Communicationes Archaeologicae Hungariae, 2005
Klára Kővári - Róbert Patay: A Settlement of the Makó Culture at Üllő New Evidence for Early Bronze Age Metalworking
COMMUNICATIONES ARCIUEOLOGICE HUNGÁRIÁI Klára Kövári-Róbert Patay A SETTLEMENT OF THE MAKÓ CULTURE AT ÜLLŐ NEW EVIDENCE FOR EARLY BRONZE AGE METALWORKING The site and the find circumstances The archaeological investigations preceding the construction of the MO motorway section southeast of Budapest were begun in 2001. An extensive late Sarmatian potters’ settlement was identified at the Üllő 5 site, located at the junction of the motorway and Road 4, on the outskirts of Vecsés and Üllő. About 32 hectares of this settlement fell into the motorway’s planned line (Fig. 1). Over 7800 Sarmatian features were uncovered between 2001 and 2003; these included storage and refuse pits, houses, ditches, fifty pottery kilns and sections of three Sarmatian cemeteries (RKM 2001, 232-233; RKM 2002, 286-287; RKM 2003, 306-307). In 2002, the remains of a settlement of the Early Bronze Age Makó culture were discovered between various Sarmatian features in the southern section of the site (Fig. 2). Additional Bronze Age pits came to light in the summer of 2003. Pit 5605, excavated in August 2002, contained moulds and a crucible, finds which shed new light on our knowledge of Early Bronze Age metalworking. This study offers a description and discussion of the Early Bronze Age settlement and its finds, and their implication for the metallurgy of this period. The settlement of the Makó culture lay on the southern slope of a one-time high bluff, which has since been eroded and now barely rises above the present surface. A 30-150 cm thick humus layer was removed mechanically at the beginning of the excavation, in the course of which some settlement features and finds were destroyed, and thus the conclusions concerning the settlement and its finds are rather limited. On the testimony of the pottery finds, twentyfour pits can be associated with the Makó culture. Several other pits yielded indistinct prehistoric pottery sherds too. Since a few settlement features of the Late Bronze Age Urnfield culture were also uncovered at the site, the pits with indistinct sherds are not discussed here. Early Bronze Age pottery fragments were also recovered from the fill of the Sarmatian pits, ditches and graves. Description of the settlement features and their finds Pit 2037: Large cylindrical pit with slightly narrowing walls and a flat floor. Its fill was homogenous. Diam.: 204 cm, depth: 74 cm. Finds: 1. Rim fragment from a pedestalled bowl decorated in its interior. Dark grey, brownish interior, tempered with sand and crushed pottery. An incised line runs under the rim, under which is a pattern of incised, hatched triangles. 5.7 cm X 4.2 cm, Th.: 0.1-1 cm (Fig. 27. 1). 2. Eight brownish-grey, worn body sherds tempered with sand and crushed pottery and a fragment from a carefully polished vessel with curved neck and strongly everted, thick rim. 3. Animal bones.1 Pit 2048: Triangular pit with rounded corners, rounded sides and flat floor. It had a homogenous fill of dark brown sand. Diam.: 130 cm, depth: 42 cm. Finds: 1. Two rim fragments, five body sherds, and two body sherds with brushed decoration, all dark grey and tempered with sand and crushed pottery. 2. Animal bones. Pit 2049: Irregular roundish pit with rounded sides and a flat floor. It had a homogenous fill of light brown-yellowish sand. Diam. 166 cm, depth: 34 cm Finds: 1. Rim fragment from a dark grey, ovoid (?) pot with short, curved neck and everted, thickened rim, tempered with sand and crushed potteiy. DM.: 21 cm, H.: 8 cm, Th.: 0.6 cm. Assembled from its fragments (Fig. 27. 2). 2. Fragment from a dark grey ovoid pot with short, curved neck and everted, thickened rim tempered with sand and crushed pottery. 9.5 cm x 5-2 cm, Th.: 0.6 cm. Assembled from its fragments. 3. Twelve grey body sherds, tempered with sand and crushed pottery. 4. Animal bones. Pit 3608: Slightly oval pit with straight walls. It had a homogenous fill of sand mixed with humus. Its floor could not be cleaned owing to the groundwater. Diam.: 170 cm, excavated depth: 40 cm. Finds: 1. Knob decorated, bevelled rim fragment from a greyish-brick red pot with indrawn neck, tempered with sand and crushed pottery. DM.: 22 cm, 10.2 cm x 7.2 cm, Th.: 0.7 cm (Fig. 27. 3). 2. Rim fragment from a light brick red pot with indrawn neck and everted, thickened rim, tempered with sand and crushed pottery. 5.8 cm x 5 cm, Th.: 0.6, Th. of rim: 1.1 cm (Fig. 27. 4). 3. Four light brown and grey body sherds, from vessels tempered with sand and crushed pottery. 4. Burnt daub. 5. Animal bones. Pit 3624: Cylindrical pit with a flat floor. It had a homogenous fill of greyish-brown sand. Diam.: 150 cm, depth: 80 cm. 2005