Norbert Faragó | Eötvös Loránd University (original) (raw)

Papers by Norbert Faragó

Documenta Praehistorica, 2023

The well-known Late Neolithic tell-like settlement of Öcsöd-Kováshalom on the Great Hun garian Pl... more The well-known Late Neolithic tell-like settlement of Öcsöd-Kováshalom on the Great Hun garian Plain gained a completely new context when a triple enclosure consisting of segments (hence the name 'pseudo-ditch') was discovered in 2018. Followed by two small excavation campaigns, this pa per gives account of the construction stages, various digging and filling actions, of the chronology and of the structured deposits that marked the closing event of these long-lasting communal activities. A comparison with European Neolithic enclosures supports the interpretation on the diversity of the numerous ditch systems, and do not allow any generalizing views-it rather speaks for the freedom of local communities in their choices within their respective cultural frameworks.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae 3.11 (2023) 5–32, 2023

The authors had an opportunity to study 36 obsidian-tipped spears in the Oceania collection of th... more The authors had an opportunity to study 36 obsidian-tipped spears in the Oceania collection of the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest. In addition to describing the objects from the Admiralty Islands, collected before 1897, the paper provides a summary of the related ethnographic information, including the technological and technical details of spear point making and characterisation of the obsidian raw material used.
The blades used for making the obsidian points presented in this study showed no sign of standardisation in the spear point-making process that would indicate an advanced blade technology. According to 19th-century ethnographic sources, the functional part of the points was the most important, and much time and effort were invested in ensuring that the blades were effective weapons. Later, as a sign of a "decline" phenomenon, primary production of obsidian blades ceased, and manufacturers scavenged old artefacts and utilised waste and by-products. As a result, the blades decreased in size, and became more irregular, and an increasingly large number included parts of the cortex, the crust of obsidian. After 1911, the relative importance of decoration increased and the type became more standardised.
Both the irregular shape of the spear points presented in the study and the thin, weak shafts with an awkward curvature raise questions of whether the spears were actual weapons. At the same time, the artistic decoration of the mounting sockets and ethnographic parallels suggest that the pieces in the collection were likely status objects instead.

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Archaeologiai Értesítő, 2022

A hazai ősrégészetben a kőnyersanyagok rendszeres kutatása csak az 1970-es években indult el. Ezt... more A hazai ősrégészetben a kőnyersanyagok rendszeres kutatása csak az 1970-es években indult el. Ezt a kutatást kezdettől fogva a proveniencia szemlélet jellemezte. Az 1990-es évektől a hangsúly az archeometriai vizsgálatokra helyeződött. A nemzetközi kutatásban viszont a technikai viselkedés rekonstruálása került a középpontba. A paleoetnológiai szemlélet felhasználásával komplexen vizsgálható az őskori embercsoportok viselkedése a nyersanyagok beszerzése és felhasználása terén. A cikk az elemzések elméleti és módszertani alapjait mutatja be.
The systematic research of lithic raw materials in Hungarian archaeology only started in the 1970s. From the beginning, this research was characterized by the provenance approach. From the 1990s, the focus shifted to archaeometric studies. In international research, on the other hand, the reconstruction of technical behavior also came into focus. By using the palaeoethnological approach, the behavior of prehistoric human groups in the pro...

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Journal of Lithic Studies, 2022

Although lithic raw material provenience studies in Hungarian archaeology have started in the l... more Although lithic raw material provenience studies in Hungarian archaeology have started in the
late 1970s, little attention has been paid to the methods prehistoric people with which acquired these
raw materials for tool production. With our palaeoethnological approach, we investigate the
relationship between human groups and the world surrounding them, aiming to recognize which
environmental factors played a role in their lithic raw material economy and tool production.
Prehistoric people weighed a range of such factors against each other when deciding about the
utilization of a lithic raw material source. The occurrence-source-archaeological site (OSA) model
presented in our article helps to describe the interaction between siliceous rock resources and humans.
Any place where stone suitable for knapping can be found is considered to be an occurrence. If the
lithic raw material from an occurrence is found in the archaeological material, we call it a source, as it
was utilized by humans. All places where remains of human activity are found are usually considered
archaeological sites. Siliceous rock occurrences are considered raw material sources with a long
history prior to human interaction, travelling from the original bedrock to alluvial deposits, due to the
geologic-geomorphologic processes of formation, transformation, and transport. The characteristics, of
these occurrences, including location, determine not only the distance of transportation but also the
quality and condition of the blocks available. Based on these assumptions our research has two aims:
to locate lithic raw material occurrences available for prehistoric people and to recognize their
decisions about extraction. For the first one, we mapped occurrences of several siliceous rocks in the
region. To reconstruct lithic raw material utilization and preferences, we conducted a techno-economic
analysis. We studied two areas and their characteristic lithic raw materials in northern Hungary:
limnosilicite from the foothills of the Mátra mountain range (Mátraalja), and Buda hornstone or chert
from the Buda Hills.
The utilization of both materials is documented at archaeological sites of several prehistoric
periods. Both rocks occur in the study areas at several locations that can be considered prehistoric
extraction sites. According to Turq’s source area typology, allochthonous sources are not present, but
primary and secondary autochthonous as well as sub-allochthonous types have been identified in both
areas. However, the exploitation of primary autochthonous limnosilicites could not be demonstrated in
the Mátraalja. At the moment, the exploitation of secondary autochthonous and sub-allochthonous
sources can be hypothesized for all concerned prehistoric periods.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae, 3(10), 5–27., 2022

The archaeological artefacts of the Vámoscsalád-Kavicsbánya site were discovered, collected and p... more The archaeological artefacts of the Vámoscsalád-Kavicsbánya site were discovered, collected and preserved by István Marton and his brother, András Marton, mineral collectors from Mesterháza, in about 2015. The slight elevation on a terrace of the Répce River was mined for the M86 highway in 2012–2013. Apart from knapped stone tools, the main subject of our paper, several polished serpentinite and greenschist tools have been recovered from the site, which could be in use between the Neolithic and the end of the Bronze Age. Only a few potsherds indicated a settlement of the Transdanubian Linear Pottery culture (TLPC). Of the Copper Age, Lengyel III and Baden pottery fragments and a clay spatula are worth mentioning. Almost the entire Bronze Age is represented, the most exciting find being a rim fragment of a bowl, decorated with an encrusted geometric pattern on both sides, of the Somogyvár–Vinkovci culture. Given the presumed mixed character of the knapped stone record of the Vámoscsalád-Kavics-bánya site (as the finds were not recovered from a closed stratigraphic context), we looked for possible cultural analogies and relationships, primarily those corresponding to the system of raw material–technology–typology. Although the pottery fragments of the TLPC recovered from the site are few and uncharacteristic, and the recovered finds may represent more than one phase, the knapped stone assemblage most likely represents the industry of the Middle Neolithic cultural unit, as suggested by raw material composition, technological features, type distribution and characteristics of the retouched tools. It is perhaps even possible that we are dealing with relatively old, if not the oldest TLP finds ever unearthed in the county.

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Archaeologia Polona, 2022

From the period of the Neanderthals to those of the Late Neolithic populations, the Bükk Mountain... more From the period of the Neanderthals to those of the Late Neolithic populations, the Bükk Mountains region played an important part in the lives of various prehistoric societies, and the varied geological history of this territory provided distinct circumstances for the production of stone implements. The major goal of our research is to outline the current state of information concerning the prehistoric use of the diverse silicified source materials of the Bükk mountains. The results of these studies are presented concerning four selected local rock types, cited in the archaeological literature as the silicified sandstone of Egerbakta, the radiolarite and hornstone (black chert), the silicified marlstone and the quartz-porphyry (metarhyolite). Except for the latter, little attention has previously been paid to studying them in detail. Our new petrographic analyses revealed two variants of the raw material from Egerbakta: a silicified sandstone and a diatomaceous detrital chert. The other samples turned out to be radiolarites. This result confirmed what was already suggested for the hornstones (black cherts), however, it has new consequences for the "silicified marlstone". Regarding the prehistoric use of the selected raw materials, archaeological data show interesting dynamics through time. The Mousterian groups of the region used a large spectrum of rocks for lithic tools with a preference for hornstone (black cherts) and radiolarite in the southern part, and the quartz-porphyry (metarhyolite) in the northeastern part. The Bábonyian/Micoquian assemblages are characterized by a bifacial toolkit and an apparent preference for quartz-porphyry (metarhyolite). At the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic, a new attitude appears in the region: the Aurignacian a

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András Marton recently came into the possession of a small chipped stone assemblage from the lega... more András Marton recently came into the possession of a small chipped stone assemblage from the legacy of a German amateur mineral collector from Hamburg. Unfortunately enough, very little is known about the deceased and his collection. A part of the finds, including tools was donated to the Institute of Archeology of the Eötvös Loránd University. The lithic assemblage contains a total of 27 chipped stone artefacts made exclusively of Baltic flint. Concerning the used raw material, the flint varieties with the banded structure are rather unusual in Schleswig-Holstein. They are much more likely to originate from Lower Saxony or perhaps Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Apart from the general technological description of the assemblage, some pieces from these non-formal tools were selected for a detailed description. The application of the “direct percussion with a hard hammer” technique and the presence of the thick artefacts contradict the Palaeolithic or Mesolithic origin of the assemblage, except for the flint axe (“Kernbeil”) which has a possible Mesolithic association. Alternatively, if the edges of the artefacts are not worn out or rolled, then along the edges of all artefacts traces of some kind of “cryoturbation retouch” are observable. In this case, the Palaeolithic dating of the finds is more plausible.

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Dissertationes Archaeolocae, 2021

With the following short review, we would like to commemorate our departed German friend and arch... more With the following short review, we would like to commemorate our departed German friend and archaeologist Peter Nierling. He conducted field trips several times in North Africa, Algeria, Lybia, and Tunisia too, and on two occasions, in 1997 and 1998 one of us (A. P.) accompanied him. During these travels, field surveys have been carried out mainly in the region of Gafsa. In the wider vicinity of the classical Paleolithic/Mesolithic sites of El Mekta (de Gafsa) and Lalla (de Gafsa), several unknown archaeological sites and find spots were localized. After these travels, one of the authors (A. P.) got a relatively great assemblage of various content from Peter Nierling to the effect to enrich the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic collections of the Hungarian stone tool research. Although the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic of North Africa is not our speciality, below we would like to shortly review the possessed assemblages.

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Sprawozdania Archeologiczne

Bükkábrány-Bánya VII, an early ALPC settlement in Northeast Hungary, was just recently exposed to... more Bükkábrány-Bánya VII, an early ALPC settlement in Northeast Hungary, was just recently exposed to international research, but we would like to illustrate in our study how much promise its archaeological material has. We focused our investigation on these finds because the site contains a three-hectare excavated area and a welldefined settlement structure. Our first results are based on a quantitative examination of the many categories of archaeological finds. The first stage in our intra-site investigation involved the analysis of artifact fragmentation, as evaluated by the weight-to-frequency ratio, which indicated variances in depositional procedures. The spatial distribution of each find category was analyzed using kernel density, which revealed unique hot spots within activity zones. To split the settlement territory into spatial units, we employed the primary structural characteristics, such as rows of houses, empty spaces, and wells. The distribution and fragmentation data mat...

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Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2022

Stable isotope (δ15N, δ13C) and 14C results from two early medieval cemeteries are presented and ... more Stable isotope (δ15N, δ13C) and 14C results from two early medieval cemeteries are presented and evaluated in this study in order to draw conclusions about diet, social differentiation and chronology in the Carpathian Basin during the Avar period (7th–9th century CE). At Tiszafüred and Hortob´agy, two contemporaneous but distinct groups buried their deceased. The results reflect basic diet deviations between the two communities, which originated in alternative subsistence strategies and-or social differences. The Tiszafüred samples fit well into the general dietary picture of the period. The members of the rustic population consumed mainly cereals and millet, while the proportion of animal protein was significant also. Because of the exceptionally high δ15N levels of the Hortob´agy-´Arkus elite community, their diet was primarily based on animal protein, most probably of fresh- water origin. Concerning the low number of our samples that were selected for radiocarbon dating, the present information is insufficient for an exhaustive reconstruction. For now, we intend to grant some new additions to the sporadic data available for dietary reconstruction from this region and period. Our dataset is thought-provoking not only for the two distinct clusters of the plot but also for the rarity of stable isotope results from Avar and post-Avar sites. The 14C measurements published in the paper provide some new information on the chronology of the early medieval Carpathian Basin as well.

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N. Faragó, A. Király, & K. I. Szegedi (szerk.), A tealevelektől a levélhegyekig. Tanulmányok Mester Zsolt tiszteletére 60. születésnapja alkalmából (pp. 77–94)., 2021

Jelen tanulmány tárgyául Rákóczifalva-Bivaly tó 1/C lelőhely 218/230-as szimbolikus sírjának bifa... more Jelen tanulmány tárgyául Rákóczifalva-Bivaly tó 1/C lelőhely 218/230-as szimbolikus sírjának bifaciális kidolgozású levélhegye került kiválasztásra. A tárgy megnevezése használati nyom elemzés hiányában szándékosan nem nyílhegy, lándzsahegy vagy tőr, mivel ezek a terminusok mind egyúttal valamilyen funkcióbeli sajátosságra is utalnak. A lelet és lelőhelykörülmények, a lehetséges párhuzamok ismertetésén túl a tárgy technológiai elemzése került előtérbe, a készítés során megvalósult, egymást követő lépések és fogások megfigyelése és rögzítése történt meg. Az elemzés célja közvetlen módon felfedni a levélhegy készítésének körülményeit, a készítés helyét és a készítő(k) szakértelmének szintjét, közvetett módon pedig adalékot szolgáltatni a rézkorban tapasztalható technológiai újítás megjelenéséhez és a kapcsolatrendszerek kibővüléséhez. Az eredmények alapján a helyi készítés szinte teljesen kizárható, ugyanakkor a levélhegy nyersanyaga, magas szintű kivitelezése és a leletkontextusban megnyilvánuló szokás általános képe mind nagyon erős kapcsolatokat valószínűsít az észak-bulgáriai régióval. -
The subject of this study is a bifacial leaf point found in the symbolic grave no. 218/230 at the site of Rákóczifalva-Bivaly-tó 1/C. In the lack of use-wear analysis the denomination „bifacial leaf point” seemed more accurate, as other terms, such as arrowhead, spearhead, or dagger are rather functionally determined. Besides, the description of the find and its archaeological context, and the outline of the possible analogies, the study focuses to an exhaustive technological analysis. This analysis relied on the detailed observation of the consecutive steps and techniques realized during production. The main goal was to directly shed light on the circumstances of the preparation, the location, and the maker of this artefact. Indirectly, the study offers additional clues on the extended contacts and the technological innovation experienced during the Copper Age. According to the results, it can be excluded
that this leaf point was manufactured on-site, but its raw material together with high-quality craftsmanship and cultural tradition manifested in its find context represents strong connections with Northern Bulgaria.

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Hungarian Archaeology Vol. 10 (2021), Issue 3, pp. 53–58., 2021

The Late Neolithic assemblage of Pusztataskony-Ledence, dated to the 5th millennium BC, provides ... more The Late Neolithic assemblage of Pusztataskony-Ledence, dated to the 5th millennium BC, provides a unique opportunity for a comparison with already well-known tell settlements in the Great Hungarian Plain. Preliminary results revealed that this settlement, which was in a peripheral position compared to Polgár-Csőszhalom, had similarly intensive contacts with regions beyond the Carpathians. In my present research I aim to map and gain a better understanding of distribution patterns of knapped stone tools.

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Magyar Régészet 10. évf. (2021), 3. szám, pp. 53–58., 2021

Pusztataskony-Ledence késő neolitikus, a Kr. e. 5. évezredre keltezett lelőhelyének leletanyaga k... more Pusztataskony-Ledence késő neolitikus, a Kr. e. 5. évezredre keltezett lelőhelyének leletanyaga kivételes lehetőséget nyújt az összehasonlításra az Alföldön mára már jól ismert tell településekkel. Az előzetes eredmények azzal a tanulsággal szolgáltak, hogy a Polgár-Csőszhalomhoz viszonyítva marginális helyzetben lévő, tell nélküli település hasonlóan intenzív kapcsolatokat ápolt a Kárpátokon kívüli régiókkal. Jelenleg folyó kutatásomban a távolsági nyersanyagokból készült pattintott kőeszközök elterjedési mintázataival kapcsolatos kérdésekre keresem a választ.

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Litikum – Journal of the Lithic Research Roundtable, 7–8, 55-70., 2021

One of the most famous knapped stone assemblages, the 566 intact blades found in a large vessel a... more One of the most famous knapped stone assemblages, the 566 intact blades found in a large vessel at Boldogkőváralja-Tekeres-patak, dated to the Bükk culture (5200-5000 BC) has been at the forefront of the research for decades. Our intention was threefold when we decided to reevaluate this find. First, with the publication of the conjoining workshop material, we wanted to draw more attention to the whole assemblage and not just only to the depot. Second, the deliberate selection of the artefacts found in the jar has been suggested since the 1960s, which, in our opinion, can be tested by deep statistical analysis. Third, when Vértes applied parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses on knapped stone assemblages, he ventured into a brand new branch of archaeological investigation, not just in Hungary. Unfortunately, the pioneering attempts of Vértes were not followed for many decades. Our results suggest that the intact blades of the depot differed from each other significantly by their butt preparation because the pieces with dihedral butts are significantly wider than the others. On contrary, the length and the thickness of unbroken blades are homogenous, irrespective of preparation techniques. Concerning the different butt types across the whole assemblage, blades with plain butts are the most numerous in the depot and the workshops, but other, more thorough preparation occurred at a decreased rate in the workshops. At the same time, the different preparation types are evenly distributed in the four workshops, there are no significant differences between them. Kivonat A boldogkőváraljai pattintott kő leletegyüttes új statisztikai értékelése A Bükk kultúrához (i.e. 5200-5000) tartozó Boldogkőváralja-Tekeres-patak lelőhelyen talált, 566 ép kőpengét rejtő edény lerakat hazánk egyik legismertebb pattintott kő leletegyüttese, mellyel sok korábbi kutatás foglalkozott már. Újraértékelésünk első célja, hogy a depóhoz csatlakozó műhelyek leletanyagára is felhívjuk a figyelmet. Második célunk volt, hogy az edényben talált tárgyak szándékos szelekciójának elméletét statisztikai módszerekkel vizsgáljuk. Ezzel összefüggésben harmadik célunk volt, hogy a kőpengéket korában egyedülálló módon statisztikai módszerekkel vizsgáló Vértes László munkásságát folytassuk hazánkban. Eredményeink szerint a depó ép pengéi között a kétlapú talonnal rendelkezők szignifikánsan szélesebbek voltak a többinél. Ezzel ellentétben az ép darabok hosszúsága és vastagsága hasonló, függetlenül a preparációs technikáktól. A depó és a műhelyek anyagában egyaránt a sima talonú darabok a leggyakoribbak, de az alaposabb előkészítés inkább a depóba helyezett pengéken figyelhető meg. Ezen felül a különféle preparációs típusok megoszlása egyenletes a négy műhely anyagában, vagyis ezek a leletcsoportok egymásra hasonlítanak.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae Ser. 3. No. 8, 2020

One of the authors (AP) recently acquired a larger amount of chipped stone artefacts from the leg... more One of the authors (AP) recently acquired a larger amount of chipped stone artefacts from the legacy of his departed friend Peter Nierling († 2017), archaeologist and field researcher in Hamburg. The aim of bequeathing was to support the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research in Hungary. The beneficiary catalogued the finds according to the sites and together with the necessary documentation handed them over to the Institute of Archeology of the Eötvös Loránd University. The entire assemblage contains artefacts from a total of 92 sites or smaller lithic concentrations. The entire lithic material has not been evaluated comprehensively; however, the unusually large and varied nature of the material makes it necessary to present it at least partially. The finds intended for the presentation were compiled from the artefacts of three sites belonging to different age horizons. The raw material of all chipped stone artefacts is made of Baltic Cretaceous flint, sometimes appearing in intensively patinated form. However, it should be noted that the patination of Baltic flint cannot be considered as a trusty chronological marker.

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Stephan W. E. Blum, Turan Efe, Tobias L. Kienlin, Ernst Pernicka (eds.):From Past to Present. Studies in Memory of Manfred O. Korfmann. VERLAG DR. RUDOLF HABELT GMBH BONN, 2020

The tell settlement of Berettyóújfalu-Herpály in the south-eastern part of the Great Hungarian Pl... more The tell settlement of Berettyóújfalu-Herpály in the
south-eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain has
since long occupied a prominent position in Hungarian
prehistoric research. As the eponymous site
of the Herpály culture, it became the symbol and
representative of one of the most significant material
cultures of Late Neolithic development. Based on a fresh look at the excavation reports, the
field observations and the artefacts found at the site,
we undertook a much more complex and detailed
analysis of House 11 excavated at Berettyóújfalu-
Herpály. The goal of our paper is to present in
greater detail this new reconstruction, as a contribution
to this special volume dedicated to the memory
of Manfred Korfmann. Our work is closely related
to those recently published complex reconstructions
such as the houses of the tell settlements
of Pietrele (Reingruber 2010; 2012) and Drama-
Merdzhumekya (Becker 2016) in South-East Europe.

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Archeometriai Műhely 2020/XVii./2., 2020

In the following article, some volcanic rock finds from Pueblo Sajama (Oruro Department, Bolivia)... more In the following article, some volcanic rock finds from Pueblo Sajama (Oruro Department, Bolivia) will be presented. This small lithic assemblage contains 18 lithic artefacts, consists mainly of flakes without any culture-specific finds, therefore it is not possible to focus on the cultural relations of the assemblage. However, some typological and taphonomic features suggest an ancient origin of the finds. The available archaeological information on the study area is rather poor, the narrower environment of the Nevado Sajama is barely known. The short review should be regarded as a tool for raising awareness about the finds.
Az alábbi cikkben néhány Pueblo Sajama településen (Oruro megye, Bolívia) talált, vulkanikus kőzetből készült lelet kerül bemutatásra. A 18 leletből álló kis leletegyüttes főleg szilánkokból áll, és egyáltalán nem tartalmaz kultúra-specifikus leleteket. Az utóbbiak hiányában nem lehetséges a leletegyüttes kulturális kapcsolataira összpontosítani. Vannak azonban olyan tipológiai jellemzők, továbbá néhány tafonómiai sajátosság, amelyek inkább a leletek esetlegesen archaikus származását sugallják. A tanulmányozott területről rendelkezésre álló régészeti információk meglehetősen szegényesek, a Nevado Sajama szűkebb környezete kevéssé ismert, a leletanyag ismertetését egyfajta figyelemfelkeltésnek kell tekinteni.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae, 2019

Papers on the Hungarian Neolithic rarely distinguished chipped stone tools systematically in a se... more Papers on the Hungarian Neolithic rarely distinguished chipped stone tools systematically in a separate analysis before the last decades of the 20th century. The Hungarian research reached a point during the last decade, where it became possible to follow finer technological differences through time, where it became possible to trace back different kind of raw materials, where natural science instruments or use-wear analyses became available, where local and regional contacts are well documented. In the meantime, there were hardly any analyses of the inner structure of a specific settlement, or there were barely any attempt to better understand the micro-scale social relationships through the chipped stone tools of this period.
Our project started in 2012 in the framework of a complex household analysis. The first step to accomplishing such an analysis is to create a database by plotting all these finds independently of one another with their coordinates in a virtual map. The second step is to reconstruct social groups on different levels with the aid of statistical and spatial analysis tools.
The chipped stone industry is very suitable for this kind of investigation, especially when a palaeoethnologic aspect is applied. The main idea behind this method is that every knapped piece can be replaced in the technological chain by reading the stigmas on it. When this mental reconstruction is connected with the locations of the respective chipped stone artifacts, much of the original toolmaking process can be visualized.
Being oriented by Richard R. Wilk and William L. Rathje, the pioneers of household archaeology, and by the theoretical paper about the household concept of Polgár-Csőszhalom, I would also like to emphasize the need of different aspects during the approximation of these basic units. Moreover, the various independent viewpoints mean various perspectives and various research strategies and methods. Therefore my dissertation was themed around four different viewpoints: spatiality, temporality, symbology, and taphonomy. These aspects or problems have been constantly present since the start of the work, so it seemed best to organize the thesis rather around them, and not around the two different settlement parts or the raw material–technology–typology description.

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MΩMOΣ IX. The Archaeology of ritual - Proceedings of the IXth conference of researchers of prehistory, 2020

How can we observe specific material correlates of ritual practice with respect to other activiti... more How can we observe specific material correlates of ritual practice with respect to other activities? Our essay relates this question to the difficulties surrounding the definition of ritual. We argue that the category of ritual practice is acknowledged by the researcher, thus consequent, all-encompassing criteria can not be defined for its recognition in the archaeological record. Nevertheless, systematic study of past actions is possible with the help of sequential methods like the chaîne opératoire. Through our case study, a Neolithic blade depot from Boldogkőváralja, we find that built on proper analytic methods, „ritual” can be a powerful heuristic device during the interpretive phase of a research cycle. / _____________________________________________

Király, A., Faragó, N., Mester, Zs. 2020. Hasznos rítusok és haszontalan technikák. A rituális cselekvés régészeti azonosításának néhány elméleti kérdése egy pattintott kő leletegyüttes kapcsán (Useful Rites and Unfit Techniques Thoughts about archaeological perception of ritual). In: Csengeri, P., Kalli, A., Király, Á., Koós, J. (eds). MΩMOΣ IX. The Archaeology of ritual - Proceedings of the IXth conference of researchers of prehistory. Dissertationes Archaeologicae ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös nominatae Supplementum 3., pp. 9–43. http://dissarch.elte.hu/index.php/dissarch/article/view/375

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Archaeometry Workshop No. 2019/2., 109-126, 2019, 2019

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Documenta Praehistorica, 2023

The well-known Late Neolithic tell-like settlement of Öcsöd-Kováshalom on the Great Hun garian Pl... more The well-known Late Neolithic tell-like settlement of Öcsöd-Kováshalom on the Great Hun garian Plain gained a completely new context when a triple enclosure consisting of segments (hence the name 'pseudo-ditch') was discovered in 2018. Followed by two small excavation campaigns, this pa per gives account of the construction stages, various digging and filling actions, of the chronology and of the structured deposits that marked the closing event of these long-lasting communal activities. A comparison with European Neolithic enclosures supports the interpretation on the diversity of the numerous ditch systems, and do not allow any generalizing views-it rather speaks for the freedom of local communities in their choices within their respective cultural frameworks.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae 3.11 (2023) 5–32, 2023

The authors had an opportunity to study 36 obsidian-tipped spears in the Oceania collection of th... more The authors had an opportunity to study 36 obsidian-tipped spears in the Oceania collection of the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest. In addition to describing the objects from the Admiralty Islands, collected before 1897, the paper provides a summary of the related ethnographic information, including the technological and technical details of spear point making and characterisation of the obsidian raw material used.
The blades used for making the obsidian points presented in this study showed no sign of standardisation in the spear point-making process that would indicate an advanced blade technology. According to 19th-century ethnographic sources, the functional part of the points was the most important, and much time and effort were invested in ensuring that the blades were effective weapons. Later, as a sign of a "decline" phenomenon, primary production of obsidian blades ceased, and manufacturers scavenged old artefacts and utilised waste and by-products. As a result, the blades decreased in size, and became more irregular, and an increasingly large number included parts of the cortex, the crust of obsidian. After 1911, the relative importance of decoration increased and the type became more standardised.
Both the irregular shape of the spear points presented in the study and the thin, weak shafts with an awkward curvature raise questions of whether the spears were actual weapons. At the same time, the artistic decoration of the mounting sockets and ethnographic parallels suggest that the pieces in the collection were likely status objects instead.

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Archaeologiai Értesítő, 2022

A hazai ősrégészetben a kőnyersanyagok rendszeres kutatása csak az 1970-es években indult el. Ezt... more A hazai ősrégészetben a kőnyersanyagok rendszeres kutatása csak az 1970-es években indult el. Ezt a kutatást kezdettől fogva a proveniencia szemlélet jellemezte. Az 1990-es évektől a hangsúly az archeometriai vizsgálatokra helyeződött. A nemzetközi kutatásban viszont a technikai viselkedés rekonstruálása került a középpontba. A paleoetnológiai szemlélet felhasználásával komplexen vizsgálható az őskori embercsoportok viselkedése a nyersanyagok beszerzése és felhasználása terén. A cikk az elemzések elméleti és módszertani alapjait mutatja be.
The systematic research of lithic raw materials in Hungarian archaeology only started in the 1970s. From the beginning, this research was characterized by the provenance approach. From the 1990s, the focus shifted to archaeometric studies. In international research, on the other hand, the reconstruction of technical behavior also came into focus. By using the palaeoethnological approach, the behavior of prehistoric human groups in the pro...

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Journal of Lithic Studies, 2022

Although lithic raw material provenience studies in Hungarian archaeology have started in the l... more Although lithic raw material provenience studies in Hungarian archaeology have started in the
late 1970s, little attention has been paid to the methods prehistoric people with which acquired these
raw materials for tool production. With our palaeoethnological approach, we investigate the
relationship between human groups and the world surrounding them, aiming to recognize which
environmental factors played a role in their lithic raw material economy and tool production.
Prehistoric people weighed a range of such factors against each other when deciding about the
utilization of a lithic raw material source. The occurrence-source-archaeological site (OSA) model
presented in our article helps to describe the interaction between siliceous rock resources and humans.
Any place where stone suitable for knapping can be found is considered to be an occurrence. If the
lithic raw material from an occurrence is found in the archaeological material, we call it a source, as it
was utilized by humans. All places where remains of human activity are found are usually considered
archaeological sites. Siliceous rock occurrences are considered raw material sources with a long
history prior to human interaction, travelling from the original bedrock to alluvial deposits, due to the
geologic-geomorphologic processes of formation, transformation, and transport. The characteristics, of
these occurrences, including location, determine not only the distance of transportation but also the
quality and condition of the blocks available. Based on these assumptions our research has two aims:
to locate lithic raw material occurrences available for prehistoric people and to recognize their
decisions about extraction. For the first one, we mapped occurrences of several siliceous rocks in the
region. To reconstruct lithic raw material utilization and preferences, we conducted a techno-economic
analysis. We studied two areas and their characteristic lithic raw materials in northern Hungary:
limnosilicite from the foothills of the Mátra mountain range (Mátraalja), and Buda hornstone or chert
from the Buda Hills.
The utilization of both materials is documented at archaeological sites of several prehistoric
periods. Both rocks occur in the study areas at several locations that can be considered prehistoric
extraction sites. According to Turq’s source area typology, allochthonous sources are not present, but
primary and secondary autochthonous as well as sub-allochthonous types have been identified in both
areas. However, the exploitation of primary autochthonous limnosilicites could not be demonstrated in
the Mátraalja. At the moment, the exploitation of secondary autochthonous and sub-allochthonous
sources can be hypothesized for all concerned prehistoric periods.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae, 3(10), 5–27., 2022

The archaeological artefacts of the Vámoscsalád-Kavicsbánya site were discovered, collected and p... more The archaeological artefacts of the Vámoscsalád-Kavicsbánya site were discovered, collected and preserved by István Marton and his brother, András Marton, mineral collectors from Mesterháza, in about 2015. The slight elevation on a terrace of the Répce River was mined for the M86 highway in 2012–2013. Apart from knapped stone tools, the main subject of our paper, several polished serpentinite and greenschist tools have been recovered from the site, which could be in use between the Neolithic and the end of the Bronze Age. Only a few potsherds indicated a settlement of the Transdanubian Linear Pottery culture (TLPC). Of the Copper Age, Lengyel III and Baden pottery fragments and a clay spatula are worth mentioning. Almost the entire Bronze Age is represented, the most exciting find being a rim fragment of a bowl, decorated with an encrusted geometric pattern on both sides, of the Somogyvár–Vinkovci culture. Given the presumed mixed character of the knapped stone record of the Vámoscsalád-Kavics-bánya site (as the finds were not recovered from a closed stratigraphic context), we looked for possible cultural analogies and relationships, primarily those corresponding to the system of raw material–technology–typology. Although the pottery fragments of the TLPC recovered from the site are few and uncharacteristic, and the recovered finds may represent more than one phase, the knapped stone assemblage most likely represents the industry of the Middle Neolithic cultural unit, as suggested by raw material composition, technological features, type distribution and characteristics of the retouched tools. It is perhaps even possible that we are dealing with relatively old, if not the oldest TLP finds ever unearthed in the county.

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Archaeologia Polona, 2022

From the period of the Neanderthals to those of the Late Neolithic populations, the Bükk Mountain... more From the period of the Neanderthals to those of the Late Neolithic populations, the Bükk Mountains region played an important part in the lives of various prehistoric societies, and the varied geological history of this territory provided distinct circumstances for the production of stone implements. The major goal of our research is to outline the current state of information concerning the prehistoric use of the diverse silicified source materials of the Bükk mountains. The results of these studies are presented concerning four selected local rock types, cited in the archaeological literature as the silicified sandstone of Egerbakta, the radiolarite and hornstone (black chert), the silicified marlstone and the quartz-porphyry (metarhyolite). Except for the latter, little attention has previously been paid to studying them in detail. Our new petrographic analyses revealed two variants of the raw material from Egerbakta: a silicified sandstone and a diatomaceous detrital chert. The other samples turned out to be radiolarites. This result confirmed what was already suggested for the hornstones (black cherts), however, it has new consequences for the "silicified marlstone". Regarding the prehistoric use of the selected raw materials, archaeological data show interesting dynamics through time. The Mousterian groups of the region used a large spectrum of rocks for lithic tools with a preference for hornstone (black cherts) and radiolarite in the southern part, and the quartz-porphyry (metarhyolite) in the northeastern part. The Bábonyian/Micoquian assemblages are characterized by a bifacial toolkit and an apparent preference for quartz-porphyry (metarhyolite). At the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic, a new attitude appears in the region: the Aurignacian a

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András Marton recently came into the possession of a small chipped stone assemblage from the lega... more András Marton recently came into the possession of a small chipped stone assemblage from the legacy of a German amateur mineral collector from Hamburg. Unfortunately enough, very little is known about the deceased and his collection. A part of the finds, including tools was donated to the Institute of Archeology of the Eötvös Loránd University. The lithic assemblage contains a total of 27 chipped stone artefacts made exclusively of Baltic flint. Concerning the used raw material, the flint varieties with the banded structure are rather unusual in Schleswig-Holstein. They are much more likely to originate from Lower Saxony or perhaps Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Apart from the general technological description of the assemblage, some pieces from these non-formal tools were selected for a detailed description. The application of the “direct percussion with a hard hammer” technique and the presence of the thick artefacts contradict the Palaeolithic or Mesolithic origin of the assemblage, except for the flint axe (“Kernbeil”) which has a possible Mesolithic association. Alternatively, if the edges of the artefacts are not worn out or rolled, then along the edges of all artefacts traces of some kind of “cryoturbation retouch” are observable. In this case, the Palaeolithic dating of the finds is more plausible.

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Dissertationes Archaeolocae, 2021

With the following short review, we would like to commemorate our departed German friend and arch... more With the following short review, we would like to commemorate our departed German friend and archaeologist Peter Nierling. He conducted field trips several times in North Africa, Algeria, Lybia, and Tunisia too, and on two occasions, in 1997 and 1998 one of us (A. P.) accompanied him. During these travels, field surveys have been carried out mainly in the region of Gafsa. In the wider vicinity of the classical Paleolithic/Mesolithic sites of El Mekta (de Gafsa) and Lalla (de Gafsa), several unknown archaeological sites and find spots were localized. After these travels, one of the authors (A. P.) got a relatively great assemblage of various content from Peter Nierling to the effect to enrich the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic collections of the Hungarian stone tool research. Although the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic of North Africa is not our speciality, below we would like to shortly review the possessed assemblages.

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Sprawozdania Archeologiczne

Bükkábrány-Bánya VII, an early ALPC settlement in Northeast Hungary, was just recently exposed to... more Bükkábrány-Bánya VII, an early ALPC settlement in Northeast Hungary, was just recently exposed to international research, but we would like to illustrate in our study how much promise its archaeological material has. We focused our investigation on these finds because the site contains a three-hectare excavated area and a welldefined settlement structure. Our first results are based on a quantitative examination of the many categories of archaeological finds. The first stage in our intra-site investigation involved the analysis of artifact fragmentation, as evaluated by the weight-to-frequency ratio, which indicated variances in depositional procedures. The spatial distribution of each find category was analyzed using kernel density, which revealed unique hot spots within activity zones. To split the settlement territory into spatial units, we employed the primary structural characteristics, such as rows of houses, empty spaces, and wells. The distribution and fragmentation data mat...

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Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2022

Stable isotope (δ15N, δ13C) and 14C results from two early medieval cemeteries are presented and ... more Stable isotope (δ15N, δ13C) and 14C results from two early medieval cemeteries are presented and evaluated in this study in order to draw conclusions about diet, social differentiation and chronology in the Carpathian Basin during the Avar period (7th–9th century CE). At Tiszafüred and Hortob´agy, two contemporaneous but distinct groups buried their deceased. The results reflect basic diet deviations between the two communities, which originated in alternative subsistence strategies and-or social differences. The Tiszafüred samples fit well into the general dietary picture of the period. The members of the rustic population consumed mainly cereals and millet, while the proportion of animal protein was significant also. Because of the exceptionally high δ15N levels of the Hortob´agy-´Arkus elite community, their diet was primarily based on animal protein, most probably of fresh- water origin. Concerning the low number of our samples that were selected for radiocarbon dating, the present information is insufficient for an exhaustive reconstruction. For now, we intend to grant some new additions to the sporadic data available for dietary reconstruction from this region and period. Our dataset is thought-provoking not only for the two distinct clusters of the plot but also for the rarity of stable isotope results from Avar and post-Avar sites. The 14C measurements published in the paper provide some new information on the chronology of the early medieval Carpathian Basin as well.

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N. Faragó, A. Király, & K. I. Szegedi (szerk.), A tealevelektől a levélhegyekig. Tanulmányok Mester Zsolt tiszteletére 60. születésnapja alkalmából (pp. 77–94)., 2021

Jelen tanulmány tárgyául Rákóczifalva-Bivaly tó 1/C lelőhely 218/230-as szimbolikus sírjának bifa... more Jelen tanulmány tárgyául Rákóczifalva-Bivaly tó 1/C lelőhely 218/230-as szimbolikus sírjának bifaciális kidolgozású levélhegye került kiválasztásra. A tárgy megnevezése használati nyom elemzés hiányában szándékosan nem nyílhegy, lándzsahegy vagy tőr, mivel ezek a terminusok mind egyúttal valamilyen funkcióbeli sajátosságra is utalnak. A lelet és lelőhelykörülmények, a lehetséges párhuzamok ismertetésén túl a tárgy technológiai elemzése került előtérbe, a készítés során megvalósult, egymást követő lépések és fogások megfigyelése és rögzítése történt meg. Az elemzés célja közvetlen módon felfedni a levélhegy készítésének körülményeit, a készítés helyét és a készítő(k) szakértelmének szintjét, közvetett módon pedig adalékot szolgáltatni a rézkorban tapasztalható technológiai újítás megjelenéséhez és a kapcsolatrendszerek kibővüléséhez. Az eredmények alapján a helyi készítés szinte teljesen kizárható, ugyanakkor a levélhegy nyersanyaga, magas szintű kivitelezése és a leletkontextusban megnyilvánuló szokás általános képe mind nagyon erős kapcsolatokat valószínűsít az észak-bulgáriai régióval. -
The subject of this study is a bifacial leaf point found in the symbolic grave no. 218/230 at the site of Rákóczifalva-Bivaly-tó 1/C. In the lack of use-wear analysis the denomination „bifacial leaf point” seemed more accurate, as other terms, such as arrowhead, spearhead, or dagger are rather functionally determined. Besides, the description of the find and its archaeological context, and the outline of the possible analogies, the study focuses to an exhaustive technological analysis. This analysis relied on the detailed observation of the consecutive steps and techniques realized during production. The main goal was to directly shed light on the circumstances of the preparation, the location, and the maker of this artefact. Indirectly, the study offers additional clues on the extended contacts and the technological innovation experienced during the Copper Age. According to the results, it can be excluded
that this leaf point was manufactured on-site, but its raw material together with high-quality craftsmanship and cultural tradition manifested in its find context represents strong connections with Northern Bulgaria.

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Hungarian Archaeology Vol. 10 (2021), Issue 3, pp. 53–58., 2021

The Late Neolithic assemblage of Pusztataskony-Ledence, dated to the 5th millennium BC, provides ... more The Late Neolithic assemblage of Pusztataskony-Ledence, dated to the 5th millennium BC, provides a unique opportunity for a comparison with already well-known tell settlements in the Great Hungarian Plain. Preliminary results revealed that this settlement, which was in a peripheral position compared to Polgár-Csőszhalom, had similarly intensive contacts with regions beyond the Carpathians. In my present research I aim to map and gain a better understanding of distribution patterns of knapped stone tools.

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Magyar Régészet 10. évf. (2021), 3. szám, pp. 53–58., 2021

Pusztataskony-Ledence késő neolitikus, a Kr. e. 5. évezredre keltezett lelőhelyének leletanyaga k... more Pusztataskony-Ledence késő neolitikus, a Kr. e. 5. évezredre keltezett lelőhelyének leletanyaga kivételes lehetőséget nyújt az összehasonlításra az Alföldön mára már jól ismert tell településekkel. Az előzetes eredmények azzal a tanulsággal szolgáltak, hogy a Polgár-Csőszhalomhoz viszonyítva marginális helyzetben lévő, tell nélküli település hasonlóan intenzív kapcsolatokat ápolt a Kárpátokon kívüli régiókkal. Jelenleg folyó kutatásomban a távolsági nyersanyagokból készült pattintott kőeszközök elterjedési mintázataival kapcsolatos kérdésekre keresem a választ.

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Litikum – Journal of the Lithic Research Roundtable, 7–8, 55-70., 2021

One of the most famous knapped stone assemblages, the 566 intact blades found in a large vessel a... more One of the most famous knapped stone assemblages, the 566 intact blades found in a large vessel at Boldogkőváralja-Tekeres-patak, dated to the Bükk culture (5200-5000 BC) has been at the forefront of the research for decades. Our intention was threefold when we decided to reevaluate this find. First, with the publication of the conjoining workshop material, we wanted to draw more attention to the whole assemblage and not just only to the depot. Second, the deliberate selection of the artefacts found in the jar has been suggested since the 1960s, which, in our opinion, can be tested by deep statistical analysis. Third, when Vértes applied parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses on knapped stone assemblages, he ventured into a brand new branch of archaeological investigation, not just in Hungary. Unfortunately, the pioneering attempts of Vértes were not followed for many decades. Our results suggest that the intact blades of the depot differed from each other significantly by their butt preparation because the pieces with dihedral butts are significantly wider than the others. On contrary, the length and the thickness of unbroken blades are homogenous, irrespective of preparation techniques. Concerning the different butt types across the whole assemblage, blades with plain butts are the most numerous in the depot and the workshops, but other, more thorough preparation occurred at a decreased rate in the workshops. At the same time, the different preparation types are evenly distributed in the four workshops, there are no significant differences between them. Kivonat A boldogkőváraljai pattintott kő leletegyüttes új statisztikai értékelése A Bükk kultúrához (i.e. 5200-5000) tartozó Boldogkőváralja-Tekeres-patak lelőhelyen talált, 566 ép kőpengét rejtő edény lerakat hazánk egyik legismertebb pattintott kő leletegyüttese, mellyel sok korábbi kutatás foglalkozott már. Újraértékelésünk első célja, hogy a depóhoz csatlakozó műhelyek leletanyagára is felhívjuk a figyelmet. Második célunk volt, hogy az edényben talált tárgyak szándékos szelekciójának elméletét statisztikai módszerekkel vizsgáljuk. Ezzel összefüggésben harmadik célunk volt, hogy a kőpengéket korában egyedülálló módon statisztikai módszerekkel vizsgáló Vértes László munkásságát folytassuk hazánkban. Eredményeink szerint a depó ép pengéi között a kétlapú talonnal rendelkezők szignifikánsan szélesebbek voltak a többinél. Ezzel ellentétben az ép darabok hosszúsága és vastagsága hasonló, függetlenül a preparációs technikáktól. A depó és a műhelyek anyagában egyaránt a sima talonú darabok a leggyakoribbak, de az alaposabb előkészítés inkább a depóba helyezett pengéken figyelhető meg. Ezen felül a különféle preparációs típusok megoszlása egyenletes a négy műhely anyagában, vagyis ezek a leletcsoportok egymásra hasonlítanak.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae Ser. 3. No. 8, 2020

One of the authors (AP) recently acquired a larger amount of chipped stone artefacts from the leg... more One of the authors (AP) recently acquired a larger amount of chipped stone artefacts from the legacy of his departed friend Peter Nierling († 2017), archaeologist and field researcher in Hamburg. The aim of bequeathing was to support the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research in Hungary. The beneficiary catalogued the finds according to the sites and together with the necessary documentation handed them over to the Institute of Archeology of the Eötvös Loránd University. The entire assemblage contains artefacts from a total of 92 sites or smaller lithic concentrations. The entire lithic material has not been evaluated comprehensively; however, the unusually large and varied nature of the material makes it necessary to present it at least partially. The finds intended for the presentation were compiled from the artefacts of three sites belonging to different age horizons. The raw material of all chipped stone artefacts is made of Baltic Cretaceous flint, sometimes appearing in intensively patinated form. However, it should be noted that the patination of Baltic flint cannot be considered as a trusty chronological marker.

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Stephan W. E. Blum, Turan Efe, Tobias L. Kienlin, Ernst Pernicka (eds.):From Past to Present. Studies in Memory of Manfred O. Korfmann. VERLAG DR. RUDOLF HABELT GMBH BONN, 2020

The tell settlement of Berettyóújfalu-Herpály in the south-eastern part of the Great Hungarian Pl... more The tell settlement of Berettyóújfalu-Herpály in the
south-eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain has
since long occupied a prominent position in Hungarian
prehistoric research. As the eponymous site
of the Herpály culture, it became the symbol and
representative of one of the most significant material
cultures of Late Neolithic development. Based on a fresh look at the excavation reports, the
field observations and the artefacts found at the site,
we undertook a much more complex and detailed
analysis of House 11 excavated at Berettyóújfalu-
Herpály. The goal of our paper is to present in
greater detail this new reconstruction, as a contribution
to this special volume dedicated to the memory
of Manfred Korfmann. Our work is closely related
to those recently published complex reconstructions
such as the houses of the tell settlements
of Pietrele (Reingruber 2010; 2012) and Drama-
Merdzhumekya (Becker 2016) in South-East Europe.

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Archeometriai Műhely 2020/XVii./2., 2020

In the following article, some volcanic rock finds from Pueblo Sajama (Oruro Department, Bolivia)... more In the following article, some volcanic rock finds from Pueblo Sajama (Oruro Department, Bolivia) will be presented. This small lithic assemblage contains 18 lithic artefacts, consists mainly of flakes without any culture-specific finds, therefore it is not possible to focus on the cultural relations of the assemblage. However, some typological and taphonomic features suggest an ancient origin of the finds. The available archaeological information on the study area is rather poor, the narrower environment of the Nevado Sajama is barely known. The short review should be regarded as a tool for raising awareness about the finds.
Az alábbi cikkben néhány Pueblo Sajama településen (Oruro megye, Bolívia) talált, vulkanikus kőzetből készült lelet kerül bemutatásra. A 18 leletből álló kis leletegyüttes főleg szilánkokból áll, és egyáltalán nem tartalmaz kultúra-specifikus leleteket. Az utóbbiak hiányában nem lehetséges a leletegyüttes kulturális kapcsolataira összpontosítani. Vannak azonban olyan tipológiai jellemzők, továbbá néhány tafonómiai sajátosság, amelyek inkább a leletek esetlegesen archaikus származását sugallják. A tanulmányozott területről rendelkezésre álló régészeti információk meglehetősen szegényesek, a Nevado Sajama szűkebb környezete kevéssé ismert, a leletanyag ismertetését egyfajta figyelemfelkeltésnek kell tekinteni.

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Dissertationes Archaeologicae, 2019

Papers on the Hungarian Neolithic rarely distinguished chipped stone tools systematically in a se... more Papers on the Hungarian Neolithic rarely distinguished chipped stone tools systematically in a separate analysis before the last decades of the 20th century. The Hungarian research reached a point during the last decade, where it became possible to follow finer technological differences through time, where it became possible to trace back different kind of raw materials, where natural science instruments or use-wear analyses became available, where local and regional contacts are well documented. In the meantime, there were hardly any analyses of the inner structure of a specific settlement, or there were barely any attempt to better understand the micro-scale social relationships through the chipped stone tools of this period.
Our project started in 2012 in the framework of a complex household analysis. The first step to accomplishing such an analysis is to create a database by plotting all these finds independently of one another with their coordinates in a virtual map. The second step is to reconstruct social groups on different levels with the aid of statistical and spatial analysis tools.
The chipped stone industry is very suitable for this kind of investigation, especially when a palaeoethnologic aspect is applied. The main idea behind this method is that every knapped piece can be replaced in the technological chain by reading the stigmas on it. When this mental reconstruction is connected with the locations of the respective chipped stone artifacts, much of the original toolmaking process can be visualized.
Being oriented by Richard R. Wilk and William L. Rathje, the pioneers of household archaeology, and by the theoretical paper about the household concept of Polgár-Csőszhalom, I would also like to emphasize the need of different aspects during the approximation of these basic units. Moreover, the various independent viewpoints mean various perspectives and various research strategies and methods. Therefore my dissertation was themed around four different viewpoints: spatiality, temporality, symbology, and taphonomy. These aspects or problems have been constantly present since the start of the work, so it seemed best to organize the thesis rather around them, and not around the two different settlement parts or the raw material–technology–typology description.

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MΩMOΣ IX. The Archaeology of ritual - Proceedings of the IXth conference of researchers of prehistory, 2020

How can we observe specific material correlates of ritual practice with respect to other activiti... more How can we observe specific material correlates of ritual practice with respect to other activities? Our essay relates this question to the difficulties surrounding the definition of ritual. We argue that the category of ritual practice is acknowledged by the researcher, thus consequent, all-encompassing criteria can not be defined for its recognition in the archaeological record. Nevertheless, systematic study of past actions is possible with the help of sequential methods like the chaîne opératoire. Through our case study, a Neolithic blade depot from Boldogkőváralja, we find that built on proper analytic methods, „ritual” can be a powerful heuristic device during the interpretive phase of a research cycle. / _____________________________________________

Király, A., Faragó, N., Mester, Zs. 2020. Hasznos rítusok és haszontalan technikák. A rituális cselekvés régészeti azonosításának néhány elméleti kérdése egy pattintott kő leletegyüttes kapcsán (Useful Rites and Unfit Techniques Thoughts about archaeological perception of ritual). In: Csengeri, P., Kalli, A., Király, Á., Koós, J. (eds). MΩMOΣ IX. The Archaeology of ritual - Proceedings of the IXth conference of researchers of prehistory. Dissertationes Archaeologicae ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös nominatae Supplementum 3., pp. 9–43. http://dissarch.elte.hu/index.php/dissarch/article/view/375

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Archaeometry Workshop No. 2019/2., 109-126, 2019, 2019

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Király, A. 2016, Páli-Dombok, an in situ (epi)palaeolithic site in Western Hungary. Figshare. htt... more Király, A. 2016, Páli-Dombok, an in situ (epi)palaeolithic site in Western Hungary. Figshare. https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3168238
The first presentation of the Páli-Dombok site, a few weeks after the first excavation. This talk was presented at the 5th Lithic Research Roundtable, 5. December 2014, Budapest, Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences.

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The Epipaleolithic/Mesolithic is the most underrepresented period in the Hungarian archaeology de... more The Epipaleolithic/Mesolithic is the most underrepresented period in the Hungarian archaeology despite the importance of the scientific questions connected to it. Unfortunately this fact was constantly true during the last century of the research. We would like to shed some new lights on this problem from three different aspects through the presentation of a recently discovered site Páli-Dombok. Our first question is the localization of the sites, both in the past and in the future. What is the story of the revealing of the few Epipaleolithic/Mesolithic finds in Hungary, what systematic efforts were made to localize new signs and which geographical, topographical and geological attributes is needed to take into consideration to find more in the future. The second aspect is the evaluation of the finds. From which viewpoint were the chipped stones analyzed in the past, what difference we would like to make in our own investigation and what are the possibilities in the future. The third question is the conjoining disciplines on the fields of natural sciences. Which methods were used during the past decades either on dating of the remains or on reconstructing the wildlife of this period and what our own plans concerning Páli-Dombok.

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by Kata Furholt (Szilágyi), Szilvia Fábián, Roderick B . Salisbury, Cserpák Ferenc, Norbert Faragó, Attila Péntek, Krisztian Zandler, Tóth Zoltán Henrik, Zsuzsanna Tóth, Mónika Gutay, and Sándor Béres

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European Journal of Archaeology, 2022

A Copper Age settlement and cemetery was fully excavated at Rákóczifalva-Bivaly-tó Site 1/C in 20... more A Copper Age settlement and cemetery was fully excavated at Rákóczifalva-Bivaly-tó Site 1/C in 2005-2007, making it possible to compare the use of its material culture in closely related, coeval, but different archaeological contexts. Such a rare set of circumstances allows the authors to highlight methodological issues associated with the distorting effect of archaeological finds made on sites where only settlement or burial data are available, and on the importance of choosing appropriate analytical units.

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