The Archaeological Topography of Hungary (MRT), a national research project that is bound by many... more The Archaeological Topography of Hungary (MRT), a national research project that is bound by many strands to the Archaeological Institute, looks back on over fifty years of topographic fieldwork in Hungary. The volumes published in the series are widely read and often quoted, and its frequently cited initial goals have lost none of their relevance. Many studies written from various perspectives have appeared on archaeological topography and on the associated aspects of the Institute’s activities. At the same, virtually nothing has been published about the beginning of topographic studies in Hungary aside from a few brief remarks on its all but forgotten past. The goal of this study is to offer a brief overview of the history of archaeological topography in Hungary, to highlight some major milestones and to dispel a few misunderstandings in current scholarship. The MRT project was indisputably the brainchild of the Institute, and thus my focus is on the documents and records of the early period of this significant undertaking, as well as on highlighting the most significant turning points in the project. Instead of a traditional overview of the history of this particular research, I have selected some relevant sources from among the less known and previously unknown documents of the period between Flóris Rómer’s vision of a “tablecloth of ancient relics” in the 19th century and the publication of Volume 11 of the MRT project. My intention was to demonstrate the profound impact of the MRT project on archaeological scholarship in Hungary and how it inspired other similar undertakings not only in Hungary, but also in neighbouring countries such as Slovakia, where the two topographic volumes published to date were clearly modelled on the Hungarian series. The MRT project had a clear conceptual framework from the start that was continuously expanded. I have also covered the rationale behind the choice of regions to be surveyed and the numbering of the MRT volumes. Included in the study is a table offering an overview of the most important data of the MRT volumes.
The interpretation of cemeteries as ritual spaces only gained ground in Hungarian research during... more The interpretation of cemeteries as ritual spaces only gained ground in Hungarian research during the past few years. Cemeteries can be assigned to the cognitive sphere in this sense, and some scholars believe that this sphere cannot be decoded using conventional archaeological approaches and methods because its symbolism will always elude scholarship. However, this is not the case. While cemeteries are certainly not the direct continuation of one-time life, they are ritual, mystical spaces that have preserved various imprints of former beliefs, ceremonies and rites. This book presents a description of the burials, a typological analysis of the grave goods and a meticulous examination of the burial rites practiced by the community using the cemetery. The process of miniaturisation is reflected by several items in the grave inventories (miniature vessels, various small finds, animal figurines and a wagon model). In the literate civilisations of Antiquity, miniature objects have a clear association with funerary rites, with the perhaps best-documented evidence coming from ancient Egypt, where miniature objects and models had a ritual meaning and were believed to link the present with eternity. The archaeological chapters are supplemented with the physical anthropological analysis of the human cremated remains and with the radiocarbon dates made on calcined bones as well as with studies on the lithic material and the animal bone sample.
This monograph presents the final report on Pilismarót–Basaharc, one of the most remarkable cemet... more This monograph presents the final report on Pilismarót–Basaharc, one of the most remarkable cemeteries of the Late Copper Age in the Carpathian Basin. The 110 cremated burials of the cemetery were excavated by István Torma. The interpretation of cemeteries as ritual spaces only gained ground in Hungarian research during the past few years. Cemeteries can be assigned to the cognitive sphere in this sense, and some scholars believe that this sphere cannot be decoded using conventional archaeological approaches and methods because its symbolism will always elude scholarship. However, this is not the case. While cemeteries are certainly not the direct continuation of one-time life, they are ritual, mystical spaces that have preserved various imprints of former beliefs, ceremonies and rites. This book presents a description of the burials, a typological analysis of the grave goods and a meticulous examination of the burial rites practiced by the community using the cemetery. The process of miniaturisation is reflected by several items in the grave inventories (miniature vessels, various small finds, animal figurines and a wagon model). In the literate civilisations of Antiquity, miniature objects have a clear association with funerary rites, with the perhaps best-documented evidence coming from ancient Egypt, where miniature objects and models had a ritual meaning and were believed to link the present with eternity. The archaeological chapters are supplemented with the physical anthropological analysis of the human cremated remains (Kitti Köhler) and with the radiocarbon dates made on calcined bones (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow) as well as with studies on the lithic material (Katalin T. Biró) and the animal bone sample (Erika Gál).///
Pilismarót-Basaharc a késő rézkori badeni kultúra egyedülálló sírszámú (110 hamvasztásos sír), Torma István által teljesen feltárt temetője a kultúra egész elterjedési területén A „temető, mint szakrális tér” értelmezés csak az elmúlt években vált hangsúlyossá a magyar kutatásban. A temetők nem az egykori élet folytatásai, tükörképei, hanem olyan misztikus helyek, amelyek megőrizték a hiedelemvilág, a szertartások, a rítusok néhány elemét, amelyek azonban régészeti módszerekkel nem mindig értelmezhetők. A temető egy, az élettől elkülönített, szimbólumokkal teli világ, amely az egykori közösségek számára teljesen érthető és generációkon át hagyományozott szokásokat, társadalmi kapcsolatokat rögzített, régészeti módszerekkel azonban ennek csak nagyon kis hányadát tudjuk megragadni, értelmezni. A kötetben a részletes régészeti elemzés foglalkozik a sírok, leletek bemutatásával, a temetési folyamat momentumainak rekonstruálásával, a sírok közötti belső kronológiával, és a temető jelentőségével. Pilismarót-Basaharcon markánsan jelen van a miniatürizáció és nagy számban előfordulnak presztízstárgyként értelmezhető leletek. Az ásatás idején még pauszra rajzolt, bemérési fixpont nélküli összesítőkből térinformatikai térkép készült. A kötetet a leleteket bemutató táblák, és a tárgyak temetőn belüli elhelyezkedését bemutató térképek illusztrálják. A monográfiában a hamvak antropológiai feldolgozása (Köhler Kitti), a hamvakból nyert 14C eredmények (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow), továbbá az állatcsontok (Gál Erika) és a kevés kőanyag (T. Biró Katalin) feldolgozása is jelentős.
This study on the wagon models of the Copper and Bronze Age offers a comprehensive overview of ve... more This study on the wagon models of the Copper and Bronze Age offers a comprehensive overview of vehicle studies in the Carpathian Basin, together with a discussion of new, previously unpublished finds.
Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2017
This study investigates the relative chronology of the Late Copper Age Baden culture by analysing... more This study investigates the relative chronology of the Late Copper Age Baden culture by analysing the pottery of the largest known cemeteries (Alsónémedi, Budakalász, Fonyód-Bézsenypuszta, Balatonlelle-Felső Gamász, Pilismarót-Basaharc and Mezőcsát-Hörcsögös). Altogether 611 ceramic finds from 253 graves were involved in the research. The results presented here are preliminary; all the known Baden cemeteries will be processed in the future.
Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2018
Two of the most significant innovations of the fourth millennium BC were the invention of the whe... more Two of the most significant innovations of the fourth millennium BC were the invention of the wheel and of wheeled vehicles, which led to other major innovations during the Late Copper Age. Discussed here are the major milestones and advances in research on wheeled vehicles, problems of dating, and the issues relating to the actual place of the invention of wheeled vehicles as well as the fruitful collaboration between various analytical disciplines and archaeology concerned with the study of wheels and early wheeled vehicles. I have collected the finds relating to wheels and wheeled vehicles. It would appear that the invention of the wheel and of wheeled conveyances occurred in different centres. Even though we are unable to date the creation of the very first vehicle to the year, it seems quite certain that wheeled vehicles appeared more or less simultaneously in several regions in the fourth millennium BC.
BONDÁR MÁRIA 2018. szeptemberétől indul a négyéves futamidejű, a késő rézkori temetkezéseket feld... more BONDÁR MÁRIA 2018. szeptemberétől indul a négyéves futamidejű, a késő rézkori temetkezéseket feldolgozó NKFI kutatási projekt (K 128413) az MTA BTK Régészeti Intézetében Bondár Mária vezetésével. A kutatócsoport résztvevői: MTA BTK Régészeti Intézetből Köhler Kitti (antropológia), Szécsényi Nagy Anna (archaeogenetika), Gál Erika (archaeozoológia), továbbá egy régésztechnikus. MTA CSFK Földtani és Geokémiai Kutatóintézetből Kern Zoltán (paleoklimatológia), Ariana Gugora (bioarchaeológia) és Hegyi István (laboratórium vezető). Négy éves futamidejű kutatásunk keretében a Kr. e. 3600/3000-2800 közötti időszakban a Kárpát-medence nagy részén megtelepedett ún. badeni kultúra temetkezéseit vizsgáljuk. A badeni kultúra jellegze-tessége, hogy népessége sokféle rendszerben temetkezett: az önálló, több száz síros temetők mellett vannak 10-30 fő maradványait megőrző kistemetők, előfordulnak magányos sírok és nem ritka a tömegsírra emlé-keztető temetkezés, valamint az állatok elföldelése sem. Mind a hamvasztásos, mind a csontvázas rítus megtalálható, s gyakoriak a szimbolikus-azaz emberi maradványokat nem tartalmazó-sírok is. A badeni kultúra évszázadai idején nagy változások mentek végbe az írást még nem ismerő társadalmak életében; ekkor született számos olyan felfedezés, innováció, amely az emberiség életében mindmáig megmaradt. Mindezek az újdonságok gyorsan és széles körben elterjedtek, s hozzájárultak a közösségeken belüli gazda-sági és státuszbeli különbségek elmélyüléséhez, amelyek a temetkezésekben is megjelentek. A TEMETŐK RÉGÉSZETE A temetők régészeti kutatása, a halottkultusz elemzése, azaz a "halál régészete" a nemzetközi kutatásban már jó ideje a figyelem középpontjában áll, könyvtárnyi irodalma van. Míg korábban ez elsősorban az úgy-nevezett nagy civilizációk halottkultuszának elemzésére terjedt ki, ma már térben és időben tágabb keretek között is kutatható a téma, különös tekintettel az írott forrásokat teljességgel nélkülöző őskor időszakára. 1 A "temető, mint szakrális tér" értelmezés csak az elmúlt években vált hangsúlyossá a magyar kuta-tásban. A temetkezés szimbólumai az egykori közösségek számára pontosan érthető jelrendszert alkot-tak, generációkon át hagyományozott szokásokat, társadalmi kapcsolatokat rögzítettek. Ezek felismerése és értelmezése több ezer év távlatából nem könnyű feladat. A megfejtést nehezíti az a tény is, hogy a kultúrantropológia megfigyelései szerint a halál beállta, a temetés és a közösség szempontjából a halott tel-jes "elengedése" közötti időben átmeneti rítusokkal egészül ki. 2 E csaknem feledésbe merült mozzanatokra csak újabban fordít ismét figyelmet a kutatás. A temetők nem az élők egykori társadalmának tükörképei, hanem olyan misztikus helyek, amelyek megőrizték a hiedelemvilág, a szertartások, a rítusok különböző megnyilvánulásait és tárgyiasult jelképrendszerét. A hagyományos régészeti feldolgozás a leletek sírbeli helyét és a leletek analógiáit vizsgálja. A temetők új megközelítésű, összetett elemzésével viszont a halottkultusz öröklődő hagyományait, a halottakhoz való viszonyulás régészeti lenyomatait keressük és vizsgáljuk magát a halottat is a maradványaiban megőrzött információkat feltárva. 3 Az írott és elbeszélő forrásokat jellemzően hátra nem hagyó társadalmak belső hierarchiájának felderítését a státuszt és a presztízst kifejező leletek, jelenségek elemzése meghatározó módon előmozdítja. E tárgyak a temetőkben régészeti eszközökkel vizsgálható társadalmi különbségek kimutatására is alkalmasak; e ponton (is) kapcsolódik egymáshoz a régészet és a kulturális antropológiai
In the framework of our four year research we will examine the burials of the so-called Baden Cul... more In the framework of our four year research we will examine the burials of the so-called Baden Culture that inhabited the major part of the Carpathian Basin from 3600/3000 BC until 2800 BC. Heterogenous burial practices are characteristic to the Baden Culture; one can find burial grounds with several hundred graves, minor graveyards with 10-30 graves as well as lonely burials. Burials reminiscent of mass graves and the interment of animals are also common. Both cremation and skeletal burial rites are present and symbolic graves contaning no human remains also occur. During the centuries of the Baden Culture major changes occurred in the life of societies who had no literary records of their own; many innovations were made that had lasting effects on the history of humanity. These novities spread fast and wide and further deepened economic and social disparities within communities that were reflected in burials. THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF BURIAL GROUNDS The archaeology of burial grounds, studies on funerary rites, i.e. the "archaeology of death", has received particularly great attention in international research, reflected by the immense number of studies that alone would fill a smaller library. Although first applied in the research of ancient high civilisations, the chronological and spatial boundaries of this field of research have been greatly expanded to include also prehistoric periods for which written sources are entirely lacking. 1 The interpretation of cemeteries as "ritual spaces" only gained ground in Hungarian research during the past few years. The funerary symbols and cultural codes used by prehistoric communities were a perfectly intelligible set of symbols that encoded customs and social relations transmitted from one generation to the next. However, the identification and interpretation of these codes is no simple task after several millennia have passed. One of the difficulties encountered when attempting to decode these symbols is that various liminal rites were performed from the onset of death to the funeral and the community's final farewell to the deceased. 2 Inquiries into these all but forgotten practices have been largely neglected by scholarship, which has begun to show an interest in these issues only more recently. While cemeteries are certainly not the direct continuation of one-time life, they are ritual, mystical spaces that have preserved various imprints of former beliefs, ceremonies and rites. Traditional archaeological assessments focus on the grave goods, their position in the grave and their analogies. The goal of complex cemetery analyses is to identify the elements of mortuary traditions preserved and passed on in mortuary rites alongside possible changes in these practices, as well as to identify the archaeological imprints of how a community related to its dead, and to draw meaningful conclusions 1
In 2002, Gábor Ilon uncovered no more than two settlement features at the Szombathely-Motel
site,... more In 2002, Gábor Ilon uncovered no more than two settlement features at the Szombathely-Motel site, one of which yielded decorated Bronze Age pottery sherds and two enigmatic clay fragments, which he tentatively identified as coming from figurines. It has been recently suggested that the two decorated fragments in question, whose function is not obvious at first glance, might originate from wagon models. In order to determine their one-time function, I reviewed the possible Bronze Age types that could be considered, most of which can be assigned to the Wietenberg culture. I excluded figurines and altars, and after a rigorous examination of the more recently discovered wagon models – that have exclusively been found in the eastern half of the Carpathian Basin – I was able to reconstruct the fragments as one possible variant of miniature wheeled vehicles.
This paper collects the relics of metalwork in the Little Balaton and surrounding area, with the ... more This paper collects the relics of metalwork in the Little Balaton and surrounding area, with the probably most outstanding find of the Late Copper Age metalworking. The article covers the Vörs diadem and its problematics and possible resolutions (e.g. the sex of skeleton, the raw material of diadem and the localisation of the site).
In: Bondár, M.: The Late Copper Age cemetery at Pilismarót-Basaharc. István Torma’ excavations (1... more In: Bondár, M.: The Late Copper Age cemetery at Pilismarót-Basaharc. István Torma’ excavations (1967, 1969-1972). Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Budapest 2015. ISBN 978-963-9911-75-8, 319-347.
The Archaeological Topography of Hungary (MRT), a national research project that is bound by many... more The Archaeological Topography of Hungary (MRT), a national research project that is bound by many strands to the Archaeological Institute, looks back on over fifty years of topographic fieldwork in Hungary. The volumes published in the series are widely read and often quoted, and its frequently cited initial goals have lost none of their relevance. Many studies written from various perspectives have appeared on archaeological topography and on the associated aspects of the Institute’s activities. At the same, virtually nothing has been published about the beginning of topographic studies in Hungary aside from a few brief remarks on its all but forgotten past. The goal of this study is to offer a brief overview of the history of archaeological topography in Hungary, to highlight some major milestones and to dispel a few misunderstandings in current scholarship. The MRT project was indisputably the brainchild of the Institute, and thus my focus is on the documents and records of the early period of this significant undertaking, as well as on highlighting the most significant turning points in the project. Instead of a traditional overview of the history of this particular research, I have selected some relevant sources from among the less known and previously unknown documents of the period between Flóris Rómer’s vision of a “tablecloth of ancient relics” in the 19th century and the publication of Volume 11 of the MRT project. My intention was to demonstrate the profound impact of the MRT project on archaeological scholarship in Hungary and how it inspired other similar undertakings not only in Hungary, but also in neighbouring countries such as Slovakia, where the two topographic volumes published to date were clearly modelled on the Hungarian series. The MRT project had a clear conceptual framework from the start that was continuously expanded. I have also covered the rationale behind the choice of regions to be surveyed and the numbering of the MRT volumes. Included in the study is a table offering an overview of the most important data of the MRT volumes.
The interpretation of cemeteries as ritual spaces only gained ground in Hungarian research during... more The interpretation of cemeteries as ritual spaces only gained ground in Hungarian research during the past few years. Cemeteries can be assigned to the cognitive sphere in this sense, and some scholars believe that this sphere cannot be decoded using conventional archaeological approaches and methods because its symbolism will always elude scholarship. However, this is not the case. While cemeteries are certainly not the direct continuation of one-time life, they are ritual, mystical spaces that have preserved various imprints of former beliefs, ceremonies and rites. This book presents a description of the burials, a typological analysis of the grave goods and a meticulous examination of the burial rites practiced by the community using the cemetery. The process of miniaturisation is reflected by several items in the grave inventories (miniature vessels, various small finds, animal figurines and a wagon model). In the literate civilisations of Antiquity, miniature objects have a clear association with funerary rites, with the perhaps best-documented evidence coming from ancient Egypt, where miniature objects and models had a ritual meaning and were believed to link the present with eternity. The archaeological chapters are supplemented with the physical anthropological analysis of the human cremated remains and with the radiocarbon dates made on calcined bones as well as with studies on the lithic material and the animal bone sample.
This monograph presents the final report on Pilismarót–Basaharc, one of the most remarkable cemet... more This monograph presents the final report on Pilismarót–Basaharc, one of the most remarkable cemeteries of the Late Copper Age in the Carpathian Basin. The 110 cremated burials of the cemetery were excavated by István Torma. The interpretation of cemeteries as ritual spaces only gained ground in Hungarian research during the past few years. Cemeteries can be assigned to the cognitive sphere in this sense, and some scholars believe that this sphere cannot be decoded using conventional archaeological approaches and methods because its symbolism will always elude scholarship. However, this is not the case. While cemeteries are certainly not the direct continuation of one-time life, they are ritual, mystical spaces that have preserved various imprints of former beliefs, ceremonies and rites. This book presents a description of the burials, a typological analysis of the grave goods and a meticulous examination of the burial rites practiced by the community using the cemetery. The process of miniaturisation is reflected by several items in the grave inventories (miniature vessels, various small finds, animal figurines and a wagon model). In the literate civilisations of Antiquity, miniature objects have a clear association with funerary rites, with the perhaps best-documented evidence coming from ancient Egypt, where miniature objects and models had a ritual meaning and were believed to link the present with eternity. The archaeological chapters are supplemented with the physical anthropological analysis of the human cremated remains (Kitti Köhler) and with the radiocarbon dates made on calcined bones (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow) as well as with studies on the lithic material (Katalin T. Biró) and the animal bone sample (Erika Gál).///
Pilismarót-Basaharc a késő rézkori badeni kultúra egyedülálló sírszámú (110 hamvasztásos sír), Torma István által teljesen feltárt temetője a kultúra egész elterjedési területén A „temető, mint szakrális tér” értelmezés csak az elmúlt években vált hangsúlyossá a magyar kutatásban. A temetők nem az egykori élet folytatásai, tükörképei, hanem olyan misztikus helyek, amelyek megőrizték a hiedelemvilág, a szertartások, a rítusok néhány elemét, amelyek azonban régészeti módszerekkel nem mindig értelmezhetők. A temető egy, az élettől elkülönített, szimbólumokkal teli világ, amely az egykori közösségek számára teljesen érthető és generációkon át hagyományozott szokásokat, társadalmi kapcsolatokat rögzített, régészeti módszerekkel azonban ennek csak nagyon kis hányadát tudjuk megragadni, értelmezni. A kötetben a részletes régészeti elemzés foglalkozik a sírok, leletek bemutatásával, a temetési folyamat momentumainak rekonstruálásával, a sírok közötti belső kronológiával, és a temető jelentőségével. Pilismarót-Basaharcon markánsan jelen van a miniatürizáció és nagy számban előfordulnak presztízstárgyként értelmezhető leletek. Az ásatás idején még pauszra rajzolt, bemérési fixpont nélküli összesítőkből térinformatikai térkép készült. A kötetet a leleteket bemutató táblák, és a tárgyak temetőn belüli elhelyezkedését bemutató térképek illusztrálják. A monográfiában a hamvak antropológiai feldolgozása (Köhler Kitti), a hamvakból nyert 14C eredmények (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow), továbbá az állatcsontok (Gál Erika) és a kevés kőanyag (T. Biró Katalin) feldolgozása is jelentős.
This study on the wagon models of the Copper and Bronze Age offers a comprehensive overview of ve... more This study on the wagon models of the Copper and Bronze Age offers a comprehensive overview of vehicle studies in the Carpathian Basin, together with a discussion of new, previously unpublished finds.
Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2017
This study investigates the relative chronology of the Late Copper Age Baden culture by analysing... more This study investigates the relative chronology of the Late Copper Age Baden culture by analysing the pottery of the largest known cemeteries (Alsónémedi, Budakalász, Fonyód-Bézsenypuszta, Balatonlelle-Felső Gamász, Pilismarót-Basaharc and Mezőcsát-Hörcsögös). Altogether 611 ceramic finds from 253 graves were involved in the research. The results presented here are preliminary; all the known Baden cemeteries will be processed in the future.
Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2018
Two of the most significant innovations of the fourth millennium BC were the invention of the whe... more Two of the most significant innovations of the fourth millennium BC were the invention of the wheel and of wheeled vehicles, which led to other major innovations during the Late Copper Age. Discussed here are the major milestones and advances in research on wheeled vehicles, problems of dating, and the issues relating to the actual place of the invention of wheeled vehicles as well as the fruitful collaboration between various analytical disciplines and archaeology concerned with the study of wheels and early wheeled vehicles. I have collected the finds relating to wheels and wheeled vehicles. It would appear that the invention of the wheel and of wheeled conveyances occurred in different centres. Even though we are unable to date the creation of the very first vehicle to the year, it seems quite certain that wheeled vehicles appeared more or less simultaneously in several regions in the fourth millennium BC.
BONDÁR MÁRIA 2018. szeptemberétől indul a négyéves futamidejű, a késő rézkori temetkezéseket feld... more BONDÁR MÁRIA 2018. szeptemberétől indul a négyéves futamidejű, a késő rézkori temetkezéseket feldolgozó NKFI kutatási projekt (K 128413) az MTA BTK Régészeti Intézetében Bondár Mária vezetésével. A kutatócsoport résztvevői: MTA BTK Régészeti Intézetből Köhler Kitti (antropológia), Szécsényi Nagy Anna (archaeogenetika), Gál Erika (archaeozoológia), továbbá egy régésztechnikus. MTA CSFK Földtani és Geokémiai Kutatóintézetből Kern Zoltán (paleoklimatológia), Ariana Gugora (bioarchaeológia) és Hegyi István (laboratórium vezető). Négy éves futamidejű kutatásunk keretében a Kr. e. 3600/3000-2800 közötti időszakban a Kárpát-medence nagy részén megtelepedett ún. badeni kultúra temetkezéseit vizsgáljuk. A badeni kultúra jellegze-tessége, hogy népessége sokféle rendszerben temetkezett: az önálló, több száz síros temetők mellett vannak 10-30 fő maradványait megőrző kistemetők, előfordulnak magányos sírok és nem ritka a tömegsírra emlé-keztető temetkezés, valamint az állatok elföldelése sem. Mind a hamvasztásos, mind a csontvázas rítus megtalálható, s gyakoriak a szimbolikus-azaz emberi maradványokat nem tartalmazó-sírok is. A badeni kultúra évszázadai idején nagy változások mentek végbe az írást még nem ismerő társadalmak életében; ekkor született számos olyan felfedezés, innováció, amely az emberiség életében mindmáig megmaradt. Mindezek az újdonságok gyorsan és széles körben elterjedtek, s hozzájárultak a közösségeken belüli gazda-sági és státuszbeli különbségek elmélyüléséhez, amelyek a temetkezésekben is megjelentek. A TEMETŐK RÉGÉSZETE A temetők régészeti kutatása, a halottkultusz elemzése, azaz a "halál régészete" a nemzetközi kutatásban már jó ideje a figyelem középpontjában áll, könyvtárnyi irodalma van. Míg korábban ez elsősorban az úgy-nevezett nagy civilizációk halottkultuszának elemzésére terjedt ki, ma már térben és időben tágabb keretek között is kutatható a téma, különös tekintettel az írott forrásokat teljességgel nélkülöző őskor időszakára. 1 A "temető, mint szakrális tér" értelmezés csak az elmúlt években vált hangsúlyossá a magyar kuta-tásban. A temetkezés szimbólumai az egykori közösségek számára pontosan érthető jelrendszert alkot-tak, generációkon át hagyományozott szokásokat, társadalmi kapcsolatokat rögzítettek. Ezek felismerése és értelmezése több ezer év távlatából nem könnyű feladat. A megfejtést nehezíti az a tény is, hogy a kultúrantropológia megfigyelései szerint a halál beállta, a temetés és a közösség szempontjából a halott tel-jes "elengedése" közötti időben átmeneti rítusokkal egészül ki. 2 E csaknem feledésbe merült mozzanatokra csak újabban fordít ismét figyelmet a kutatás. A temetők nem az élők egykori társadalmának tükörképei, hanem olyan misztikus helyek, amelyek megőrizték a hiedelemvilág, a szertartások, a rítusok különböző megnyilvánulásait és tárgyiasult jelképrendszerét. A hagyományos régészeti feldolgozás a leletek sírbeli helyét és a leletek analógiáit vizsgálja. A temetők új megközelítésű, összetett elemzésével viszont a halottkultusz öröklődő hagyományait, a halottakhoz való viszonyulás régészeti lenyomatait keressük és vizsgáljuk magát a halottat is a maradványaiban megőrzött információkat feltárva. 3 Az írott és elbeszélő forrásokat jellemzően hátra nem hagyó társadalmak belső hierarchiájának felderítését a státuszt és a presztízst kifejező leletek, jelenségek elemzése meghatározó módon előmozdítja. E tárgyak a temetőkben régészeti eszközökkel vizsgálható társadalmi különbségek kimutatására is alkalmasak; e ponton (is) kapcsolódik egymáshoz a régészet és a kulturális antropológiai
In the framework of our four year research we will examine the burials of the so-called Baden Cul... more In the framework of our four year research we will examine the burials of the so-called Baden Culture that inhabited the major part of the Carpathian Basin from 3600/3000 BC until 2800 BC. Heterogenous burial practices are characteristic to the Baden Culture; one can find burial grounds with several hundred graves, minor graveyards with 10-30 graves as well as lonely burials. Burials reminiscent of mass graves and the interment of animals are also common. Both cremation and skeletal burial rites are present and symbolic graves contaning no human remains also occur. During the centuries of the Baden Culture major changes occurred in the life of societies who had no literary records of their own; many innovations were made that had lasting effects on the history of humanity. These novities spread fast and wide and further deepened economic and social disparities within communities that were reflected in burials. THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF BURIAL GROUNDS The archaeology of burial grounds, studies on funerary rites, i.e. the "archaeology of death", has received particularly great attention in international research, reflected by the immense number of studies that alone would fill a smaller library. Although first applied in the research of ancient high civilisations, the chronological and spatial boundaries of this field of research have been greatly expanded to include also prehistoric periods for which written sources are entirely lacking. 1 The interpretation of cemeteries as "ritual spaces" only gained ground in Hungarian research during the past few years. The funerary symbols and cultural codes used by prehistoric communities were a perfectly intelligible set of symbols that encoded customs and social relations transmitted from one generation to the next. However, the identification and interpretation of these codes is no simple task after several millennia have passed. One of the difficulties encountered when attempting to decode these symbols is that various liminal rites were performed from the onset of death to the funeral and the community's final farewell to the deceased. 2 Inquiries into these all but forgotten practices have been largely neglected by scholarship, which has begun to show an interest in these issues only more recently. While cemeteries are certainly not the direct continuation of one-time life, they are ritual, mystical spaces that have preserved various imprints of former beliefs, ceremonies and rites. Traditional archaeological assessments focus on the grave goods, their position in the grave and their analogies. The goal of complex cemetery analyses is to identify the elements of mortuary traditions preserved and passed on in mortuary rites alongside possible changes in these practices, as well as to identify the archaeological imprints of how a community related to its dead, and to draw meaningful conclusions 1
In 2002, Gábor Ilon uncovered no more than two settlement features at the Szombathely-Motel
site,... more In 2002, Gábor Ilon uncovered no more than two settlement features at the Szombathely-Motel site, one of which yielded decorated Bronze Age pottery sherds and two enigmatic clay fragments, which he tentatively identified as coming from figurines. It has been recently suggested that the two decorated fragments in question, whose function is not obvious at first glance, might originate from wagon models. In order to determine their one-time function, I reviewed the possible Bronze Age types that could be considered, most of which can be assigned to the Wietenberg culture. I excluded figurines and altars, and after a rigorous examination of the more recently discovered wagon models – that have exclusively been found in the eastern half of the Carpathian Basin – I was able to reconstruct the fragments as one possible variant of miniature wheeled vehicles.
This paper collects the relics of metalwork in the Little Balaton and surrounding area, with the ... more This paper collects the relics of metalwork in the Little Balaton and surrounding area, with the probably most outstanding find of the Late Copper Age metalworking. The article covers the Vörs diadem and its problematics and possible resolutions (e.g. the sex of skeleton, the raw material of diadem and the localisation of the site).
In: Bondár, M.: The Late Copper Age cemetery at Pilismarót-Basaharc. István Torma’ excavations (1... more In: Bondár, M.: The Late Copper Age cemetery at Pilismarót-Basaharc. István Torma’ excavations (1967, 1969-1972). Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Budapest 2015. ISBN 978-963-9911-75-8, 319-347.
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Many studies written from various perspectives have appeared on archaeological topography and on the associated aspects of the Institute’s activities. At the same, virtually nothing has been published about the beginning of topographic studies in Hungary aside from a few brief remarks on its all but forgotten past.
The goal of this study is to offer a brief overview of the history of archaeological topography in Hungary, to highlight some major milestones and to dispel a few misunderstandings in current scholarship. The MRT project was indisputably the brainchild of the Institute, and thus my focus is on the documents and records of the early period of this significant undertaking, as well as on highlighting the most significant turning points in the project. Instead of a traditional overview of the history of this particular research, I have selected some relevant sources from among the less known and previously unknown documents of the period between Flóris Rómer’s vision of a “tablecloth of ancient relics” in the 19th century and the publication of Volume 11 of the MRT project. My intention was to demonstrate the profound impact of the MRT project on archaeological scholarship in Hungary and how it inspired other similar undertakings not only in Hungary, but also in neighbouring countries such as Slovakia, where the two topographic volumes published to date were clearly modelled on the Hungarian series. The MRT project had a clear conceptual framework from the start that was continuously expanded. I have also covered the rationale behind the choice of regions to be surveyed and the numbering of the MRT volumes. Included in the study is a table offering an overview of the most important data of the MRT volumes.
This book presents a description of the burials, a typological analysis of the grave goods and a meticulous examination of the burial rites practiced by the community using the cemetery.
The process of miniaturisation is reflected by several items in the grave inventories (miniature vessels, various small finds, animal figurines and a wagon model). In the literate civilisations of Antiquity, miniature objects have a clear association with funerary rites, with the perhaps best-documented evidence coming from ancient Egypt, where miniature objects and models had a ritual meaning and were believed to link the present with eternity.
The archaeological chapters are supplemented with the physical anthropological analysis of the human cremated remains (Kitti Köhler) and with the radiocarbon dates made on calcined bones (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow) as well as with studies on the lithic material (Katalin T. Biró) and the animal bone sample (Erika Gál).///
Pilismarót-Basaharc a késő rézkori badeni kultúra egyedülálló sírszámú (110 hamvasztásos sír), Torma István által teljesen feltárt temetője a kultúra egész elterjedési területén
A „temető, mint szakrális tér” értelmezés csak az elmúlt években vált hangsúlyossá a magyar kutatásban. A temetők nem az egykori élet folytatásai, tükörképei, hanem olyan misztikus helyek, amelyek megőrizték a hiedelemvilág, a szertartások, a rítusok néhány elemét, amelyek azonban régészeti módszerekkel nem mindig értelmezhetők. A temető egy, az élettől elkülönített, szimbólumokkal teli világ, amely az egykori közösségek számára teljesen érthető és generációkon át hagyományozott szokásokat, társadalmi kapcsolatokat rögzített, régészeti módszerekkel azonban ennek csak nagyon kis hányadát tudjuk megragadni, értelmezni.
A kötetben a részletes régészeti elemzés foglalkozik a sírok, leletek bemutatásával, a temetési folyamat momentumainak rekonstruálásával, a sírok közötti belső kronológiával, és a temető jelentőségével. Pilismarót-Basaharcon markánsan jelen van a miniatürizáció és nagy számban előfordulnak presztízstárgyként értelmezhető leletek. Az ásatás idején még pauszra rajzolt, bemérési fixpont nélküli összesítőkből térinformatikai térkép készült. A kötetet a leleteket bemutató táblák, és a tárgyak temetőn belüli elhelyezkedését bemutató térképek illusztrálják.
A monográfiában a hamvak antropológiai feldolgozása (Köhler Kitti), a hamvakból nyert 14C eredmények (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow), továbbá az állatcsontok (Gál Erika) és a kevés kőanyag (T. Biró Katalin) feldolgozása is jelentős.
site, one of which yielded decorated Bronze Age pottery sherds and two enigmatic clay fragments, which he
tentatively identified as coming from figurines. It has been recently suggested that the two decorated fragments
in question, whose function is not obvious at first glance, might originate from wagon models. In order to
determine their one-time function, I reviewed the possible Bronze Age types that could be considered, most
of which can be assigned to the Wietenberg culture. I excluded figurines and altars, and after a rigorous examination
of the more recently discovered wagon models – that have exclusively been found in the eastern half of
the Carpathian Basin – I was able to reconstruct the fragments as one possible variant of miniature wheeled
vehicles.
Many studies written from various perspectives have appeared on archaeological topography and on the associated aspects of the Institute’s activities. At the same, virtually nothing has been published about the beginning of topographic studies in Hungary aside from a few brief remarks on its all but forgotten past.
The goal of this study is to offer a brief overview of the history of archaeological topography in Hungary, to highlight some major milestones and to dispel a few misunderstandings in current scholarship. The MRT project was indisputably the brainchild of the Institute, and thus my focus is on the documents and records of the early period of this significant undertaking, as well as on highlighting the most significant turning points in the project. Instead of a traditional overview of the history of this particular research, I have selected some relevant sources from among the less known and previously unknown documents of the period between Flóris Rómer’s vision of a “tablecloth of ancient relics” in the 19th century and the publication of Volume 11 of the MRT project. My intention was to demonstrate the profound impact of the MRT project on archaeological scholarship in Hungary and how it inspired other similar undertakings not only in Hungary, but also in neighbouring countries such as Slovakia, where the two topographic volumes published to date were clearly modelled on the Hungarian series. The MRT project had a clear conceptual framework from the start that was continuously expanded. I have also covered the rationale behind the choice of regions to be surveyed and the numbering of the MRT volumes. Included in the study is a table offering an overview of the most important data of the MRT volumes.
This book presents a description of the burials, a typological analysis of the grave goods and a meticulous examination of the burial rites practiced by the community using the cemetery.
The process of miniaturisation is reflected by several items in the grave inventories (miniature vessels, various small finds, animal figurines and a wagon model). In the literate civilisations of Antiquity, miniature objects have a clear association with funerary rites, with the perhaps best-documented evidence coming from ancient Egypt, where miniature objects and models had a ritual meaning and were believed to link the present with eternity.
The archaeological chapters are supplemented with the physical anthropological analysis of the human cremated remains (Kitti Köhler) and with the radiocarbon dates made on calcined bones (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow) as well as with studies on the lithic material (Katalin T. Biró) and the animal bone sample (Erika Gál).///
Pilismarót-Basaharc a késő rézkori badeni kultúra egyedülálló sírszámú (110 hamvasztásos sír), Torma István által teljesen feltárt temetője a kultúra egész elterjedési területén
A „temető, mint szakrális tér” értelmezés csak az elmúlt években vált hangsúlyossá a magyar kutatásban. A temetők nem az egykori élet folytatásai, tükörképei, hanem olyan misztikus helyek, amelyek megőrizték a hiedelemvilág, a szertartások, a rítusok néhány elemét, amelyek azonban régészeti módszerekkel nem mindig értelmezhetők. A temető egy, az élettől elkülönített, szimbólumokkal teli világ, amely az egykori közösségek számára teljesen érthető és generációkon át hagyományozott szokásokat, társadalmi kapcsolatokat rögzített, régészeti módszerekkel azonban ennek csak nagyon kis hányadát tudjuk megragadni, értelmezni.
A kötetben a részletes régészeti elemzés foglalkozik a sírok, leletek bemutatásával, a temetési folyamat momentumainak rekonstruálásával, a sírok közötti belső kronológiával, és a temető jelentőségével. Pilismarót-Basaharcon markánsan jelen van a miniatürizáció és nagy számban előfordulnak presztízstárgyként értelmezhető leletek. Az ásatás idején még pauszra rajzolt, bemérési fixpont nélküli összesítőkből térinformatikai térkép készült. A kötetet a leleteket bemutató táblák, és a tárgyak temetőn belüli elhelyezkedését bemutató térképek illusztrálják.
A monográfiában a hamvak antropológiai feldolgozása (Köhler Kitti), a hamvakból nyert 14C eredmények (Derek Hamilton, SUERC, Glasgow), továbbá az állatcsontok (Gál Erika) és a kevés kőanyag (T. Biró Katalin) feldolgozása is jelentős.
site, one of which yielded decorated Bronze Age pottery sherds and two enigmatic clay fragments, which he
tentatively identified as coming from figurines. It has been recently suggested that the two decorated fragments
in question, whose function is not obvious at first glance, might originate from wagon models. In order to
determine their one-time function, I reviewed the possible Bronze Age types that could be considered, most
of which can be assigned to the Wietenberg culture. I excluded figurines and altars, and after a rigorous examination
of the more recently discovered wagon models – that have exclusively been found in the eastern half of
the Carpathian Basin – I was able to reconstruct the fragments as one possible variant of miniature wheeled
vehicles.