Viktória Kiss | Hungarian Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

Books by Viktória Kiss

A nemes- és színesfémek régészete, története és néprajza a Kárpát-medencében. Készítéstechnikai, archeometriai és társadalomtörténeti megközelítések/Precious and non-ferrous metals archeology, history and ethnography in the Carpathian Basin. Engineering, archeometric and socio-historical approach., 2021

The book entitled A nemes- és színesfémek régészete, története és néprajza a Kárpát-medencében. K... more The book entitled A nemes- és színesfémek régészete, története és néprajza a Kárpát-medencében. Készítéstechnikai, archeometriai és társadalomtörténeti megközelítések/Precious and non-ferrous metals archeology, history and ethnography in the Carpathian Basin. Engineering, archeometric and socio-historical approach (edited by Fruzsina Cseh – Viktória Kiss – János Szulovszky) was published as volume 6 of the Material Culture in the Carpathian Basin, as part of the joint publication series of the Working Comittee for Handicraft History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Working Comittee for Archaeometry and Industrial Archaeology at the Regional Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Veszprém (VEAB).

by Vesna Vuckovic, Vojislav Filipovic, Roberto Risch, Jovan D . Mitrović, Vojislav Djordjević, Vajk Szeverényi, Carlos Velasco Felipe, Katarina Dmitrovic, Marija Ljustina, Carla Garrido García, Eva Celdrán Beltrán, János Dani, Gucsi László, Viktória Kiss, Petar Milojević, aleksandar bulatovic, Gabriella Kulcsar, María Inés F Fregeiro Morador, and D. Gómez-gras

Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project, 2021

Introduction The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subjec... more Introduction

The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subject of the almost completed CRAFTER programme Creative Europe project. The full title of the project is Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today, and in brief, the idea was to draw inspiration from Europe’s Bronze Age pottery to help revive modern-day artisanship. The project targets the appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage as a shared resource and the reinforcement of a sense of belonging to a common European space. In particular, it hopes to make cultural heritage a source of inspiration for contemporary creation and innovation and strengthen the interaction between this sector and other cultural and creative sectors. The main framework of the project was the idea that four potters from Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Serbia will draw on their skills to (re)create ceramic vessels representative of some of the most outstanding Bronze Age cultures of Europe: El Argar (southeast Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia).
The papers published within these proceedings are not strictly related to the project itself, but the problems of Bronze Age pottery in Europe in general. The problems discussed in the presented papers and the inspirations are drawn from the CRAFTER project. The original idea was to delve into the content of the pottery and define its composition and quality. These are, in fact, the elements responsible for the final appearance of the ceramic vessel and its function. Considering that out of four editors, two have presented papers within the proceedings, I have been honoured to write this short introduction on their significance and essence. The thread that connects all of the papers, although their concepts do not seem similar at the first glance, since some of the papers are dwelling on interdisciplinarity while others deal with certain chronological and cultural-historical problems, is that the primary analytical material in all of the papers is Bronze Age pottery, from beyond the Pyrenees, across Central Europe, to the Balkans, which is not unexpected considering that a Serbian institution was credited for publishing. The positive aspect is that the pottery is Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project discussed in a manner uncommon for archaeology, while on the other hand pottery studies have been more and more neglected in the past few decades, as such subjects are considered as passé in archaeology. The ever-rising number of specializations and specialists have pushed the pottery and potters into an undeserved corner, even though without such a set of analytic work the past can not be completely and adequately perceived.
The pottery is “slow-moving”. It changes, circulates, and exchanges at a slow pace and it enables the perception of the beginning, development, decadence, and the end of a certain society. The pottery has regional character and reflects the primary contacts, the esthetics of a community, and the inspiration of the artist. Certainly, this implies to prehistoric pottery and communities which do not function within centralized social systems, such as the Bronze Age beyond Mediterranean Europe, which is indeed in the focus of these proceedings. With the appearance of the potter’s wheel, the production and distribution of pottery merge with industry and economy, and at that moment a puzzle of a small man from the past loses a piece. A piece without which we are unable to perceive small communities through such an important, fruitful, and data-rich object such as pottery and which we often tend to neglect as a discipline. In order to identify the contacts, exchange, and trade or reconstruct the communication routes in past, we often reach to the so-called luxurious artifacts: metals, amber, glass, and artisan objects… Likewise, pottery could narrate a story of one meal, one house, one potter, one village, or one community in the past, which is, like it or not, a fact that will make the interdisciplinary and diverse analyses of prehistoric pottery one of the primary archaeological methods.

Vojislav Filipović
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade

The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, and the subsequent political changes in much of central and ... more The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, and the subsequent political changes in much of central and eastern Europe, were major events in the lives of all who lived through them. These changes had effects not only in politics but also in academia and – for archaeology – in the ways in which fieldwork and publication were organised. Instead of a rigid adherence to traditional, “Marxist” principles in thinking about the past, essentially imposed from above, scholars were now free to explore a range of different models and modes of thought in how they interpreted site and artefacts.
This volume considers the changes in archaeological thought and practice that have taken place – or not taken place – in Bronze Age studies in the countries that were previously part of the Soviet bloc. Contributors from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania, as well as German and British scholars who have worked in those countries in recent years, describe aspects of their experiences in fieldwork and interpretation in the 30 years that have elapsed since that time. These are supplemented by personal reflections by a group of British scholars who worked there both before and after the “Change”. While the contributions present personal views, the message is clear, that the academic landscape in the Bronze Age archaeology of central and eastern Europe has changed out of all recognition in these last decades.

In: Meller, H.–Friedrich, S.–Küßner, M.–Stäuble, H.–Risch, R. (Hrsg.): Siedlungsarchäologie des Endneolithikums und der frühen Bronzezezeit – Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement Archaeology. 11. Tagungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Halle 20, Halle (Saale), 2019

The volume presents the latest research results concerning the Transdanubian Encrusted Pottery cu... more The volume presents the latest research results concerning the Transdanubian Encrusted Pottery culture. This social complex, which was named after its distinctive pottery highlighted by white inlaying, occupied the western regions of the Carpathian Basin (so-called Transdanubia) during the Middle Bronze Age (2000–1600/1500 BC). The collection of a large amount of archaeological data from the central and southern regions of Transdanubia supplemented by references concerning the entire distribution of the Encrusted Pottery culture, along with new studies on ceramic typology made it possible to work towards a detailed and standardised relative chronology. Examinations demonstrate the changes of settlement features and burial rites, along with the birth and development of a local metallurgy. Sophisticated Transdanubian ceramic production and special bronze ornament types, which reached the western parts of Central Europe and the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin as well, prove the intensive network connections of this population on both a regional and interregional scale. The author collected and examined these data with modern approaches, considering the latest research results (such as of social archaeology, environmental archaeology and archaeometry) of the Carpathian Basin and its broader region.

STATE OF THE HUNGARIAN BRONZE AGE RESEARCH Proceedings of the conference held between 17th and 18th of December 2014, 2017

Due to their geographical location and diverse network of contacts, the Bronze Age sites of Hunga... more Due to their geographical location and diverse network of contacts, the Bronze Age sites of Hungary,
located in the central part of the Carpathian Basin, have long enjoyed great international research
interest.
Over the past two decades, significant changes have taken place in the research of the Hungarian
Bronze Age. The number of studied sites has multiplied, and the size of the studied surfaces has increased
spectacularly since the 1990’s. At the same time, an increase in the number of archaeologists
studying this period is also observable: nearly 30–40 Hungarian scholars are specialized in Bronze Age
by now. Consequently, the amount of available information for this period has also changed remarkably.
It is questionable, however, whether the depth and complexity of our knowledge of Bronze Age of
Hungary has followed the increase of basic data concerning it. The vast majority of the most recent,
outstanding finds and the sites discovered through large-scale excavations is yet unpublished. Apart
from a few exceptions, no synthesizing works have been written, and even educational papers effectively
mediating scientific results to basic and secondary-level education or to the interested public are also
absent.
The purpose of the conference in 2014, organized by the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre
for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, together with the Institute of Archaeological
Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University was to address and challenge the entire
Hungarian Bronze Age research. A dialogue like this – spanning generations and schools – creates an
opportunity to summarize our results achieved by now, and for the joint discussion of possible new
ways and directions to be followed in the future.
We hope that this volume may contribute to forming a realistic picture of the current state of research
in this period, to direct our attention towards new efforts, as well as to provide a collegial and
friendly framework to the discovery of nearly two millennia of the Bronze Age.
We would like to thank all the Authors of this volume for their work and patience. The manuscripts
were decisively completed between 2015 and 2017. The Editors would like to thank Ágnes Király,
Eszter Melis and Borbála Nyíri for improving our work by their care of the visual and linguistic material
during the preparation period. Special thanks to our typesetter, Zsolt Gembela, without whose
competent work this volume would never have been completed. The publication of this volume was
supported by the Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University,
the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the
Momentum Mobility Research Group and the National Cultural Fund of Hungary.

ABSTRACTS OF THE CONFERENCE PAPERS HELD BETWEEN 17TH AND 18TH OF DECEMBER 2014

The volume presents the preliminary results of the series of rescue excavations along the planned... more The volume presents the preliminary results of the series of rescue excavations along the planned route of highway M7 in Somogy county, between Zamárdi and Ordacsehi, started in 1999 by the Somogy County Museums in collaboration with the Archaeological Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Papers by Viktória Kiss

Archaeometry, 2024

A few scattered vessels, typologically attributed to the Gata–Wieselburg culture, are known from ... more A few scattered vessels, typologically attributed to the Gata–Wieselburg culture, are known from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeastern Italy. This culture spread during the Early Bronze Age (Reinecke Br A1b and A2, 2100–1700/1600 BC) in present-day eastern Austria, western Hungary and southwestern Slovakia. Rare ceramic artefacts, typically biconical double-handled jugs with well-burnished surfaces, have been discovered in caves of the Trieste Karst (Ciclami, Tartaruga, Teresiana and Ossa) and the Natisone Valley (Velika jama). This study aims to outline the technology, provenance and probable use of these rare jugs from the Trieste Karst. Two of these vessels from the Ciclami and Tartaruga caves have been investigated using various destructive and non-destructive techniques, including optical microscopy, X-ray computed microtomography and promptgamma activation analysis, and chemically compared to contemporaneous vessels from the core region of the Gata–Wieselburg culture in Hungary (10 vessels specifically analysed for this project) and earlier Neolithic and Copper Age vessels, likely produced locally in the Karst, Slovenia and Hungary. Based on the obtained results, the investigated Karst vessels were imported. Tentative identification of plant and animal lipids using organic residue analysis (i.e., gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) sheds light on their possible function.

Antaeus, 2022

In der Grenzregion Ostösterreichs, der Südwestslowakei und Westungarns sind relativ viele, auf di... more In der Grenzregion Ostösterreichs, der Südwestslowakei und Westungarns sind
relativ viele, auf die Zeit zwischen 2200/2100 und 1600/1500 v. Chr. datierbare Körperbestattungen,
beziehungsweise Gräberfelder bekannt. Anhand der Riten und Beigaben, doch in erster Linie anhand der
Keramiktypen dieser Bestattungen isolierte man am Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts diese bronzezeitliche
archäologische Kultur, die in der ungarischen Fachliteratur Gáta-Kultur, in der internationalen
Fachliteratur Wieselburger Kultur genannt wird. Aufgrund der terminologischen Unterschiede wird
diese Epoche in Österreich und in der Slowakei in die frühe, und in Ungarn in das Ende der frühen
und in die mittlere Bronzezeit datiert. Der sogenannten Gáta–Wieselburg-Kultur können auf dem
Gebiet des heutigen Österreichs über 1000, in Ungarn insgesamt 220 Gräber zugeordnet werden.
Im Vergleich mit den Bestattungen und Streufunden sind in der Region weniger Siedlungen aus der
frühen und mittleren Bronzezeit bekannt. Deshalb gilt der am Rande Nagycenks (Großzinkendorf)
gelegene Fundort, den János Gömöri während der Kurvenkorrektur der Eisenbahngleise untersuchte,
als herausragend, die Mitarbeiter des Soproner Museums deckten hier nämlich 150 m nordwestlich
von 27 Körperbestattungen der Gáta–Wieselburg-Kultur Siedlungsspuren aus womöglich demselben
Zeitalter auf. Die Forschungsgruppe Lendület/Momentum Mobilität des Archäologischen Instituts im
Geisteswissenschaftlichen Forschungszentrum begann 2018 mit der Analyse der zum Gräberfeld und
der Siedlung gehörenden Mikroregion. Das in vorliegender Studie aufgearbeitete Siedlungsmaterial
deuten wir in breiterer Umgebung unserer mikroregionalen Forschungsarbeit und in Verbindung mit den
bronzezeitlichen, im Tal des Arany-Bach beobachteten Niederlassungen, darüber hinaus widmen wir uns
weiteren siedlungsgeschichtlichen Daten des Verbreitungsgebiets der Kultur.

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2023

Amber was one of the key raw materials distributed in Bronze Age Europe. One of its varieties-suc... more Amber was one of the key raw materials distributed in Bronze Age Europe. One of its varieties-succinite-was exchanged over a vast area stretching from its sources on the southern shores of the Baltic Sea to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The chemical identification of Baltic amber significantly expands our knowledge of the dynamics and nature of the relationships connecting different regions of Europe in the first half of the second millennium BC. One of the most significant cultural-geographical areas reached by this amber was the Carpathian Basin. This text presents a summary of the current state of knowledge about the context, chronology, and the extent of amber occurrence in the Hungarian Bronze Age. At the same time, it supplements the catalogue of finds with artefacts acquired in recent years, providing new information regarding radiocarbon dating and spectral analysis of selected amber artifacts.

$Research paper thumbnail of PROVENANCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POSSIBLE FUNCTION OF G\ue0TA-WIESELBURG VESSELS FROM FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA (NORTH-EASTERN ITALY)$

A few sparse vessels typologically attributed to the G\ue0ta-Wieselburg Culture are known from Fr... more A few sparse vessels typologically attributed to the G\ue0ta-Wieselburg Culture are known from Friuli Venezia Giulia region in north-eastern Italy. Such Culture developed between nowadays western Austria and Hungary during the Early-Middle Bronze Age (Reinecke Br A1b and A2, 2100\u20131700/1600 BC). Single artefacts, generally biconical double-handled jugs with well burnished surfaces, were discovered in caves of the Trieste Karst (Ciclami, Tartaruga, Teresiana and Ossa) and the Natisone valley (Velika jama). Most of them and a similar vessel from a G\ue0ta-Wieselburg site in Hungary (Bu\u308k) have been investigated using several destructive and non-destructive techniques. X-ray computed microtomography, portable X-ray fluorescence, optical microscopy and absorbed lipid residue analyses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry have been applied in order to study their vessel-forming technique, provenance and probable use. According to the preliminary results the Karst vessels were p...

MΩMOΣ XI | Őskoros kutatók összejövetele | Környezet és ember | BTM Aquincumi Múzeum Ősrégészeti Tanulmányok – Prehistoric Studies III (2023), 2023

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2022

The articulated skeleton of an adult male lynx was found in association with four dogs and scatte... more The articulated skeleton of an adult male lynx was found in association with four dogs and scattered bones of other domesticates in a pit at Zamárdi-Kútvölgyi-dűlő II, Hungary. Lynx remains occur rarely in the archaeological record, and protocols for ageing and sexing do not exist. The intact skull of the skeleton offered an opportunity

Journal of World Prehistory, 2022

Archaeological research is currently redefining how large-scale changes occurred in prehistoric t... more Archaeological research is currently redefining how large-scale changes occurred in prehistoric times. In addition to the long-standing theoretical dichotomy between 'cultural transmission' and 'demic diffusion', many alternative models borrowed from sociology can be used to explain the spread of innovations. The emergence of urnfields in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe is certainly one of these large-scale phenomena; its wide distribution has been traditionally emphasized by the use of the general term Urnenfelderkultur/zeit (starting around 1300 BC). Thanks to new evidence, we are now able to draw a more comprehensive picture, which shows a variety of regional responses to the introduction of the new funerary custom. The earliest 'urnfields' can be identified in central Hungary, among the tell communities of the late Nagyrév/Vatya Culture, around 2000 BC. From the nineteenth century BC onwards, the urnfield model is documented among communities in northeastern Serbia, south of the Iron Gates. During the subsequent collapse of the tell system, around 1500 BC, the urnfield model spread into some of the neighbouring regions. The adoption, however, appears more radical in the southern Po plain, as well as in the Sava/Drava/Lower Tisza plains, while in Lower Austria, Transdanubia and in the northern Po plain it seems more gradual and appears to have been subject to processes of syncretism/hybridization with traditional rites. Other areas seem to reject the novelty, at least until the latest phases of the Bronze Age. We argue that a possible explanation for these varied responses relates to the degree of interconnectedness and homophily among communities in the previous phases.

In this study we report 20 ancient shotgun genomes from present-day Western Hungary (3530 – 1620 ... more In this study we report 20 ancient shotgun genomes from present-day Western Hungary (3530 – 1620 cal BCE), mainly from previously understudied Baden, Somogyvár-Vinkovci, Kisapostag, and Encrusted Pottery archaeological cultures. Besides analysing archaeological, anthropological and genetic data, 14C and strontium isotope measurements complemented reconstructing the dynamics of the communities discovered at the site Balatonkeresztúr. Our results indicate the appearance of an outstandingly high Mesolithic hunter-gatherer ancestry in the largest proportion (up to ~46%) among Kisapostag associated individuals, despite this component being thought to be highly diluted by the Early Bronze Age. We show that hunter-gatherer ancestry was likely derived from a previously unrecognised source in Eastern Europe that contributed mostly to prehistoric populations in Central Europe and the Baltic region. We revealed a patrilocal residence system and local female exogamy for this Kisapostag population that was also the genetic basis of the succeeding community of the Encrusted Pottery culture, represented by a mass grave that likely resulted from an epidemic. We also created a bioinformatic pipeline dedicated for archaeogenetic data processing. By developing and applying analytical methods for analysing genetic variants we found carriers of aneuploidy and inheritable genetic diseases. Furthermore, based on genetic and anthropological data, we present here the first female facial reconstruction from the Bronze Age Carpathian Basin.

Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project, 2021

Introduction The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subjec... more Introduction

Vojislav Filipović
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade

STATE OF THE HUNGARIAN BRONZE AGE RESEARCH Proceedings of the conference held between 17th and 18th of December 2014, 2017

ABSTRACTS OF THE CONFERENCE PAPERS HELD BETWEEN 17TH AND 18TH OF DECEMBER 2014

Archaeometry, 2024

Antaeus, 2022

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2023

$Research paper thumbnail of PROVENANCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POSSIBLE FUNCTION OF G\ue0TA-WIESELBURG VESSELS FROM FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA (NORTH-EASTERN ITALY)$

MΩMOΣ XI | Őskoros kutatók összejövetele | Környezet és ember | BTM Aquincumi Múzeum Ősrégészeti Tanulmányok – Prehistoric Studies III (2023), 2023

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2022

Journal of World Prehistory, 2022

by Martina Blečić Kavur, Viktória Kiss, Domagoj Perkić, Anita Kozubová, Ian Armit, Morana Causevic Bully, Matija Črešnar, Manuel Fernández-Götz, Károly Tankó, JOSIP BURMAZ, Joško Zaninović, Katalin Almássy, Marko Dizdar, Gábor Ilon, Jean Roefstra, Francesca Candilio, Michelle Gamble, and Jos Kleijne

Nature, 2021

By: Nick Patterson, Michael Isakov, Thomas Booth, Lindsey Büster, Claire-Elise Fischer, Iñigo Ola... more By: Nick Patterson, Michael Isakov, Thomas Booth, Lindsey Büster, Claire-Elise Fischer, Iñigo Olalde, Harald Ringbauer, Ali Akbari, Olivia Cheronet, Madeleine Bleasdale, Nicole Adamski, Eveline Altena, Rebecca Bernardos, Selina Brace, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Kimberly Callan, Francesca Candilio, Brendan Culleton, Elizabeth Curtis, Lea Demetz, Kellie Sara Duffett Carlson, Daniel M. Fernandes, M. George B. Foody, Suzanne Freilich, Helen Goodchild, Aisling Kearns, Ann Marie Lawson, Iosif Lazaridis, Matthew Mah, Swapan Mallick, Kirsten Mandl, Adam Micco, Megan Michel, Guillermo Bravo Morante, Jonas Oppenheimer, Kadir Toykan Özdoğan, Lijun Qiu, Constanze Schattke, Kristin Stewardson, J. Noah Workman, Fatma Zalzala, Zhao Zhang, Bibiana Agustí, Tim Allen, Katalin Almássy, Luc Amkreutz, Abigail Ash, Christèle Baillif-Ducros, Alistair Barclay, László Bartosiewicz, Katherine Baxter, Zsolt Bernert, Jan Blažek, Mario Bodružić, Philippe Boissinot, Clive Bonsall, Pippa Bradley, Marcus Brittain, Alison Brookes, Fraser Brown, Lisa Brown, Richard Brunning, Chelsea Budd, Josip Burmaz, Sylvain Canet, Silvia Carnicero-Cáceres, Morana Čaušević-Bully, Andrew Chamberlain, Sébastien Chauvin, Sharon Clough, Natalija Čondić, Alfredo Coppa, Oliver Craig, Matija Črešnar, Vicki Cummings, Szabolcs Czifra, Alžběta Danielisová, Robin Daniels, Alex Davies, Philip de Jersey, Jody Deacon, Csilla Deminger, Peter W. Ditchfield, Marko Dizdar, Miroslav Dobeš, Miluše Dobisíková, László Domboróczki, Gail Drinkall, Ana Đukić, Ceiridwen J. Edwards, Michal Ernée, Christopher Evans, Jane Evans, Manuel Fernández-Götz, Slavica Filipović, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Harry Fokkens, Chris Fowler, Allison Fox, Zsolt Gallina, Michelle Gamble, Manuel R. González Morales, Borja González-Rabanal, Adrian Green, Katalin Gyenesei, Diederick Habermehl, Tamás Hajdu, Derek Hamilton, James Harris, Chris Hayden, Joep Hendriks, Bénédicte Hernu, Gill Hey, Milan Horňák, Gábor Ilon, Eszter Istvánovits, Andy M. Jones, Martina Blečić Kavur, Kevin Kazek, Robert A. Kenyon, Amal Khreisheh, Viktória Kiss, Jos Kleijne, Mark Knight, Lisette M. Kootker, Péter F. Kovács, Anita Kozubová, Gabriella Kulcsár, Valéria Kulcsár, Christophe Le Pennec, Michael Legge, Matt Leivers, Louise Loe, Olalla López-Costas, Tom Lord, Dženi Los, James Lyall, Ana B. Marín-Arroyo, Philip Mason, Damir Matošević, Andy Maxted, Lauren McIntyre, Jacqueline McKinley, Kathleen McSweeney, Bernard Meijlink, Balázs G. Mende, Marko Menđušić, Milan Metlička, Sophie Meyer, Kristina Mihovilić, Lidija Milasinovic, Steve Minnitt, Joanna Moore, Geoff Morley, Graham Mullan, Margaréta Musilová, Benjamin Neil, Rebecca Nicholls, Mario Novak, Maria Pala, Martin Papworth, Cécile Paresys, Ricky Patten, Domagoj Perkić, Krisztina Pesti, Alba Petit, Katarína Petriščáková, Coline Pichon, Catriona Pickard, Zoltán Pilling, T. Douglas Price, Siniša Radović, Rebecca Redfern, Branislav Resutík, Daniel T. Rhodes, Martin B. Richards, Amy Roberts, Jean Roefstra, Pavel Sankot, Alena Šefčáková, Alison Sheridan, Sabine Skae, Miroslava Šmolíková, Krisztina Somogyi, Ágnes Somogyvári, Mark Stephens, Géza Szabó, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Tamás Szeniczey, Jonathan Tabor, Károly Tankó, Clenis Tavarez Maria, Rachel Terry, Biba Teržan, Maria Teschler-Nicola, Jesús F. Torres-Martínez, Julien Trapp, Ross Turle, Ferenc Ujvári, Menno van der Heiden, Petr Veleminsky, Barbara Veselka, Zdeněk Vytlačil, Clive Waddington, Paula Ware, Paul Wilkinson, Linda Wilson, Rob Wiseman, Eilidh Young, Joško Zaninović, Andrej Žitňan, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Peter de Knijff, Ian Barnes, Peter Halkon, Mark G. Thomas, Douglas J. Kennett, Barry Cunliffe, Malcolm Lillie, Nadin Rohland, Ron Pinhasi, Ian Armit & David Reich

Present-day people from England and Wales harbour more ancestry derived from Early European Farmers (EEF) than people of the Early Bronze Age1. To understand this, we generated genome-wide data from 793 individuals, increasing data from the Middle to Late Bronze and Iron Age in Britain by 12-fold, and Western and Central Europe by 3.5-fold. Between 1000 and 875 BC, EEF ancestry increased in southern Britain (England and Wales) but not northern Britain (Scotland) due to incorporation of migrants who arrived at this time and over previous centuries, and who were genetically most similar to ancient individuals from France. These migrants contributed about half the ancestry of Iron Age people of England and Wales, thereby creating a plausible vector for the spread of early Celtic languages into Britain. These patterns are part of a broader trend of EEF ancestry becoming more similar across central and western Europe in the Middle to Late Bronze Age, coincident with archaeological evidence of intensified cultural exchange2–6. There was comparatively less gene flow from continental Europe during the Iron Age, and Britain’s independent genetic trajectory is also reflected in the rise of the allele conferring lactase persistence to ~50% by this time compared to ~7% in central Europe where it rose rapidly in frequency only a millennium later. This suggests that dairy products were used in qualitatively different ways in Britain and in central Europe over this period.

Um die Zeit des Vulkanausbruchs von Thera fanden wichtige Veranderungen im Karpatenbecken statt. ... more Um die Zeit des Vulkanausbruchs von Thera fanden wichtige Veranderungen im Karpatenbecken statt. Diese sogenannte Koszider Epoche korrespondiert mit der letzten Phase der mittleren Bronzezeit in der ungarischen Terminologie und stellt den Ubergang zur spaten Bronzezeit dar. Die Untersuchung dieser Epoche hat sich bisher als kontrovers erwiesen – sowohl unter ungarischen als auch mitteleuropaischen Wissenschaftlern. Erst in den letzten Jahren ist diese Epoche nicht mehr als kurzer Zeitraum, mit der ein bestimmtes historisches Ereignis verbunden werden kann, interpretiert worden. Vielmehr sieht man sie nun als eine langer dauernde Periode an, welche die Blutezeit der mittleren Bronzezeit im Karpatenbecken markiert und die mit einschneidenden Veranderungen endet. Die Hauptelemente dieses Wandels sind allerdings noch unklar. Unser Ziel ist es, den Wandel durch den Vergleich verschiedener Aspekte dreier aufeinanderfolgender Phasen zu untersuchen. Am Ende sollen einige neue Erwagungen ste...

This study presents the results of the petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical analysis of Ki... more This study presents the results of the petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical analysis of Kisapostag Culture (Early Bronze Age) pottery (jars or urns/amphorae) from Vors-Mariaasszony-sziget. This study forms a part of a major project on pottery analysis at a multi-period archaeological site. Pottery samples were chosen through macroscopic examination of fabric and form and the investigations were based on thin section petrography, X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRF) and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). For comparison, coeval samples from a nearby settlement site – Vors-Totok dombja – were examined. The petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical properties of the sherds were compared to potential raw materials, obtained from closed archaeological units at Vors-Mariaasszony-sziget (soil samples), from shallow boreholes drilled on Mariaasszony-sziget (sand samples), and from a nearby clay mine in Vors-Battyanpuszta, 2 km north-east o...

Nature, 2021

Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare1. However, mode... more Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare1. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling2–4 at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc3. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia5 and Anatolia6, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled char...

Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae

The 29 individuals found in 27 graves at Nagycenk were buried there in the time period between 20... more The 29 individuals found in 27 graves at Nagycenk were buried there in the time period between 2000–1700 BC, according to radiocarbon dates – i.e. at the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age in Hungary. The cemetery is of unique importance, both because of the richness of burial assemblages (altogether 30 bronze objects, 5 gold jewelries) and the scarcity of known Gata–Wieselburg cemeteries. 15 percent of the ca. 180 burials in total, which relate to this culture in Hungary, are in this cemetery, and because of the few published burial sites, the cemetery at Nagycenk represents about one fourth of the materials published so far in the whole distribution area of the culture. Pottery style, typology and raw material of metal artefacts, as well as the radiocarbon dates (with the earliest among the published radiocarbon dates in context of this culture) support the dating of the cemetery section to the early phase of the Gata–Wieselburg culture. The oval arrangement of burials around grave 55 and grave 1 suggest that each of these correspond to a household of high status men representing a few generations of the population living in the settlement excavated in the vicinity of Nagycenk.

Nature, Mar 21, 2018

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/nature25738.

Magyar Régészet, 2021

Bár írásos emlékeket nem ismerünk a bronzkor időszakából, a Kárpát-medencét érintő későbbi (pl. k... more Bár írásos emlékeket nem ismerünk a bronzkor időszakából, a Kárpát-medencét érintő későbbi (pl. kora középkori) népvándorlásokra vonatkozó források ismeretében gyakran a bronzkor változásait is új népek betelepüléséhez, kisebb-nagyobb migrációkhoz kötötte a régészeti kutatás. Az utóbbi két évtizedben újra előtérbe került a történelem előtti időkben feltételezhető eurázsiai vándorlások nyomainak azonosítása, a kutatásba immár más tudományágak, többek között az izotóp-geokémia vagy az archeogenetika eredményeit is bevonva. Az MTA Lendület program támogatásával 2015-ben elindult kutatási projekt a mai Magyarországon feltárt települések, temetkezések és az innen előkerült használati tárgyak vizsgálatát tűzte ki céljául. A hazai bronzkor kutatásában eddig nem alkalmazott, 21. századi multidiszciplináris módszerek együttes használatával kerestünk választ a nagy piramisok építői és a mükénéi aknasírokba temetett görög hősök korában térségünkben letelepedett közösségek emlékanyagában megfig...

By Szécsenyi-Nagy, A., Keerl, V., Jakucs, J., Brandt, G., Bánffy, E., Alt, K.W.

Radiocarbon

ABSTRACTA comparative study was undertaken to adopt and evaluate a radiocarbon (14C) preparation ... more ABSTRACTA comparative study was undertaken to adopt and evaluate a radiocarbon (14C) preparation procedure for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements of cremated bones at our laboratory, including different types of archaeological samples (cremated bone, bone, charcoal, charred grain). All 14C analyses were performed using the EnvironMICADAS AMS instrument at the Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Studies (HEKAL) and the ancillary analyses were also performed at the Institute for Nuclear Research (ATOMKI). After the physical and chemical cleaning of cremated bones, CO2 was extracted by acid hydrolysis followed by sealed-tube graphitization and 14C measurement. The supplementary δ13C measurements were also performed on CO2 gas while FTIR was measured on the powder fraction. Based on the FTIR and 14C analyses, our chemical pretreatment protocol was successful in removing contamination from the samples. Good reproducibility was obtained for the 0.2–0.3 mm fraction of blin...

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

A few sparse vessels typologically attributed to the Gàta-Wieselburg Culture are known from Friul... more A few sparse vessels typologically attributed to the Gàta-Wieselburg Culture are known from Friuli Venezia Giulia region in north-eastern Italy. Such Culture developed between nowadays western Austria and Hungary during the Early-Middle Bronze Age (Reinecke Br A1b and A2, 2100–1700/1600 BC). Single artefacts, generally biconical double-handled jugs with well burnished surfaces, were discovered in caves of the Trieste Karst (Ciclami, Tartaruga, Teresiana and Ossa) and the Natisone valley (Velika jama). Most of them and a similar vessel from a Gàta-Wieselburg site in Hungary (Bük) have been investigated using several destructive and non-destructive techniques. X-ray computed micro-tomography, portable X-ray fluorescence, optical microscopy and absorbed lipid residue analyses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry have been applied in order to study their vessel-forming technique, provenance and probable use. According to the preliminary results the Karst vessels were probably imported and the identification of rather uncommon lipids, whose precise identification is still ongoing, opens interesting questions about their possible function.

24th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists, 2018

Organisers: Dragana Filipović, Wiebke Kirleis, Viktória Kiss, Jutta Kneisel, Gabriella Kulcsár T... more Organisers: Dragana Filipović, Wiebke Kirleis, Viktória Kiss, Jutta Kneisel, Gabriella Kulcsár

The Bronze Age in Europe was characterised by far-reaching transformations in socio-political organisation, demographic structure, technology, material culture and symbolic expression. It was also a period of some major changes in the environment, as well as in food production and diet, which may have affected the health of Bronze Age communities. The aim of this session is to bring together different lines of evidence on subsistence economy and food acquisition, health status, and natural landscapes modified through human use in the Bronze Age. The underlying idea is to examine relationships between these aspects and investigate how the changing cultural and natural environment could have affected food economy and dietary and lifestyle habits.

Papers are invited dealing with the reconstruction of Bronze Age crop and animal husbandry and their effect on the landscape; research on the opportunities (and limitations) offered by the natural and cultural environment in terms of food production; bioanthropological and other investigations of human diet, nutrition and health status; identification of movements of people, ideas and things and their effect on the subsistence and lifestyle. Case and comparative studies, overviews, uni- and multidisciplinary research papers are welcome, as well as those using indirect evidence (e.g. tools and other objects) or palaeoenvironmental models in the investigations of environmental context of food production and associated land use over this period. We are particularly interested in presentations of the results of recent research, and outcomes of methodological improvements or experimental studies.

EAA Session, 2020

As biogeochemical applications in archaeology have increased dramatically over the years, isotopi... more As biogeochemical applications in archaeology have increased dramatically over the years, isotopic studies are being used to address a wide range of questions related to prehistoric human (and animal) behavior. Larger, multi-isotope and multi-site/cemetery data sets have shifted the focus from site-level analyses to much broader narratives related to trade patterns, subsistence strategies, migration, and social organization. These studies are often collaborative, multidisciplinary, and integrated with several other lines of data (such as aDNA, skeletal data, material culture, radiocarbon dating, etc.). This integration of scientific techniques at large scales has been associated with a 'Third Scientific Revolution' in the field of Archaeology whereby theoretical paradigms (i.e, processual and post-processual approaches) may be reexamined and reimagined. In this session we invite papers that reflect on the ways that isotopic studies are currently being used in archaeological interpretations and narratives in Eurasian prehistory. Specifically, we seek studies that have used isotopic data to go beyond local versus non-local dichotomies, and either generate or test models of prehistoric human behavior at regional or multi-temporal scales. Questions to consider include: In what ways can isotope data uniquely contribute to our current understanding of human movement and interaction in the past? How have these data been successfully (or unsuccessfully) coupled with other lines of evidence? What are the continued challenges and limitations to biogeochemical approaches? In what ways have isotopic studies impacted the theoretical orientation of Eurasian Archaeologists?

Idén ősszel második alkalommal és a hagyományteremtés szándékával rendezzük meg a Mixtura textura... more Idén ősszel második alkalommal és a hagyományteremtés szándékával rendezzük meg a Mixtura texturalis – Ember és textil a Kárpát-medencében című tudományos konferenciát. Célunk a régészeti korok textilművességének, textil- és eszközleleteinek, textilalapú viseleti elemeinek, továbbá a korabeli emberi társadalmak textiljeinek készítésével, felhasználásával-fogyasztásával kapcsolatos nagyobb ívű (akár korszakokon is átívelő), komplexebb interpretációk bemutatásán túl egy olyan interdiszciplináris műhely létrehozása, melyben a különböző tudományterületek képviselői (pl. bölcsészek, természettudósok, restaurátorok stb.) közt aktív párbeszéd és együttműködés alakulhat ki.
Várjuk olyan előadók jelentkezését, akik max. 20 perces előadásukban, illetve 5 perces poszterükkel (ez utóbbi esetében egy-egy lelet vagy lelőhely ismertetésével) a múltbéli textilek készítésének, felhasználásának sokrétűségét, annak gazdasági, társadalmi stb. aspektusait mutatják be más tudományterületek képviselői számára is érthető, követhető tudományos stílusban.
A tervezett előadások illetve poszterek max. 400 szavas kivonatát kérjük a weisz.boglarka@btk.mta.hu ÉS a pszeoke23@gmail.com email címek MINDEGYIKÉRE elküldeni 2018. augusztus 30-ig!

Reinhard Jung – Hristo Popov (Eds.): Searching for Gold Resources and Networks in the Bronze Age of the Eastern Balkans, 2024

The Hungarian National Museum has been curating a great number of Bronze Age metal hoards since t... more The Hungarian National Museum has been curating a great number of Bronze Age metal hoards since the second half of the 19th century, including deposits which comprise exclusively gold objects. The museum’s collection holds nearly 230 pieces of gold hair-rings (Lockenringe and Noppenringe) that belong to hoards consisting exclusively of gold hair-rings or were found in hoards together with bronze artefacts. This paper presents the archaeological and archaeometallurgical study of 16 gold hair-rings from three Middle Bronze Age (2000–1500 BC) hoard assemblages found in the Carpathian Basin that were formerly unpublished or misinterpreted. The compositional analyses carried out using the XRF method on the 15 Bronze Age gold hair-rings presented here are not sufficient for exact provenancing
of the raw material. However, the less than 0.1wt% tin component implies that the raw material may have been native gold, classified as Hartmann’s A3 or B based on the higher or lower silver content. Here the data generated are provided opportunity for a comparison which suggests that the raw material components of gold objects vary even within a single hoard. This also implies that the metal hoards in question consisted of artefacts made at different times or in different workshops, and that pieces of the three assemblages from Biia (Magyarbénye), Pincehely, and Komárom-Szőny (Szőny, Ószőny) published here were collected throughout a prolonged period. Based on the technological observations,
the ornaments made of wire were probably easy to make; however, the cast hair-rings would have required significant technical skill and knowledge, and were created by using the lost-wax casting technique. Visible traces of use wear suggest that some of the ornaments were worn before their deposition.

In: K. Rebay-Salisbury, D. Pany-Kucera: Ages and Abilities: The Stages of Childhood and their Social Recognition in Prehistoric Europe and Beyond. Childhood in the Past Monograph Series 9. Archaeopress, 2020

Eszter Bánffy, Judit P. Barna (Hrsg), „Trans Lacum Pelsonem”. Prähistorische Forschungen in Südwestungarn (5500–500 v. Chr.) – Prehistoric Research in South-Western Hungary (5500–500 BC). Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense, Bd. 7. Budapest-Leipzig, 237-251., 2019

Art historical and archaeological research generally links the emergence of prehistoric art to ri... more Art historical and archaeological research generally links the emergence of prehistoric art to rituals. The interpretative possibilities of anthropomorphic representations can now be broadened following the realisation of anthropologists that the human body has served, and still serves, as an important source of metaphors.

In: MOMOƩ VIII. Őskori művészet – Művészet az őskorban. Őskoros Kutatók VIII. Összejövetelének Konferenciakötete. Debrecen 2013. október 16–18. (Szerk.: Dani János – Kolozsi Barbara – Nagy Emese Gyöngyvér – Priskin Anna). Debrecen 2017 [2018] 251–268., 2018

This paper analyse the Bronze Age anthropomorphic statuettes due to the publication of clay figur... more This paper analyse the Bronze Age anthropomorphic statuettes due to the publication of clay figurines from the Middle Bronze Age and from the beginning of the Late Bronze Age in Hungary. The results contribute to the understanding of Bronze Age human representations, costume history and identity in Central Europe.

Bridging Science and Heritage in the Balkans: Studies in archaeometry, cultural heritage restoration and conservation., 2019

radiocarbon dating of cremated bones ISBN 978-1-78969-196-2 ISBN 978-1-78969-197-9 (e-Pdf) Archa... more radiocarbon dating of cremated bones

ISBN 978-1-78969-196-2
ISBN 978-1-78969-197-9 (e-Pdf)
Archaeopress Publishing Ltd
edited by: Nona Palincaş and Corneliu C. Ponta

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As biogeochemical applications in archaeology have increased dramatically over the years, isotopi... more As biogeochemical applications in archaeology have increased dramatically over the years, isotopic studies are being used to address a wide range of questions related to prehistoric human (and animal) behaviour. Larger, multi-isotope and multi-site/cemetery datasets have shifted the focus from site-level analyses to much broader narratives related to trade patterns, subsistence strategies, migration, and social organization. These studies are often collaborative, multidisciplinary, and integrated with several other lines of data (such as
aDNA, skeletal data, material culture, radiocarbon dating, etc.). This integration of scientific techniques at large scales has been associated with a ‘Third Scientific Revolution’ in the field of Archaeology whereby theoretical paradigms (i.e, processual and post-processual approaches) may be reexamined and reimagined.
In this session we invite papers that reflect on the ways that isotopic studies are currently being used in archaeological interpretations and narratives in Eurasian prehistory. Specifically, we seek studies that have used isotopic data to go beyond local versus non-local
dichotomies, and either generate or test models of prehistoric human behaviour at regional or multi-temporal scales. Questions to consider include: in what ways can isotope data uniquely contribute to our current understanding of human movement and interaction in the past? How have these data been successfully (or unsuccessfully) coupled with other lines of evidence?
What are the continued challenges and limitations to biogeochemical approaches? In what ways have isotopic studies impacted the theoretical orientation of Eurasian archaeologists?

The mastery of metalworking skills occupies a special and significant place in the history of our... more The mastery of metalworking skills occupies a special and significant place in the history of our culture. Particularly copper and its alloys, due to their physical properties (ductility, colour, strength, and remouldability) found a wide range of applications both on the functional/usability and symbolic/prestigious level. Bronze in the form of raw material or ready-made items crossed the borders between various social, ideological, and economic systems and manufacturing traditions, inspiring societal changes in many regions.
The versatility of this metal resulted in the supra-regional spread of some types of objects and manufacturing techniques in Central Europe, thus triggering the development of many local bronzeworking traditions. The rise of large metalworking centres indicates not only a high demand for bronze products but also the importance of trade contacts, often between distant communities.
The key issues in the interpretation of changes taking place during the Bronze Age (within general frameworks, 2600-500 BC) focus on an attempt to answer the questions of the processes behind the transmission of technical knowledge and metal objects and the dynamics of change. The most satisfying answers are provided by archaeometallurgical investigations, combining scientific experiments and multidisciplinary analysis by the cooperation between archaeologists and scientists.
The proposed session, in the widest sense, will be focused on an attempt to define the origins of traditions and networks of exchange of metalworking-related ideas, the dynamics of changes and technology transfer as well as the durability and innovativeness of metalworking solutions in the area stretching from the broadly defined Baltic region to the Carpathian Basin. This session welcomes papers that discuss:
• development of metalworking in the context of the product quality, with emphasis on the analysis of metal composition and production techniques,
• possibility of reconstructing bronze-working practices and techniques using the potential of interdisciplinary research