on the occasions of outstanding communal festivals, the participants walked to the venue in a formal manner. The narrow entrances interrupting the ditches and the openings on the palisades of the rondels have already driven several researchers to formulate hypotheses on the existence of processions on a theoretical basis. It is especially the ditches with access corridors and the multiple rondels with earth bridges accompanied by steep side-ditches on the basis of which it is supposed that attendees of the rituals could only have entered the rondels in an ordered manner. The overview of some of the fundamental characteristics of processions in antiquity forms an interpreting framework for us. With the help of it, we re-evaluate the archaeological legacy of the Late Neolithic rondels (archaeological finds related to communal rituals, feasts, mobilisation of huge resources in terms of time and effort, etc.). Prehistoric research in Britain, which we consider as a model, interprets ritual landscape monuments (avenues, cursus monuments, pit/post alignments) as venues for processions. In the next part of our study, we endeavor to answer the question of whether similar landscape monuments like these may be detected in the context of Central European Neolithic rondels, primarily in the context of the Lengyel culture.
A régészeti örökség megmentése és feltárása, eredményes feldolgozása, gondos megőrzése és hatékon... more A régészeti örökség megmentése és feltárása, eredményes feldolgozása, gondos megőrzése és hatékony továbbadása érdekében 2019 őszén Maróth Miklós, az Eötvös Loránd Kutatási Hálózat elnöke, egy középtávú Régészeti Stratégia elkészítését kezdeményezte. Az ELTE BTK Régészettudományi Intézetében született jelen javaslat az elméleti keretek rövid felvázolásával kísérli meg összefoglalni a magyar régészet előtt álló lehetőségeket és legfontosabb feladatokat. A magyar régészetet az elmúlt évtizedekben az ellentmondásos és kapkodó törvényalkotás, a változó és mindinkább romló feltételekkel működő intézményi háttér határozta meg, amely a régészet jelentős presztízsvesztéséhez vezetett. A múlt történetileg hiteles rekonstrukciója érdekében a jelen írás a magyar régészeti örökség gondozásának feladatait a nemzetközi kutatás kihívásainak figyelembevételével határozza meg mind a feltáró és feldolgozó munka, mind a múzeumi megőrzés és bemutatás, az állami feladatvállalás, mind pedig az egyetemi o...
A haztartas regeszete (archaeology of household), mint onallo kutatasi irany mar kozel harom evti... more A haztartas regeszete (archaeology of household), mint onallo kutatasi irany mar kozel harom evtizedes multra tekinthet vissza, de a Karpat-medence regeszeteben meg mindig nem valt altalanossa a telepulesek regeszeti anyaganak ilyen tipusu megkozelitese. Emiatt is igen fontos, hogy az Őskoros Kutatok VII. Osszejovetelenek kozeppontjaban ez a temakor allt es ezert kulon koszonet illeti a szervezőket. A tanulmany peldai a regeszet es az etnoarcheologia szelesebb teruleteről szarmaznak, es remenyem szerint felhivjak a figyelmet szamos olyan szempontra, melyeket az europai őskor regeszeteben is figyelembe kell venni.
Az ujkőkori Nagy Istennő / Nagy Anyaistennő sokaig igen nepszerű koncep - cioja alapvetően a kism... more Az ujkőkori Nagy Istennő / Nagy Anyaistennő sokaig igen nepszerű koncep - cioja alapvetően a kismeretű meztelen női abrazolasok ertelmezesen alapult. A cikk ennek az elkepzelesnek a gyokereit, kialakulasat, tarsadalmi hatasait es elveteset (dekonstrukciojat) koveti nyomon.
E tanulmany szandeka szerint egy uj megkozelites lehetősegeit mutatja be, kevesbe vegleges eredme... more E tanulmany szandeka szerint egy uj megkozelites lehetősegeit mutatja be, kevesbe vegleges eredmenyeket. A fő cel a nagymeretű obabiloni maganhaztartasok gazdasagi es tarsadalmi je- lentősegenek kiemelese, es a korabbi kutatasok statikusabb elkepzelesei helyett egy halozati alapu modell ( network based modell ) kidolgozasanak előkeszitese, amely elsősorban az egyes gaz- dasagi es tarsadalmi egysegek kozotti interakciora osszpontosit.
In 2018, the RGK’s research team led by Knut Rassmann undertook the magnetometer survey of the La... more In 2018, the RGK’s research team led by Knut Rassmann undertook the magnetometer survey of the Late Neolithic site of Öcsöd-Kováshalom over a roughly 65 ha large area. An enclosure system of three concentric semi-circular ditches was detected around the tell-like mound that formed the core of the settlement. In order to resolve these issues, we organised a small field school excavation with the support of the RGK and with the participation of the archaeology students of the ELTE Institute of Archaeological Sciences between July 13 and 25, 2020. We opened an 8×2 m trial trench across the north-eastern part of the innermost ditch appearing on the magnetogram. We uncovered a ditch segment with a V-shaped cross-section, a width of 315 cm and a depth of 295 cm. We recovered a total of 17,430 finds with a weight of 194.4 kg (pottery sherds, daub, animal bones, bone tools, chipped and polished stone implements, quern stones, mussels, and ochre). In our preliminary report, we made a reconst...
Környezet és ember. MOMOSZ XI. Őskoros Kutatók Összejövetele. Ősrégészeti Tanulmányok / Prehistoric Studies III, 2023
Can Neolithic Rondels be Interpreted as Processional Sites?
This paper seeks to answer the questi... more Can Neolithic Rondels be Interpreted as Processional Sites? This paper seeks to answer the question whether it is possible to detect ritual movements in the Central European Neolithic that are similar to processions well-known in antiquity. We discuss first the characteristics of processions in complex societies on the basis of a few examples from antiquity, and then reviews the prehistoric sites where archaeological evidence in the literature suggests their existence. Examples from the history of religion show that the symbolic landscape that evokes the mythological past takes on meaning through a variety of ritual activities, and thus becomes tangible for the community. The most important rituals can be organised in large ritual series, can take place in several different locations, and are often combined with spectacular processions. Procession is one of the most common community rituals. The procession has meaning and, as it moves through time and space, it can successfully communicate this meaning to society, it will be effective if it has an audience and is guided. Thus, its most important feature is the common process of moving a large number of people in orderly succession, or in a formal and ceremonial manner. Processions are often parts of bigger religious ceremonies. Here we stress the communal–ritual function of circular enclosures (rondels) from among their multifunctional interpretations thus we examine processions of sacral character. Our starting point is the fact that rondels are demarcated from inhabited areas of settlements. It raises the possibility that on the occasions of outstanding communal festivals, the participants walked to the venue in a formal manner. The narrow entrances interrupting the ditches and the openings on the palisades of the rondels have already driven several researchers to formulate hypotheses on the existence of processions on a theoretical basis. It is especially the ditches with access corridors and the multiple rondels with earth bridges accompanied by steep side-ditches on the basis of which it is supposed that attendees of the rituals could only have entered the rondels in an ordered manner. The overview of some of the fundamental characteristics of processions in antiquity forms an interpreting framework for us. With the help of it, we re-evaluate the archaeological legacy of the Late Neolithic rondels (archaeological finds related to communal rituals, feasts, mobilisation of huge resources in terms of time and effort, etc.). Prehistoric research in Britain, which we consider as a model, interprets ritual landscape monuments (avenues, cursus monuments, pit/post alignments) as venues for processions. In the next part of our study, we endeavor to answer the question of whether similar landscape monuments like these may be detected in the context of Central European Neolithic rondels, primarily in the context of the Lengyel culture.
A régészeti örökség megmentése és feltárása, eredményes feldolgozása, gondos megőrzése és hatékon... more A régészeti örökség megmentése és feltárása, eredményes feldolgozása, gondos megőrzése és hatékony továbbadása érdekében 2019 őszén Maróth Miklós, az Eötvös Loránd Kutatási Hálózat elnöke, egy középtávú Régészeti Stratégia elkészítését kezdeményezte. Az ELTE BTK Régészettudományi Intézetében született jelen javaslat az elméleti keretek rövid felvázolásával kísérli meg összefoglalni a magyar régészet előtt álló lehetőségeket és legfontosabb feladatokat. A magyar régészetet az elmúlt évtizedekben az ellentmondásos és kapkodó törvényalkotás, a változó és mindinkább romló feltételekkel működő intézményi háttér határozta meg, amely a régészet jelentős presztízsvesztéséhez vezetett. A múlt történetileg hiteles rekonstrukciója érdekében a jelen írás a magyar régészeti örökség gondozásának feladatait a nemzetközi kutatás kihívásainak figyelembevételével határozza meg mind a feltáró és feldolgozó munka, mind a múzeumi megőrzés és bemutatás, az állami feladatvállalás, mind pedig az egyetemi o...
A haztartas regeszete (archaeology of household), mint onallo kutatasi irany mar kozel harom evti... more A haztartas regeszete (archaeology of household), mint onallo kutatasi irany mar kozel harom evtizedes multra tekinthet vissza, de a Karpat-medence regeszeteben meg mindig nem valt altalanossa a telepulesek regeszeti anyaganak ilyen tipusu megkozelitese. Emiatt is igen fontos, hogy az Őskoros Kutatok VII. Osszejovetelenek kozeppontjaban ez a temakor allt es ezert kulon koszonet illeti a szervezőket. A tanulmany peldai a regeszet es az etnoarcheologia szelesebb teruleteről szarmaznak, es remenyem szerint felhivjak a figyelmet szamos olyan szempontra, melyeket az europai őskor regeszeteben is figyelembe kell venni.
Az ujkőkori Nagy Istennő / Nagy Anyaistennő sokaig igen nepszerű koncep - cioja alapvetően a kism... more Az ujkőkori Nagy Istennő / Nagy Anyaistennő sokaig igen nepszerű koncep - cioja alapvetően a kismeretű meztelen női abrazolasok ertelmezesen alapult. A cikk ennek az elkepzelesnek a gyokereit, kialakulasat, tarsadalmi hatasait es elveteset (dekonstrukciojat) koveti nyomon.
E tanulmany szandeka szerint egy uj megkozelites lehetősegeit mutatja be, kevesbe vegleges eredme... more E tanulmany szandeka szerint egy uj megkozelites lehetősegeit mutatja be, kevesbe vegleges eredmenyeket. A fő cel a nagymeretű obabiloni maganhaztartasok gazdasagi es tarsadalmi je- lentősegenek kiemelese, es a korabbi kutatasok statikusabb elkepzelesei helyett egy halozati alapu modell ( network based modell ) kidolgozasanak előkeszitese, amely elsősorban az egyes gaz- dasagi es tarsadalmi egysegek kozotti interakciora osszpontosit.
In 2018, the RGK’s research team led by Knut Rassmann undertook the magnetometer survey of the La... more In 2018, the RGK’s research team led by Knut Rassmann undertook the magnetometer survey of the Late Neolithic site of Öcsöd-Kováshalom over a roughly 65 ha large area. An enclosure system of three concentric semi-circular ditches was detected around the tell-like mound that formed the core of the settlement. In order to resolve these issues, we organised a small field school excavation with the support of the RGK and with the participation of the archaeology students of the ELTE Institute of Archaeological Sciences between July 13 and 25, 2020. We opened an 8×2 m trial trench across the north-eastern part of the innermost ditch appearing on the magnetogram. We uncovered a ditch segment with a V-shaped cross-section, a width of 315 cm and a depth of 295 cm. We recovered a total of 17,430 finds with a weight of 194.4 kg (pottery sherds, daub, animal bones, bone tools, chipped and polished stone implements, quern stones, mussels, and ochre). In our preliminary report, we made a reconst...
HAR is a peer-reviewed electronic journal (HU ISSN 2732-2610) published in two issues per year. T... more HAR is a peer-reviewed electronic journal (HU ISSN 2732-2610) published in two issues per year. The journal covers the philology and the archaeology of the Ancient Near East, publishing research articles, brief notes, and field reports.
Papers in HAR are published under the platinum open access model, which means permanent and free access in downloadable format (pdf) for readers and no publication fees for authors.
Dezső, T. -- Kalla, G., eds., The Archaeology of the Raparin Region of Iraqi Kurdistan. A Review of the Results from the Field and Directions of Further Reserch, (Antiqua et Orientalia, 9), (Assyriologia 12), Budapest, 2021, Eötvös Kiadó, 2021
Settlements, Culture and Population Dynamics in Balkan Prehistory - ABSTRACTS OF THE ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS, Mar 9, 2015
HAEMUS - Center for Scientific Research and Promotion of Culture
http://haemus.org.mk
Settlemen... more HAEMUS - Center for Scientific Research and Promotion of Culture
http://haemus.org.mk Settlements, Culture and Population Dynamics in Balkan Prehistory
International Conference
13-14.03.2015
Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
ABSTRACTS OF THE ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS
General Editor: Vasilka Dimitrovska
Cover Design: Vasilka Dimitrovska, Elka Anastasova
Design: Elka Anastasova
Editing and English proofreading: Mark Branov
During the second excavation season of the Hungarian Archaeological Expedition of the Eötvös Lorá... more During the second excavation season of the Hungarian Archaeological Expedition of the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, we worked in four trenches on the tell of Grd-i Tle. In two trenches we continued the excavations of the previous season, and we also opened two brand new ones. The main goal was to gain further understanding in the topography and chronology of the settlement. We unearthed preserved parts of a city gate, a fortification wall, a building with a function yet unknown, and we continued to study the debris layers of the citadel wall. This year the main part of the discovered features belonged to the Hellenistic-Parthian period, but it seems like that we got close the Neo-Assyrian layer in some of the trenches as well.
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This paper seeks to answer the question whether it is possible to detect ritual movements in the Central European Neolithic that are similar to processions well-known in antiquity. We discuss first the characteristics
of processions in complex societies on the basis of a few examples from antiquity, and then reviews the prehistoric sites where archaeological evidence in the literature suggests their existence.
Examples from the history of religion show that the symbolic landscape that evokes the mythological past takes on meaning through a variety of ritual activities, and thus becomes tangible for the community. The
most important rituals can be organised in large ritual series, can take place in several different locations, and are often combined with spectacular processions. Procession is one of the most common community rituals. The procession has meaning and, as it moves through time and space, it can successfully communicate this meaning to society, it will be effective if it has an audience and is guided. Thus, its most important feature is the common process of moving a large number of people in orderly succession, or in a formal and ceremonial
manner. Processions are often parts of bigger religious ceremonies.
Here we stress the communal–ritual function of circular enclosures (rondels) from among their multifunctional
interpretations thus we examine processions of sacral character. Our starting point is the fact that rondels are demarcated from inhabited areas of settlements. It raises the possibility that on the occasions
of outstanding communal festivals, the participants walked to the venue in a formal manner. The narrow entrances interrupting the ditches and the openings on the palisades of the rondels have already
driven several researchers to formulate hypotheses on the existence of processions on a theoretical basis.
It is especially the ditches with access corridors and the multiple rondels with earth bridges accompanied by steep side-ditches on the basis of which it is supposed that attendees of the rituals could only have entered
the rondels in an ordered manner. The overview of some of the fundamental characteristics of processions in antiquity forms an interpreting framework for us. With the help of it, we re-evaluate the archaeological legacy of the Late Neolithic rondels (archaeological finds related to communal rituals, feasts, mobilisation of huge resources in terms of time and effort, etc.). Prehistoric research in Britain, which we consider as a model, interprets ritual landscape monuments (avenues, cursus monuments, pit/post alignments) as venues for processions. In the next part of our study, we endeavor to answer the question of whether similar landscape monuments like these may be detected in the context of Central European Neolithic rondels, primarily in the context of the Lengyel culture.
This paper seeks to answer the question whether it is possible to detect ritual movements in the Central European Neolithic that are similar to processions well-known in antiquity. We discuss first the characteristics
of processions in complex societies on the basis of a few examples from antiquity, and then reviews the prehistoric sites where archaeological evidence in the literature suggests their existence.
Examples from the history of religion show that the symbolic landscape that evokes the mythological past takes on meaning through a variety of ritual activities, and thus becomes tangible for the community. The
most important rituals can be organised in large ritual series, can take place in several different locations, and are often combined with spectacular processions. Procession is one of the most common community rituals. The procession has meaning and, as it moves through time and space, it can successfully communicate this meaning to society, it will be effective if it has an audience and is guided. Thus, its most important feature is the common process of moving a large number of people in orderly succession, or in a formal and ceremonial
manner. Processions are often parts of bigger religious ceremonies.
Here we stress the communal–ritual function of circular enclosures (rondels) from among their multifunctional
interpretations thus we examine processions of sacral character. Our starting point is the fact that rondels are demarcated from inhabited areas of settlements. It raises the possibility that on the occasions
of outstanding communal festivals, the participants walked to the venue in a formal manner. The narrow entrances interrupting the ditches and the openings on the palisades of the rondels have already
driven several researchers to formulate hypotheses on the existence of processions on a theoretical basis.
It is especially the ditches with access corridors and the multiple rondels with earth bridges accompanied by steep side-ditches on the basis of which it is supposed that attendees of the rituals could only have entered
the rondels in an ordered manner. The overview of some of the fundamental characteristics of processions in antiquity forms an interpreting framework for us. With the help of it, we re-evaluate the archaeological legacy of the Late Neolithic rondels (archaeological finds related to communal rituals, feasts, mobilisation of huge resources in terms of time and effort, etc.). Prehistoric research in Britain, which we consider as a model, interprets ritual landscape monuments (avenues, cursus monuments, pit/post alignments) as venues for processions. In the next part of our study, we endeavor to answer the question of whether similar landscape monuments like these may be detected in the context of Central European Neolithic rondels, primarily in the context of the Lengyel culture.
Papers in HAR are published under the platinum open access model, which means permanent and free access in downloadable format (pdf) for readers and no publication fees for authors.
http://haemus.org.mk
Settlements, Culture and Population Dynamics in Balkan Prehistory
International Conference
13-14.03.2015
Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
ABSTRACTS OF THE ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS
General Editor: Vasilka Dimitrovska
Cover Design: Vasilka Dimitrovska, Elka Anastasova
Design: Elka Anastasova
Editing and English proofreading: Mark Branov
period, but it seems like that we got close the Neo-Assyrian layer in some of the trenches as well.