Tibor Marton | Hungarian Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

BOOK CHAPTERS by Tibor Marton

In Spataro, M., Furholt, M. (Eds.). Detecting and explaining technological innovation in prehistory. Scales of transformation in prehistoric and archaic societies 8. ISBN 978-90-8890-826-2, Leiden: Sidestone Press, 49-71, 2020

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In Amicone, S., Quinn, P.S., Marić, M., Mirković- Marić, N., Radivojević, M., (Eds.). Tracing pottery-making recipes in the prehistoric Balkans, 6th – 4th millennia BC. Oxford: Archaeopress. ISBN 978-1-78969-208-2. 65-77., 2019

Due to copyright issues unfortunately it is not possible to make the complete article accessible ... more Due to copyright issues unfortunately it is not possible to make the complete article accessible here. If you are interested in a copy please contact me.

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In Burnez-Lanotte, L. (Ed.) "Matières à Penser": Raw materials Acquisition and Processing in Early Neolithic Pottery Productions. Proceedings of the Workshop of Namur (Belgium) 29 and 30 May 2015. Société préhistorique française, 111–132., 2017

Excavations on the Neolithic site of Balatonszárszó-Kis-erdei-dűlő, located in western Hungary in... more Excavations on the Neolithic site of Balatonszárszó-Kis-erdei-dűlő, located in western Hungary in central Transdanubia, on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, revealed several thousand features. On the basis of material culture and architectural features, the settlement can be assigned to the Central European Linearbandkeramik culture (LBK; ca. 5,350–5,000/4,900 cal. BC). Apart from pits, traces of 48 houses were discovered. At least 14 other sets of features could also be interpreted as houses, mainly through the presence of characteristic elongated pits.
In the first model of the site’s development, five pottery style groups were distinguished on the basis of stylistic elements such as shape and decoration. These style groups show a spatial pattern within the settlement. Their major characteristics are easy to correlate with traditional typochronological units of the LBK in the western Carpathian Basin. Although chronological relevance can be attributed to the groups, certain typological and stylistic attributes had a long duration and appear in different style groups.
For the purposes of this study, eight houses and their associated features were selected. The ceramics from these features are characteristic of each style group. The aim was to examine the technology of ceramics, in particular choices in raw materials and intentionally added tempers, as well as building techniques.
During a previous analysis of ceramics from the settlement, 461 sherds were chosen for macroscopic analysis, from which 131 samples were selected for further petrographic thin section analysis. Of these samples, 99 come from the eight houses and pits examined in this study. These features produced a total of 9,161 sherds. As part of the analysis of vessel building techniques, all the available material
from the examined houses was assessed, out of which 109 vessels could be attributed to a forming method.
Ceramic petrographic results show that there is a clear change in ceramic technology at household level. The earliest houses of the site show little variability in choices of raw materials and tempers, while houses of Style groups 2–5 show increased choice in raw materials and purposefully added tempers. As far as vessel fashioning is concerned, an opposite trend can be observed. Style group 1 ceramics show considerable variety in technical practices, with at least three forming methods, while ceramics in Style groups 2–3 and 5 are characterized by only one or two forming methods. Thus it seems that variability in building methods slightly decreased towards the end of the settlement.
Ceramic technological changes could be identified on a household level, providing an insight into settlement dynamics. These patterns in the use of raw materials/tempers and building methods may be related to the fact that producers came from different learning networks and had different conceptions of how to build a culturally appropriate vessel. The strength of analysing ceramic technologies on a household level is that we are able to model where ceramic technological changes first appeared within a given settlement and we can assess the nature of these changes. In turn, these patterns can be correlated with typochronology and the analysis of other types of material culture from the part of the site where the changes appeared. In this way we can improve our understanding of settlement dynamics and social changes.

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Papers by Tibor Marton

Quaternary International 560-561, 2020

The pivotal role of the western Carpathian basin in the transmission of key inventions of food pr... more The pivotal role of the western Carpathian basin in the transmission of key inventions of food production towards central Europe is an accepted fact in Neolithic research. Southern Transdanubia in western Hungary may serve as a unique ‘laboratory’ for targeted investigations, as north Balkan and central European characteristics overlap in the region. Site-based studies of recently excavated late 6th millennium cal BC Neolithic settlements provide insights into possible patterns in the development of longhouse architecture and settlement layout, different combinations of material culture and their alterations, and technology transfer on a regional scale.

In order to gain a more complex view of these themes, three micro-regions have been selected around key sites for further study of different vantage points between Lake Balaton and the Dráva/Drava river. The southernmost one is located in the Southern Baranya Hills, the second along the Danube on the northern fringes of the Tolna Sárköz and in the adjacent section of the Sárvíz valley, while the third lies in the central section of the southern shore of Lake Balaton. Field surveys including the systematic collection of surface finds complemented by geomagnetic prospections can contribute significantly to the reconstruction of settlement clusters.

Absolute chronology has become an important research focus due to larger sets of radiocarbon dates interpreted within a Bayesian framework. The two dominant scenarios for the start of the westward expansion of the LBK are hard to harmonise with each other. An approach that estimates the beginning of the process around 5500 cal BC at the latest gains support from a west-central European perspective. In contrast, recent radiocarbon dating programmes with formal modelling of AMS series within a Bayesian framework estimate the appearance of the LBK west of the Carpathian basin hardly before 5350–5300 cal BC. The latter view provides the potential of harmonising the Neolithisation of central Europe with the emergence of the Vinča culture, at least in its northernmost region. Beyond this debate, ancient DNA analyses have enriched the discussions on migration, demic diffusion and the scale of hunter-gatherer contribution to the process with fresh arguments.

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Hungarian Archaeology, 2020

One of the most salient traits of a major milestone in European history, the shift to a Neolithic... more One of the most salient traits of a major milestone in European history, the shift to a Neolithic lifestyle in Central Europe and the associated social changes, was the emergence of pottery production. The main goal of the research project described here is the study of Neolithic pottery production from a complex perspective and the addressing of the associated distinctive social activity types and potential range of meanings during the period from the late Starčevo to the appearance of the Lengyel culture (5500-4900 cal BC). The springboard for our project was the series of intensely investigated sites in southern Transdanubia, a region that acted as a contact zone between the Neolithic communities of Central Europe and the northern Balkans, and thus played a key role in the neolithisation of Central Europe. The research findings from this region are complemented and compared with the data from various sites along the Danube. Aside from our academic colleagues, our research results can be of interest to the broader public too, and our reconstructions of various artefacts and the documentation of our archaeological experiments can be later used as illustrations to museum exhibits. The expected results can be fitted into the broad picture outlined by other research conducted on these sites and offer an exceptionally detailed picture of how the region's settlements developed during the second half of the 6th millennium BC.

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Magyar Régészet, Apr 2020

Európa története egyik döntő mozzanatának, az újkőkori életmód közép-európai megjelenésének és az... more Európa története egyik döntő mozzanatának, az újkőkori életmód közép-európai megjelenésének és az azzal szorosan összefüggő társadalmi változásoknak az egyik legfontosabb jellemzője a kerámiakészítés megjelenése. A jelen tanulmányban bemutatott kutatási program alapvető célja az újkőkori kerámiakészítés-összetett szemléletmódú, a hozzá kapcsolódó sajátos társadalmi cselekvéstípusokra és jelentéstartalomra is vonatkozó kérdéseket felvető-kutatása a Starčevo-kultúra késői időszaka és a lengyeli kultúra meg-jelenése közötti periódusban (Kr. e. 5500-4900 cal BC). A kutatás kiindulási területét a közép-európai neolitizáció szempontjából is kulcsfontosságú, a közép-európai és balkáni újkőkori közösségek érintkezési zónájaként definiálható, és az elmúlt évtizedben intenzíven kutatott dél-dunántúli régiók lelőhelyei képezik. Az innen származó eredményeket további Duna menti lelőhelyek adataival egészítjük ki, illetve hasonlítjuk össze. A kutatás eredményei a szűk szakmai közösség mellett szélesebb kör érdeklődésére is számot tarthatnak; az elkészült tárgyrekonstrukciók, illetve a régészeti kísérletek dokumentációja később hiteles múzeumi illusztrációként szolgálhatnak. A várható eredmények jól összhangba hozhatók a vonatkozó lelőhelyeken folytatott egyéb kutatásokkal is, kivételesen komplex képet alkotva a térség településeinek fejlődéséről a Kr. e.6. évezred második felében.

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Határtalan Régészet 3(4), 69-71, 2018

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At the Abony-Turjá nyos dűlő site, located in Central Hungary, a rescue excavation was carried ou... more At the Abony-Turjá nyos dűlő site, located in Central Hungary, a rescue excavation was carried out. More than 400 features were excavated and dated to the Protobolerá z horizon, at the beginning of the Late Copper Age in the Carpathian Basin, between 3780–3650 cal BC. Besides the domestic and economic units, there were two special areas, with nine-nine pits that differed from the other archaeological features of the site. In the northern pit group seven pits contained human remains belonging to 48 individuals. Some of them were buried carefully, while others were thrown into the pits. The aim of this study is to present the results of the paleopathological and molecular analysis of human remains from this Late Copper Age site. The ratio of neonates to adults was high, 33.3%. Examination of the skeletons revealed a large number of pathological cases, enabling reconstruction of the health profile of the buried individuals. Based on the appearance and frequency of healed ante-and peri mortem trauma, inter-personal (intra-group) violence was characteristic in the Abony Late Copper Age population. However other traces of paleopathology were observed on the bones that appear not to have been caused by warfare or inter-group violence. The remains of one individual demonstrated a rare set of bone lesions that indicate the possible presence of leprosy (Hansen's disease). The most characteristic lesions occurred on the bones of the face, including erosion of the nasal aperture, atrophy of the anterior nasal spine, inflammation of the nasal bone and porosity on both the maxilla and the bones of the lower legs. In a further four cases, leprosy infection is suspected but other infections cannot be excluded. The morphologically diagnosed possible leprosy case significantly modifies our knowledge about the timescale and geographic spread of this specific infectious disease. However, it is not possible to determine the potential connections between the cases of possible leprosy and the special burial circumstances.

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by Eszter Banffy, Anett Osztás, Krisztián Oross, István Dr. Zalai-Gaál, Tibor Marton, Éva Ágnes Nyerges, Köhler Kitti, Alex Bayliss, Alasdair Whittle, Gaal Istvan, and Osztas Anett

Drawing on the papers in this volume that precede it, our discussion brings all the chapters of t... more Drawing on the papers in this volume that precede it, our discussion brings all the chapters of the long story of Alsónyék into a single narrative, discussing in more interpretive terms notions of persistent place, community, aggregation and coalescence, with an eye on different scales of analysis and the broader tempo of change. We look especially at the remarkably long persistence of Alsónyék, the intensity of its occupation and the trajectory of population increase and decline at the site.
We begin by comparing general conditions of early village emergence with the specific evidence for the development of settlement and population in Transdanubia and beyond in central Europe, before summarising date estimates for the successive periods of occupation at Alsónyék itself, from Starčevo through LBK and Sopot to the Lengyel. We emphasise the long continuity of occupation except for the gap between Starčevo and LBK, the probable overlap between LBK and Sopot, and the acceleration of growth in the Lengyel period. The exceptional persistence of place seen at Alsónyék is examined in further detail, with comparison to elsewhere leading on to discussion of the sense of place and community that may have been experienced through the Alsónyék sequence. Characterisation of the Lengyel occupation as not only a major aggregation but also a coalescent community is explored; the causes of such developments elsewhere, as seen in the historical and ethnographic record, are noted, including periods of social instability and inter-community violence. The extraordinary intensity of activity at Alsónyék is further modelled in various ways to provide estimates of population and numbers of buildings in use through the Lengyel sequence. The peak of intense activity was probably only maintained for a generation or two around 4700 cal BC, and the decline of the Lengyel site was perhaps only slightly slower than its rise (covering two or three generations in the latter part of the 47th century cal BC). Activity did not reduce to its pre-Lengyel levels, however, but persisted for several more centuries at perhaps two or three times the intensity of any pre-Lengyel occupation.
A search for the causes of the Alsónyék aggregation — and of its decline — remains challenging, though answers may eventually be found in the further study of the regional settlement complex or the detailed history of disease. No extensive signs of violence have so far been recorded. We further discuss possible constituents of the coalescence represented at Alsónyék, noting the frequent houses and possible households and neighbourhoods, and looking beyond these to the idea of wards, clans and moieties. Possible clues to internal differences within the site are noted for future research, and it is only with further work that the full Alsónyék story can be told.

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by Anett Osztás, István Dr. Zalai-Gaál, Eszter Banffy, Tibor Marton, Éva Ágnes Nyerges, Köhler Kitti, Krisztina Somogyi, Alex Bayliss, Alasdair Whittle, Gaal Istvan, and Osztas Anett

The Neolithic settlement of Alsónyék reached its greatest extent during the Late Neolithic Lengye... more The Neolithic settlement of Alsónyék reached its greatest extent during the Late Neolithic Lengyel period. Nearly 9000 features, including postholes associated with 122 houses, pits and pit complexes, and c. 2300 burials, could be assigned to it. The traces of Lengyel settlement and burials were found over the entire excavated area, with an estimated
extent of some 80 ha.
The burials uncovered mostly form part of groups of graves, actually being small cemeteries within the various parts of the settlement. Apart from the grave groups, several solitary or scattered graves were also found. Other large Lengyel burial grounds or large Lengyel settlements with numerous burials are known in Transdanubia, but the enormous number of graves at Alsónyék is unprecedented within the Lengyel cultural complex as a whole, and provides exciting opportunities for varied archaeological and bioarchaeological investigations.
The discovery of 122 surface-level, timber-framed houses at a single site is also unique for the area and the Lengyel period as a whole. These buildings help to build a better understanding of the architecture and lifestyle of the Lengyel population, which is a fairly new strand in the settlement archaeology of the Lengyel culture in Hungary and beyond. This and the sheer size of the site make Alsónyék exceptionally significant.
Altogether 217 radiocarbon results are presented for the Lengyel phase. For the purpose of analysis subsites 5603, 11 and 10B have been modelled separately. The modelled estimates are precise enough that it is possible to estimate robustly the timing of activity across the site. The modelling suggests that burial activity in subsite 5603 probably began in 4790–4740 cal BC (68% probability) and that it began at a similar time, 4795–4745 cal BC (68% probability), in subsite 11. An intensive period of burial began slightly later, in 4715–4690 cal BC (68% probability), on subsite 10B. At this time settlement was established across a wide area, in subsite 11 from 4745–4690 cal BC (68% probability), on subsite 5603 from 4745–4665 cal BC (68% probability), and on subsite 10B from 4720–4700 cal BC (68% probability).
After a brief episode of intense occupation, lasting at most a few decades, settlement and then burial ended on the northernmost subsite 10B, in the 4700s or 4690s cal BC (68% probability) and 4695–4670 cal BC (68% probability) respectively. Settlement also ended before burial on subsite 11, but endured for much longer. The settlement here ended in
4670–4620 cal BC (37% probability) or 4610–4565 cal BC (31% probability) and burial in 4585–4515 cal BC (68% probability). Both settlement and burial endured longest on subsite 5603, although here the end of burial preceded the end of settlement by well over a century. Burial ended here in 4515–4465 cal BC (68% probability), and settlement ended in 4345–4245 cal BC (68% probability).

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Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 94 (2013), 2016

To the east of the main excavated area at Alsónyék, a small investigation took place which reveal... more To the east of the main excavated area at Alsónyék, a small investigation took place which revealed a Sopot culture occupation, represented by pits, four ditches and 18 graves with the remains of 20 individuals. Some time-depth to the occupation is seen in the ditches cutting the pits, and some of the graves cutting the third ditch. The enclosed area was about five hectares, based on geomagnetic survey, but it is not possible to estimate the entire size of the occupation.
The Sopot culture is normally regarded as a horizon with a questionable chronological position on the boundary between the Middle and Late Neolithic in western Hungary. Its role in the formation of the large-scale Lengyel complex remains controversial. Scholars can agree that it was brought to the region from the south, but there have been different views concerning the timing of its spread in the western Carpathian basin. Some have seen it as an entirely pre-Lengyel development, and others as at least partly contemporaneous with the early Lengyel culture.
Dating within the ERC-funded project, The Times of Their Lives, aimed to provide formally modelled estimates of the timing and duration of the Sopot occupation at Alsónyék, and in so doing also to contribute to better understanding of the context and development of the Sopot culture in Hungary. The paper presents 17 dates on human and animal bone (including five existing dates from burials), which are modelled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The model concentrates on the samples available from the burials, and its main element regards the burials as representing a continuous period of activity in this area of the Alsónyék complex. The model estimates that the Sopot burials probably began in
5095–5020 cal BC (68% probability), probably lasted for 220–340 years (68% probability), and probably ended in 4825–4750 cal BC (68% probability). The model also estimates a terminus ante quem for the digging of Ditch 211 of probably 4930–4870 cal BC (68%
probability).
These estimates help to inform debate about the relative sequence of cultural developments
in the region, and the relationship of Sopot communities to those of the LBK and
the Lengyel cultures. As Alsónyék is the largest currently known Sopot burial ground in
Hungary in eastern Transdanubia, this chronology is particularly valuable for modelling
cultural interactions along the Danube between the northern Balkans and the Carpathian
basin. The Sopot component also contributes significantly to the construction of a robust
chronology for the long sequence of occupations at Alsónyék.

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Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 94 (2013), 2016

In the central part of the main area of the Alsónyék complex investigated an LBK settlement was d... more In the central part of the main area of the Alsónyék complex investigated an LBK settlement was discovered. The features belonging to the LBK occupation were uncovered in subsites 10B, 11 and 5603. The location of houses could be determined by the long pits flanking presumed timber framed constructions; postholes are very poorly preserved. Fifty house plans could be identified, most of them based on the long pits.
Most Neolithic archaeologists agree that the western part of the Carpathian basin served as the cradle of the LBK. The Balaton area and the region south of the lake had an important role in the development of the culture and in the spread of the Neolithic to central Europe. Southern Transdanubia, however, has previously been a veritable terra incognita
for settlement research of the culture, despite the evidence for LBK sites from the region.
Dating of the LBK occupation was funded by the OTKA project, Alsónyék from the beginning of food production to the end of the Neolithic and has been undertaken in a cooperation with the ERC-funded project, The Times of Their Lives. The aim has been to provide formally modelled date estimates of the timing and duration of the LBK occupation at Alsónyék, to gain insight into intra-site development and dynamics, and further the absolute chronology of the LBK on a regional scale.
This paper presents 23 radiocarbon dates from 21 samples, interpreted within a formal chronological framework, for the LBK settlement at Alsónyék. The Bayesian model presented estimates that LBK activity probably began in 5335–5280 cal BC (68% probability), probably lasted for 290–410 years (68% probability), and probably ended in 5010–4915 cal BC (68% probability).

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Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 94 (2013), 2016

The excavations at Alsónyék revealed numerous Starčevo features, over 50 in the southern part of ... more The excavations at Alsónyék revealed numerous Starčevo features, over 50 in the southern part of subsite 10B and some 500 in subsite 5603. The overwhelming majority of the features uncovered were individual pits and pit complexes. Traces of houses or above-ground structures were recorded, but no certain house plans could be identified; numerous hearths and ovens were found. 25 Starčevo burials have been identified, with some in disused pits and ovens. The occupation excavated in subsite 5603 was substantial, the largest yet discovered in Transdanubia.

The north-west distribution of the Early Neolithic cultural complex of the northern Balkans – the Starčevo, Körös and Criş cultures – represents the first food-producing communities in many parts of the Carpathian basin. Starčevo sites are now known in the southern part of western Hungary up to Lake Balaton, but there are many unresolved questions about the precise chronology of the Early Neolithic in Transdanubia and beyond, in the Starčevo-Körös-Criş complex as a whole, and about the character and identity of the first farmers of the region.

This paper presents 34 radiocarbon dates from 33 samples, interpreted within a Bayesian framework, for the dating of the Starčevo occupation at Alsónyék. 18 samples of human and animal bone were selected as part of the OTKA-funded project Alsónyék: from the beginnings of food production to the end of the Neolithic in collaboration with the ERC- funded The Times of Their Lives project, in conjunction with 15 existing dates from human burials. The programme aimed to date Starčevo occupation and burials at Alsónyék, and in so doing to contribute to further understanding of the character and pace of the spread of the Neolithic way of life in the region. The Bayesian model presented estimates that Starčevo activity probably began in 5775–5740 cal BC (68% probability), probably lasted for 190–245 years (68% probability), and probably ended in 5560–5525 cal BC (68% probability). The transition from pottery Style group 1 to 2 probably occurred in 5760–5730 cal BC (68% probability), with the transition from pottery Style group 2 to 3 probably in 5595–5570 cal BC (68% probability).

The implications of these estimates for the character of the Starčevo occupation at Alsónyék are discussed, as well as for the wider development of the Starčevo culture and of the Early Neolithic in the region as a whole. The current picture suggests the densest Starčevo presence in south-east Transdanubia within the Hungarian distribution of the culture, with a gradual spread to the north later on. The results also demonstrate that Early Neolithic settlements in western Hungary lasted for a substantial period of time, across several human generations.

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by Alex Bayliss, Nancy Beavan, Eszter Banffy, Köhler Kitti, Éva Ágnes Nyerges, Tibor Marton, Krisztián Oross, Anett Osztás, István Dr. Zalai-Gaál, Alasdair Whittle, and Osztas Anett

Imprecise chronology has entailed a fuzzy kind of prehistory. Prehistorians should no longer be c... more Imprecise chronology has entailed a fuzzy kind of prehistory. Prehistorians should no longer be content with timeframes that employ successive units of 200 years or more duration, or with slow change over the long term as their dominant chronological and interpretative perspective. The means to get away from very generalised accounts of the past is formal chronological modelling in a Bayesian framework. The Bayesian approach in general is outlined, with emphasis on its interpretive and iterative nature. The approach combines calibrated radiocarbon dates with knowledge of the archaeological contexts from which they are derived to produce a series of formal, probabilistic date estimates. Stringent demands are made of both the radiocarbon dates and our archaeological understanding of stratigraphy, associations, sample taphonomy and context in general. The Bayesian process at Alsónyék involved assessment of existing dates, careful definition of aims and objectives, the construction of a rigorous sampling strategy, with an explicit hierarchy of suitable samples, precise understanding of the contexts from which samples are derived, and simulation to achieve cost-effective use of resources. The principal material dated at Alsónyék was human and animal bone. Potential age offsets from non-vegetarian diets are carefully considered; ‘perfect pairs’ of human and animal bone samples from the same contexts indicate that human bone samples are not subject to wide-scale freshwater reservoir effects. Dietary inputs are estimated formally using a series of Bayesian mixing models.The sequence of iterative sampling submissions between 2012 and 2015 is described, and the procedures of the five laboratories involved are detailed. Procedures for model construction, validation and comparison are discussed. Finally, we consider how we can use precise timings to reveal the web of connections and successions that made up past lives, adding plot and context to a more precise chronicle to create narratives for peopling the past.

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The excavations and ongoing investigations of the site of Alsónyék-Bátaszék in south-west Hungary... more The excavations and ongoing investigations of the site of Alsónyék-Bátaszék in south-west Hungary, remarkable for both its longevity and size, are introduced. Its occupation encompasses the succession of the Starčevo, Linearbandkeramik culture (LBK), Sopot and Lengyel periods, from the earlier sixth to the mid-fifth millennium cal BC. The papers devoted to its chronology that follow in this volume are sketched, covering the Bayesian approach adopted and other aspects of methodology, period by period modelling of an extensive series of radiocarbon dates, and finally discussion of the implications of
results. The setting of the site in the Tolna Sárköz region of south-east Transdanubia is detailed, and the excavation process described, along with the principal features of the site, period by period. The paper ends by emphasising the extensive nature of ongoing investigations
of all aspects of Alsónyék.

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In 2011, 2013 and 2014 our team engaged in geomagnetic prospections on Hungarian multi-period set... more In 2011, 2013 and 2014 our team engaged in geomagnetic prospections on Hungarian multi-period settlements. Our study began with fieldwork at the Tolna-Mözs and Alsónyék-Bátaszék sites in 2011. In 2013, we continued the survey on both sites, enlarging the program on the tell settlement of Fajsz-Kovácshalom and on other sites in eastern Hungary (Fig. 1). Our main goal is to discuss the combination of excavation and geomagnetics which provides a great opportunity to estimate the size of the settlements as well as to study their internal structures. The results is published in two parts, this second report focuses on Tolna-Mözs and Fajsz-Kovácshalom sites. Excellent prerequisites for prospection campaigns include rich comparative excavation data which are useful for understanding and interpreting geomagnetic anomalie from the unexcavated areas.

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Quaternary International 560-561, 2020

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Hungarian Archaeology, 2020

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Magyar Régészet, Apr 2020

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Határtalan Régészet 3(4), 69-71, 2018

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by Eszter Banffy, Anett Osztás, Krisztián Oross, István Dr. Zalai-Gaál, Tibor Marton, Éva Ágnes Nyerges, Köhler Kitti, Alex Bayliss, Alasdair Whittle, Gaal Istvan, and Osztas Anett

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by Anett Osztás, István Dr. Zalai-Gaál, Eszter Banffy, Tibor Marton, Éva Ágnes Nyerges, Köhler Kitti, Krisztina Somogyi, Alex Bayliss, Alasdair Whittle, Gaal Istvan, and Osztas Anett

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Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 94 (2013), 2016

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Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 94 (2013), 2016

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Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 94 (2013), 2016

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by Alex Bayliss, Nancy Beavan, Eszter Banffy, Köhler Kitti, Éva Ágnes Nyerges, Tibor Marton, Krisztián Oross, Anett Osztás, István Dr. Zalai-Gaál, Alasdair Whittle, and Osztas Anett

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Az MTA Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont Régészeti Intézete és a Römisch-Germanische Kommission (... more Az MTA Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont Régészeti Intézete és a Römisch-Germanische Kommission (RGK) együttműködésében 2011, 2013 és 2014 folyamán számos magyarországi, több korszakú lelőhely geomágneses felmérését végeztük el. A kutatásokat a Tolnai Sárköz területén fekvő Tolna-Mözs és Alsónyék-Bátaszék lelőhelyeken kezdtük meg 2011-ben, 2013-ban kiegészítettünk a Duna túlsó partján lévő Fajsz-Kovácshalom, valamint több északkelet-magyarországi lelőhely felmérésével.6 A vizsgálatok fő célja a feltárások régészeti információinak és a geofizikai felmérések adatainak egybevetése volt. Ez kitűnő módszer mind a lelőhelyek hozzávetőleges méretének meghatározására, mind belső szerkezetük vizsgálatára. Az újgenerációs magnetométerek alkalmazása lehetővé teszi a lelőhelyek tágabb környezetének tanulmányozását is.

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In 2011, 2013 and 2014 our team engaged in geomagnetic prospections on Hungarian multi-period set... more In 2011, 2013 and 2014 our team engaged in geomagnetic prospections on Hungarian multi-period settlements. Our study began with fieldwork at the Tolna-Mözs and Alsónyék–Bátaszék sites in 2011. In 2013, we continued the survey on both sites, enlarging the program on the tell settlement of Fajsz-Kovácshalom and on other sites in eastern Hungary. Our main goal is to discuss the combination of excavation and geomagnetics which provides a great opportunity to estimate the size of the settlements as well as to study their internal structures. The results will be published in two parts. This first report focuses on the Alsónyék–Bátaszék site where numerous settlement remains and a large number of Late Neolithic burials were unearthed. Excellent prerequisites for prospection campaigns include rich comparative excavation data which are useful for understanding and interpreting geomagnetic anomalies from the unexcavated areas.

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by Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Viktória Kiss, Eszter Banffy, Krisztina Somogyi, János Jakucs, Kurt W. Alt, Maria T Laux, Krisztián Oross, Katalin Sebők, Andras Czene, V. Voicsek, Victoria Keerl, and Tibor Marton

Farmingwas established in Central Europe by the Linearbandkeramik culture (LBK), a well-investiga... more Farmingwas established in Central Europe by the Linearbandkeramik culture (LBK), a well-investigated archaeological horizon, which emerged in the
Carpathian Basin, in today’s Hungary. However, the genetic background of the LBK genesis is yet unclear. Here we present 9 Y chromosomal and 84 mitochondrial DNA profiles from Mesolithic, Neolithic Starcˇevo and LBK sites (seventh/sixth millennia BC) from the Carpathian Basin and southeastern
Europe. We detect genetic continuity of both maternal and paternal elements during the initial spread of agriculture, and confirm the substantial genetic impact of early southeastern European and Carpathian Basin farming cultures on Central European populations of the sixth–fourth millennia BC.
Comprehensive Y chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA population genetic analyses demonstrate a clear affinity of the early farmers to the modern Near East and Caucasus, tracing the expansion from that region through southeastern Europe and the Carpathian Basin into Central Europe. However,
our results also reveal contrasting patterns for male and female genetic diversity in the European Neolithic, suggesting a system of patrilineal descent and patrilocal residential rules among the early farmers.

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Authors: Szécsényi-Nagy, A.–Brandt, G.–Keerl, V.–Jakucs. J.–Haak, W.–Moeller-Rieker, S.–Köhler, ... more Authors: Szécsényi-Nagy, A.–Brandt, G.–Keerl, V.–Jakucs. J.–Haak, W.–Moeller-Rieker, S.–Köhler, K.–Mende, B. G.–Fecher, M.–Oross, K.–Marton T.–Osztás, A.–Kiss V.–Pálfi, Gy.–Molnár, E.–Sebők, K.–Czene, A.–Paluch, T.–Šlaus, M.–Novak, M.– Pećina-Šlaus, N.–Ősz, B.–Voicsek, V.– Somogyi, K.–Tóth, G.–Kromer, B.–Bánffy, E.–Alt, K. W. Abstract: Farming was established in Central Europe by the Linearbandkeramik culture (LBK), a well-investigated archaeological horizon, which emerged in the Carpathian Basin, in today’s Hungary. However, the genetic background of the LBK genesis has not been revealed yet. Here we present 9 Y chromosomal and 84 mitochondrial DNA profiles from Mesolithic, Neolithic Starčevo and LBK sites (7th/6th millennium BC) from the Carpathian Basin and south-eastern Europe. We detect genetic continuity of both maternal and paternal elements during the initial spread of agriculture, and confirm the substantial genetic impact of early farming south-eastern European and Carpathian Basin cultures on Central European populations of the 6th-4th millennium BC. Our comprehensive Y chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA population genetic analyses demonstrate a clear affinity of the early farmers to the modern Near East and Caucasus, tracing the expansion from that region through south-eastern Europe and the Carpathian Basin into Central Europe. Our results also reveal contrasting patterns for male and female genetic diversity in the European Neolithic, suggesting patrilineal descent system and patrilocal residential rules among the early farmers.

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From the beginning of the early Neolithic, the region in South East Transdanubia called Sárköz wa... more From the beginning of the early Neolithic, the region in South East Transdanubia called Sárköz was a scene of a continual series of impacts from the North West Balkan that were transformed and mediated further towards Transda¬nubia and along the Danube valley to Western Central Europe. The Sárköz is a wetland flanking along both Danube banks, with a long and intensive occupation history over the 6.–5. Millennia BC. This short chapter is a first review of its settlement history including new excavations like Fajsz-Garadomb, Tolna-Mözs and Alsónyék-Bátaszék. We focus on the impacts and long-distance connections that caused changes in the environment and the Late Neolithic landscape, so that within the Lengyel culture, the social structure and economy gradual showed Early Chalcholithic characteristics.

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Discussed in present study are the finds recovered from two buildings (Houses A45 and A47) and th... more Discussed in present study are the finds recovered from two buildings (Houses A45 and A47) and their associated features of the Neolithic site at Balatonszárszó-Kis-erdei-dűlő, lying on the southern shore of Lake Balaton. The find assemblages from these two buildings are especially suited to comparison: while the quantity of pottery fragments from the two houses differed, the number of reconstructable vessels was roughly the same. The proportion of fine wares tempered with sand in addition to chaff was more or less identical. These wares were predominantly decorated with incised designs; however, the distribution of pottery forms differed. The chaff-tempered, coarse household vessels too were represented in roughly similar proportion in both houses. Their decoration, made up of pinched and applied elements, had a more or less similar ratio. The pottery finds from the two houses can be easily fitted into the site’s ceramic sequence. The correspondences between the two pottery assemblages suggest that the two assemblages represent successive series. The finds
from House A45 can be assigned to the later phase of the early Linearbandkeramik culture (LBK), while the
material from House A47 was characterised by the joint occurrence of Keszthely, Notenkopf and some early
LBK vessel forms and decorations.

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XIX Silesian Archaeological Symposium, Silesia and related areas from 46th to 36th centuries BC Chronology and taxonomy XIX Silesian Archaeological Symposium, Silesia and related areas from 46th to 36th centuries BC Chronology and taxonomy, Special dedicated session 29th of May 2015, Wroclaw

In the Late Copper Age radical changes in rituals, the appearance of new pottery forms and wheele... more In the Late Copper Age radical changes in rituals, the appearance of new pottery forms and wheeled vehicles are important novelties. The presence of the so-called “Danube Corridor” as an interface area through which new cultural connections could be established, served as a precondition for the abovementioned changes, and started at the Earlier Phase of the Late Copper Age.
The emergence of the so called `Protoboleraz horizon` in the Great Hungarian Plain is signalled by the appearance of the Furchenstich pottery as well as more common types of ceramics. It would be, however, an oversimplification to identify this phase as having its roots in Transdanubia solely on the basis of the Transdanubian pottery types present at the sites.
A chronological as well as spatial review of the so called `Protoboleraz` assemblages may contribute to a more precise understanding of later archaeological phases and their already better explored phenomena.
The presentation focuses on the transitional period of the Middle-Late Copper Age in a yet unexplored region, namely the northern part of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve, an area scarcely mentioned in studies dedicated to the Copper Age.

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Scientific Programme for the „At the Gates of the Balkans – Prehistoric communities of the Barany... more Scientific Programme for the „At the Gates of the Balkans – Prehistoric communities of the Baranya/Baranja region and the adjacent areas” round-table conference, organized by the Janus Pannonius Museum in Pécs and the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest.

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by Jacqueline Balen, Katarina Botić, Lea Čataj, Ana Đukić, Eszter Fejér, András Füzesi, Gergely Gortva, Ferenc Horváth, Tomislav Hršak, János Jakucs, Hrvoje Kalafatić, Viktória Kiss, Marijana Krmpotic, Péter Mali, Tibor Marton, Jovan D . Mitrović, Krisztián Oross, Danimirka Podunavac, Dragana Rajković, Bartul Šiljeg, Kata Furholt (Szilágyi), and Selena Vitezović

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24th EAA Annual Meeting (Barcelona, 2018) – Abstract Book (Vol. 2.), 2018

Theoretical models of past human landscapes have become more and more detailed and accurate in re... more Theoretical models of past human landscapes have become more and more detailed and accurate in recent years. Growing accuracy and availability of historic and environmental spatial datasets and the widespread use of GIS methods contributed fundamentally to this process, as they help us in one of the key figures of it: understanding the drivers and factors of human habitation through the analysis of settlement patterns.
Mapping out these patterns has therefore become an essential part of our research on the social dynamics of Roman era southern Transdanubia, concentrating mainly on Hungary’s Tolna, Somogy and Baranya counties. By utilizing recent advances in non-invasive site detection techniques (such as GPS-aided large-scale field surveys), we have examined a number of micro-regions in the area, each as similar in their environmental and observation characteristics as possible. We then surveyed these areas in their entirety. These surveys gave us the opportunity to map out not only the complete distribution of sites and find material in these regions, but also the empty areas between the different settlements. While these off-site areas were often excluded from the analysis of past surveying efforts, they form an integral part of any human landscape as the parts utilized by the inhabitants of local settlements. They may also indicate various social or economic factors that could influence where and how people settled. As such, the analysis of these areas is vital not only to the understanding of these complex human landscapes, but to their modeling as well.
The presentation aims to discuss our approach to these off-site areas, the impact of their incorporation into the assessment of micro-regional structures and the creation of a more accurate model on central Pannonia’s Roman landscape.

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Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anat... more Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA data set assembled to date---a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000-2900 BCE, n = 98), Germany (5500-3000 BCE, n = 42), and Spain (5500-2200 BCE, n = 37)---we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways that gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modeling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.

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