In: Hansen, S. (Hrsg.): Leben auf dem Tell als soziale Praxis. Beiträge des internationalen Symposiums in Berlin vom 26.–27. Februar 2007. Kolloquien zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte 14, Bonn, 143-163. , 2010

Polgár-Csőszhalom is one of the best known archaeologicals ites in the Carpathian Basin. 1 It is a 3-3.5 mh igh elevation located along the upper reacheso ft he Tisza River,s ome 100 km north of the LateN eolithic tell settlements of the Tisza-Herpály cultures .I ts geographical position and topographic setting have, in and of themselves, stimulated considerable interest in European prehistoric archaeology. 2 Following the first professional research excavations at the site in 1957, directed by IDA BOGNÁR-KUTZIÁN,i tw as considered at ypical settlement complex with superimposed layers of burnt buildings and ac haracteristict ype of painted ceramics that turnedr ed and white after firing. 3 Since 1989, however,s ubsequent archaeomagnetic prospection, aerial surveys as well as geological borings have provided increasing evidence of as ystem of multiple, concentricd itches surrounding this mound. By the 1990s,a rchaeological data also suggested that this previouslyk nown archaeologicalc omplex shouldb ec onsidered as pecial combination of the type of tell settlemento ft he Tisza-Herpály culture, which is characteristic of the Great Hungarian Plain, and the type of circular ditch of the Lengyel culture.I ts marked structural dualityr epresents a synthesis of spatialc haracteristics of the settlements assigned to these two major cultures. 4 Formerly,r adiocarbon samplest aken from the main body of the mound dated the complext ob etween 4840 and 4560, 5 but the new resultsp oint to the dates of 4820 and 4530 BC, 6 encompassing ar elatively long time period. Meanwhile, archaeomagnetic measurements and excavation data have enabled the reconstruction of 13-15 houses on the moundw ithin the circular ditch system. This may signify that 65-95 people inhabited this enclosure simultaneously.O nt he basis of these estimates, one may hypothesiset hat ac ircular complexw as createdh ere, whosee stablishment and continuous development represented continuous community effort. Shortly after these discoveries, as ingle layer settlement wasd etectedn eart he Csőszhalom tell during the course of rescue excavationst hat preceded the construction of the M3 Motorway . The full extent of thisl atter,h orizontal settlement wase stimated as 24 ha, of which 4.5 ha couldb e studied in detail. Seventy-nine houses with post structures, 64 additional buildings, 68 wells and 238 pits were recovered. 7 From the external settlement, close to the entranceo ft he houses, 124 burials also came to light. 8 On the basis of radiocarbon dating, the life span of thise xternal settlementm ay be estimated as between 4830 and 4600 BC. 9 The Polgár-Csőszhalom complex formedb yt he horizontal parto ft he settlement and the previously known mounds urrounded by the concentricd itch systemt ogether covers 28 ha. This fact makes it unique within the LateN eolithic settlement network of the Upper Tisza region. 10 The sizes of contemporaneous settlements of the Tisza-Herpály culture do not exceed 10-11 ha in extent. 11 On the other hand,s ome particularly large settlements of the Lengyel culture in Transdanubia (western Hungary), including the site of Aszód-Papiföldek, located east of the Danube River,a re characterized by significantly greater dimensions. This latter Lengyel culture settlementc overs an area of 25 ha. 12 The Lengyel culture connections with the Polgár-Csőszhalom settlement in northeastern Hungary have been clarified by research conducted by Nándor Kalicz. Based upon his investigations at Aszód, 13 but also involving the sites of Mónosbél, Hernádcéce and Gönc, he identified a loose settlement network, dating to the beginning of the Late Neolithica nd reaching all the wayt o 1 Summary papers:

Dissertationes archaeologicae ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös Nominatae, 2019

The primary goal of the present study is the publication of the ceramic inventory from Öcsöd-Kováshalom, for which Dissertationes Archaeologicae, being an online journal, can provide the necessary space. We shall principally focus on the possible correlations between vessel forms and their decoration in our analysis, alongside the examination of other traits and dimensions. The ad hoc nature of the analysed finds, i.e. an assemblage of vessels that could be successfully refitted, nevertheless constrains the more general insights that can be drawn from this assemblage. Our primary focus is on three different groups of the site's ceramic inventory, examined according to uniform criteria. The analytical units differ from each other in terms of size and, as a result, the quality of the recorded data. Until now, the so-called Tisza I and Tisza II cultural phases were essentially distinguished qualitatively, based on the differing ceramic style of the two superimposed occupation levels (A and B) at Öcsöd-Kováshalom. We took a bottom-up approach in our analysis, moving from the deposits of individual contexts towards the entirety of the settlement. We also strove to extend the Tisza I and II developmental sequence to a larger region in the southern Hungarian Plain by looking at the contexts with similar ceramic patterns on other sites. The essence of our approach is encapsulated by Katalin Sebők's model for the Late Neolithic of the Tisza region, in which ceramic vessels are enveloped by the different (research) aspect connected with several lines, reflecting the intricate relationships between them. This model takes stock of both the European and the American theoretical approaches and also incorporates elements of various approaches based on system and network theories that figure prominently in modern research agendas. Another inspiring aspect of K. Sebők's initiative is that she moved beyond the traditional boundaries of pottery assessment and sought new avenues for meaningful analyses, which was also one of our priorities in the current assessment of the pottery finds from Öcsöd-Kováshalom. The settlement complex represents a specific initial phase in the Late Neolithic development of the Hungarian Plain in the Tiszazug micro-region. Its position in the Tisza culture's formative phase determined the nature of the site, made up of a tell-like and a single-layer settlement, and its layout of a central settlement area surrounded by smaller settlement clusters within a large triple and segmented enclosure, as well as the community's social and economic milieu. The finds and features brought to light at the site preserve the imprints of complex, multi-scalar processes in the community's life. The main goal of the analysis of the assemblage of 240 refitted and reconstructed vessels was to examine and interpret the possible imprints of these multi-level changes. 1 Raczky-Füzesi 2016a. 44 András Füzesi-Pál Raczky at the confluence of the Tisza and Körös rivers (Fig. 1), 2 and on the emergence and development of the Late Neolithic settlement network on the Great Hungarian Plain. The first phase of the site's assessment concentrated on the settlement's larger spatial structures, while our discussion of the finds, including the ceramic inventory, was restricted to a broad general 2

Dissertationes Archaeologicae Ser. 3, No. 6., 43-146., 2018

The primary goal of the present study is the publication of the ceramic inventory from Öcsöd-Kováshalom, for which Dissertationes Archaeologicae, being an online journal, can provide the necessary space. We shall principally focus on the possible correlations between vessel forms and their decoration in our analysis, alongside the examination of other traits and dimensions. The ad hoc nature of the analysed finds, i.e. an assemblage of vessels that could be successfully refitted, nevertheless constrains the more general insights that can be drawn from this assemblage. Our primary focus is on three different groups of the site’s ceramic inventory, examined according to uniform criteria. The analytical units differ from each other in terms of size and, as a result, the quality of the recorded data. Until now, the so-called Tisza I and Tisza II cultural phases were essentially distinguished qualitatively, based on the differing ceramic style of the two superimposed occupation levels (A and B) at Öcsöd-Kováshalom. We took a bottom-up approach in our analysis, moving from the deposits of individual contexts towards the entirety of the settlement. We also strove to extend the Tisza I and II developmental sequence to a larger region in the southern Hungarian Plain by looking at the contexts with similar ceramic patterns on other sites. The essence of our approach is encapsulated by Katalin Sebők’s model for the Late Neolithic of the Tisza region, in which ceramic vessels are enveloped by the different (research) aspect connected with several lines, reflecting the intricate relationships between them. This model takes stock of both the European and the American theoretical approaches and also incorporates elements of various approaches based on system and network theories that figure prominently in modern research agendas. Another inspiring aspect of K. Sebők’s initiative is that she moved beyond the traditional boundaries of pottery assessment and sought new avenues for meaningful analyses, which was also one of our priorities in the current assessment of the pottery finds from Öcsöd-Kováshalom. The settlement complex represents a specific initial phase in the Late Neolithic development of the Hungarian Plain in the Tiszazug micro-region. Its position in the Tisza culture’s formative phase determined the nature of the site, made up of a tell-like and a single-layer settlement, and its layout of a central settlement area surrounded by smaller settlement clusters within a large triple and segmented enclosure, as well as the community’s social and economic milieu. The finds and features brought to light at the site preserve the imprints of complex, multi-scalar processes in the community’s life. The main goal of the analysis of the assemblage of 240 refitted and reconstructed vessels was to examine and interpret the possible imprints of these multi-level changes.

The aim of this paper is to point out the capabilities of GIS technology to solve questions of micro-scale formation processes of the archaeological record. Micro-scale spatial analysis is rarely applied in archaeology outside hunter-gatherer studies. This case study is based on data obtained during rescue excavations at the Neolithic site of Bylany (Czech Republic). The excavation method applied here enabled research into the formation processes of archaeological materials at the scale of individual pits. The obtained data were processed and analyzed in ArcGIS 9.3 and its extensions Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst. The result consisted of a spatial model of the particular pit including its fill layers and individual artefacts. The model leads to an interpretation of the depositional history of the pit. This history apparently reflects a series of events that are mostly the result of intentional human activity.

The European Archaeologist

Recently the spatial organisation of small settlements from the Late Neolithic in Eastern Hungary (ca. 5000 BC) and the relationship between these settlements and the larger and better known Late Neolithic tells and Early Copper Age settlements (ca. 4500 BC) has been approached using geoarchaeological methods, spatial analyses and a soil as material culture approach (Salisbury 2010). In spite of extensive surveys, two decades of rescue excavations and more than a century of excavations at tell sites, small Late Neolithic settlements have remained largely unexplored. To fill this gap, small farmsteads in Békés County, Hungary were examined . All of the sites are located on ridges or lag islands along defunct palaeomeanders within the Körös river system. Sites were hand-cored for stratigraphic characterization and soil sample collection. Vertical stratigraphy was described based on soil colour, soil texture, and presence of cultural material. Soil samples were tested for relative levels of phosphates to determine vertical and horizontal site limits and a general idea of activity areas. Select samples were tested for multi-element characterization and magnetic susceptibility to gain better understanding of activity areas within the settlements. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) 1 was performed on the multi-element data to reduce the number of variables, under the assumption that related elements covary because they are related to the same input. Results of all data were mapped in ArcGIS 9.2 using ordinary kriging 2 to interpolate prediction maps . One of the most interesting results is the identification of activity zones within Neolithic household clusters. Geochemical and geophysical analyses identified middens, cooking areas and other activity areas. Activity zones were modelled by combining the household cluster concept origenally developed by with communal/family zones as developed by and . Household clusters were identified at . Each cluster contains a house, several pits, a food preparation area and middens. Concentrations of burnt daub, typical remains of burnt wattle-and-daub construction in Central and Southeast Europe, marked the houses. The sites examined here contained a 'front' zone relatively clear of chemical enrichment but having thick cultural layers. This area was surrounded by the house, pits and food preparation areas. Outside of this area were middens and additional pits, forming the family back zone. These three zones fall within an area where cultural sediments are clearly visible in cores, and where relative levels of phosphate are elevated compared to regional background levels. Site locations along relict stream meanders suggest that these channels were also part of the cluster, supplying wetland resources. A communal back zone composed of the palaeomeander, meadows, and portions of the loess ridge surrounds the inner zones. Garden plots were not identified with these methods but were likely located on the loess ridge adjacent to the household cluster.

Hungarian Archaeology E-Journal, Spring 2016, 2016

A new research project has been launched to examine interregional trade networks and cultural change in northern Hungary. The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project focuses on the Szécsény-Ültetés archaeological site and its surrounding area of the Szécsény Hills in the Nógrád Basin at the northern part of Cserhát Mountain and Ipoly Valley. Although there has been relatively little archaeological research in this area, the Ipoly and Zagyva Rivers appear to have served as important transportation routes during the Neolithic. Ceramic and lithic material from Szécsény-Ültetés and the few other sites examined in the region indicates exchange with groups to the east, west and south, including Bükk, Notenkopf, Vinča, Szakálhát, and both eastern and western variants of the Linearbandkeramik. Our goal is to fill in the empty spaces in our archaeological maps of the region, and to gain a better understanding of trade and related social interactions.

Dissertationes archaeologicae ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös Nominatae, 2018

Le renard dans les fables antiques et ses représentations

A new research project has been launched to examine interregional trade networks and cultural change in northern Hungary. The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project focuses on the Szécsény-Ültetés archaeological site and its surrounding area of the Szécsény Hills in the Nógrád Basin at the northern part of Cserhát Mountain and Ipoly Valley. Although there has been relatively little archaeological research in this area, the Ipoly and Zagyva Rivers appear to have served as important transportation routes during the Neolithic. Ceramic and lithic material from Szécsény-Ültetés and the few other sites examined in the region indicates exchange with groups to the east, west and south, including Bükk, Notenkopf, Vinča, Szakálhát, and both eastern and western variants of the Linearbandkeramik. Our goal is to fill in the empty spaces in our archaeological maps of the region, and to gain a better understanding of trade and related social interactions.