Gulyás Et Al 2019 - Szilvásvárad PDF
Gulyás Et Al 2019 - Szilvásvárad PDF
Hrsg./Eds
Tivadar Vida – Dieter Quast – Zsófia Rácz – István Koncz
Budapest 2019
Das Konferenzprojekt und dieser Band wurde mit dem Zuschuß
der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften,
der „Stiftung von Trefort Kert” der Eötvös Loránd Universität, Budapest,
des Leibniz-Forschungsinstituts für Archäologie, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz,
des Instituts für Archäologiewissenschaften der Eötvös Loránd Universität, Budapest
des Instituts für Archäologie des Forschungszentrums für Humanwissenschaften
der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Budapest
und der Deutsch-Ungarischen Gesellschaft e. V., Berlin
verwirklicht.
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INHALT / CONTENTS
ALEXANDER SARANTIS
The rise and fall of the Gepid Kingdom in Dacia and Pannonia, 453–567 .................................... 11
ÁGNES B. TÓTH
The Gepids after the battle of Nedao (454 A.D.):
A brief overview and prospects for the future research ................................................................... 29
WOLFGANG HAUBRICHS
Die germanischen Personennamen der Gepiden ............................................................................ 57
N UMISMATIK / N UMISMATICS
ISTVÁN A. VIDA – ALAIN GENNARI – ZOLTÁN FARKAS
Coin from the Gepidic period cemetery of Berettyóújfalu, Hungary.
The cross series of the Sirmium Group ........................................................................................ 589
PÉTER SOMOGYI
Spätrömisch-byzantinische Fundmünzen aus Gepidengräbern ................................................... 603
SIEDLUNGEN / SETTLEMENTS
RÓBERT GINDELE
Objekte und Struktur der gepidenzeitlichen Siedlung in Carei
(Großkarol, Nagykároly)-Bobald, Rumänien ................................................................................ 629
ZSÓFIA MASEK
Die Forschung zu gepidischen Siedlungen in Ungarn.
Spätantike Kontinuitätsmodelle im Kerngebiet des Hunnenreiches ............................................ 659
ESZTER SOÓS
Transformation der Siedlungen am Ende des 4. und im 5. Jahrhundert in Nordost-Ungarn ..... 697
DÓRA SZABÓ
Interpretation of a 5th- and 6th-century farm-like settlement.
The case study of Tiszabura-Nagy-Ganajos-hát, Hungary .......................................................... 753
BEÁTA TUGYA – KATALIN NÁFRÁDI – SÁNDOR GULYÁS – TÜNDE TÖRŐCSIK –
BALÁZS PÁL SÜMEGI – PÉTER POMÁZI – PÁL SÜMEGI
Environmental historical analysis of the Gepidic settlement of Rákóczifalva, Hungary ............. 771
A SOLITARY 5TH CENTURY BURIAL FROM
SZILVÁSVÁRAD-LOVASPÁLYA, NORTH-EAST HUNGARY
This paper describes a solitary burial found in Szilvásvárad (NE Hungary) in 2016 and discusses its
wider archaeological significance. From the last decades of the 4th century onwards the Carpathian
Basin witnessed significant population movements from the East, associated with political and
social transformations. However, while the burial practices and some of the grave goods found with
this grave fit perfectly into the archaeological phenomena of the 5th century Carpathian Basin, other
features are rare or unique in this region and, at the same time, reveal strong connections with the
western Roman Empire. Therefore, while the wider archaeological picture may indicate sweeping
changes driven from the East, this particular burial provides an intriguing, and intimate insight
into how individuals may have responded to the complex readjustments of that time.
Keywords: 5th century; NE Hungary; solitary burial; cicada brooch; Mayen Coarse Ware
INTRODUCTION
The changes that took place during the Hun Period, at the end of the 4th century and in the first half
of the 5th century, fundamentally transformed the political and social conditions in the Carpathian
Basin. From the last decades of the 4th century onwards the Carpathian Basin witnessed significant
population movements from the East to the West. New political entities – the Hunnic Empire,
and after this, from the mid-5th century several Germanic Kingdoms – were created in both the
Alföld (Great Hungarian Plain), which had earlier been ruled by the Sarmatians, and the former
Roman province of Pannonia. The north-eastern part of the Carpathian Basin, the Northern Hills,
was densely populated in the Late Roman Period. To the east and west, respectively, were the
settlements of the Przeworsk culture (mostly identified with the Vandals) and the Quadi. At the
turn of the 4th–5th century this region also underwent significant cultural changes.1
If we consider the archaeology of the Carpathian Basin, we find that characteristics of cemeteries
– with respect to burial customs, dress, and object types – strongly suggest the presence of a
culturally and ethnically mixed population at the turn of the 4th–5th century. New cemeteries with
smaller numbers of graves appeared, as well as single graves and small burial groups consisting
of just a few graves a phenomenon which continued to the end of the 5th c. Parallel to this, smaller
settlement units also appeared, containing a new type of ceramics.
THE SITE
In 2016, a rescue excavation was carried out in Szilvásvárad (Heves county, North-East Hungary
(Fig. 1) during the construction of the new Equestrian Centre by archaeologists of the Dobó István
Castle Museum (Eger) led by Csilla Farkas.2 They excavated 8867 m2 and found 2840 archaeological
features. The site is located on the southern part of the village, near the entrance of the Szalajka
Valley. This area was not previously unknown to archaeologists, as excavations had been carried
1
See the paper of Eszter Soós in this volume.
2
FARKAS, Csilla – SOÓS, Eszter – TANKÓ, Károly: Régészeti kutatások Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya többkorszakos
lelőhelyen. Manuscript. We are grateful to Csilla Farkas for the opportunity to publish the grave material,
to László Bíró for the drawings and to András A. Király for the photos.
432 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
out here by László Vértes and Ágnes Salamon in the 1950s and 60s.3 The valley of the Szalajka
stream was always ideal for habitation, and archaeological remains of many periods are attested,
including some features belonged to the Neolithic (Bükk culture), the Late Bronze Age (Kyjatice
culture), the Late Iron Age (La Téne), Roman Period, Migration Period and Árpádian Age. Besides
the settlement features, five graves, dated to different periods, were also unearthed. In this article
we examine a grave from the 5th century A.D., which was located on the northern limit of the
excavated area. Excavations to the south, east and west revealed no additional contemporaneous
burials, suggesting that this may have been a solitary grave, although it remains possible that other
burials may lie further north. The settlement features dating to the 4th-5th centuries were located in
the southern part of the excavated area, about 40 m from the burial. In spite of the fact that these
are still in the process of being studied,4 we can assume a link between them, with the burial place
and the settlement most probably used by the same population.
of 0.15 m width, could be observed on the southern side. The shorter sides at the head and foot of
the grave were almost vertical. The grave fill consisted of a dark brown soil containing pebbles, and
some Neolithic and Roman period pottery sherds. The floor of the grave pit was trough-shaped
and lined with numerous pebbles. In the grave were found the very poorly preserved remains
of a mature individual lying in an extended posture on its back. The skull, the right upper arm,
and both legs were preserved, along with small fragments from the left upper arm and the pelvis.
The fragmented skull faced to the right (south). The right upper arm laid close to the body, with
the proximal humerus near the skull, while the left arm, based on the position of the fragments,
appeared to be lying alongside the body. The legs were stretched nearly parallel, and the feet were
pointing downwards. According to the posture it appears that the corpse may have been wrapped
in some organic material. The length of the skeleton is circa 154 cm.
Osteology:
Poorly preserved remains of a mature individual. Based on the shape of the tuber frontale, the
glabella and the protuberantia occipitalis externa the deceased appears to have been male, although,
owing to the poor preservation of the bones some uncertainty remains.5 The cranium, though its
preservation was rather poor, showed numerous Mongolid morphological traits, such as the broad
and flat nasal root, the mild protrusion of the nasal bridge, the inflated canine fossa, and the size
of the orbits. The alteration of the occipital region is indicative of artifical cranial deformation,
however, it cannot be proven.
Grave-goods:
1. A large glass bead found on the left side of the chest (Fig. 2.1; Fig. 4.1).6 The bead has a flattened
globular shape. The body of the bead is black in colour, upon which are white/light yellow dots
connected with thin lines. Around the dots, light blue zigzag lines can be observed. Two of the dots
are slightly bulged. Height: 1.6 cm, diameter: 2.9 cm, diameter of the hole: 1.0 cm.
2. A pair of tweezers found to the right of the bead, pointing upwards (Fig. 2.2). The tweezers are
made from a bent sheet of copper alloy, and decorated with barely visible incised IXIXI ornaments.
They were attached to a bronze ring, now fragmented, and some brownish discoloration around
the tweezers may be the remains of decayed organic material. Length: 5 cm, width: 0.9-0.5 cm.
Diameter of ring: c. 1 cm.
3. Some fragments of a strongly corroded iron object (Fig. 2.3) of undetermined type, found
near the inner side of the right elbow.
4. A fragment of a strongly corroded iron knife (Fig. 2.4), found next to, and parallel to, the right
elbow. Length: 7.9 cm, width: 1.3 cm.
5. A cicada brooch found on the right side of the stomach, nose facing towards the right arm (Fig.
2.5; Fig. 4.2). This small, flat, object was cast in brass, and the remains of a casting burr are visible on
the wings. The head is diamond-shaped with a dot-circle motif on each side representing an eye. A
threaded nose connects to the head. The neck is thin and linked to the body with a collar. The body
is divided into three parts: two ‘wings’ and an ‘abdomen’. On the back of the brooch is a strongly
corroded iron pin bar lug; the pin itself is missing. The catchplate is made of a semi-circular copper-
alloy plate, whose end was bent back. Judging from its condition, the brooch appears to have been
barely used, and is preserved in good condition today. Length: 4.9 cm, length of the nose: 1 cm,
5
According to the grave goods, the grave appears to belong to a woman. The anthropological examination
was carried out by Dr. Antónia Marcsik. We would like to thank her for her help.
6
The material presently forms an unaccessioned collection held at the Dobó István Castle Museum, Eger.
The cicada brooch and the buckle were analysed by Viktória Mozgai and Bernadett Bajnóczi (Institute for
Geological and Geochemical Research, RCAES, Budapest) with a SPECTRO xSORT Combi type handheld
XRF spectrometer.
434 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
Fig. 2. Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya (NE Hungary), solitary burial: 1. Glass bead; 2. Bronze buckle;
3. Corroded iron object; 4. Iron knife; 5. Brass cicada brooch; 6. Copper-alloy tweezers
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 435
Fig. 3. Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya (NE Hungary), solitary burial: 7. Bell-backed comb; 8. Single-handled jug
436 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
Fig. 4. Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya (NE Hungary), solitary burial: 1. Glass bead; 2. Brass cicada brooch;
3. Bronze buckle; 4. Single-handled jug (photos: András A. Király)
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 437
width of the nose: 0.3 cm, length of the head: 0.8 cm, width of the head: 0.7 cm, width of the neck:
0.5 cm, width of the wings: 3 cm, height of the catchplate: 0.7 cm, width of the catchplate: 0.7 cm.
6. A D-shaped cast bronze buckle found on the right of the pelvis (Fig. 2.6; Fig. 4.3). The buckle
consist of a curved frame joining a vertical bar at either end, to which is attached the prong. At
the ends of the bar are two animal heads facing each other. Their eyes are symbolized by almond-
shaped notches and the ears are oval-shaped. The frame is decorated with much worn punched
motifs in two rows. The inner arch of the frame is uneven. The original prong is probably missing,
and was replaced with a piece made of a different metal (unalloyed copper), pointed at one end
and folded around the bar at the other end. The frame is deformed along its axis, which may have
happened during the fastening of the new prong. Length of the frame: 3.8 cm, width: 2.1 cm,
thickness: 0.4 cm, length of the animal head: 1cm, length of the prong: 2.5 cm, width of the prong:
0.2 – 0.4 cm.
7. Bell-backed comb found next to left foot, with teeth pointing towards the skull (Fig. 3.7). The
comb is very badly preserved. The teeth were fixed with copper rivets and similar rivets were also
used along the arch of the handle. The handle is decorated with complex ornamentation consisting
of dot-circle motifs and copper rivets placed between vertical incised lines. Maximum width:
9.4 cm, maximum height (without the teeth): 4.9 cm, maximum height (with teeth): 6.3 cm.
8. A nearly complete small single-handled jug, found beside the feet of the burial (Fig. 3.8;
Fig. 4.4). The jug has a wide mouth and heavy, rounded, rim that thins and narrows into a short
neck before widening again to form a globular body, which in turn narrows to terminate in a small
flat, circular, base. A wide, ribbed, handle begins just below the rim and projects out to describe a
near-semi-circular arc before re-joining the vessel with a deep thumb-shaped impression just above
the widest part of the body. A thin incised, horizontal, line divides the neck from the body. The
presence of rilling marks, visible on the interior, and a characteristic spiral-mark on the exterior of
the base indicate that the body of the vessel was wheel-thrown7, with the handle, and possibly also
the rim, subsequently formed from coils. Both the exterior and interior surfaces are fired to a light
pink-buff colour, although part of the interior and rim are also stained with a black, sooty, residue.
The surfaces are rough, with frequent grey inclusions and occasional voids. Where exposed, the
cross-section displays a thick light grey core and narrow light pink-buff margins, indicating that
the vessel was exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere in the final stages of firing. The fabric itself is
coarse with frequent angular to rounded, equant-shaped, black, grey and white inclusions. After
sieving the soil from the jug, the remains of animal bones were recovered. Height: 13 cm, diameter
of the base: 5.3 cm, maximum diameter: 10.6 cm, diameter of the neck: 5.1 cm, diameter of the rim:
8.3 cm, thickness of the rim: 0.9 cm, width of the handle: 2.1 cm, thickness of the handle: 1.2 cm.
7
RYE 1981, 80.
8
NAGY 1993, 60; HARHOIU 1997, 30–31; TEJRAL 1999, 255–274; TEJRAL 2012, 118; PROHÁSZKA 2003, 77–78;
RÁCZ 2014, 204–205; RÁCZ 2016, 304; KISS 2017.
9
Szécsény (CSALLÁNY 1961, 238), Szurdokpüspöki (BÁCSMEGI–GUBA 2007, 26–27), Jobbágyi (KISS 1981),
Erdőkövesd (WERNER 1959); Hernádvécse (SOÓS ET AL. 2017).
438 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
of them. This suggests that the ‘realm of the dead’ and the place of the everyday actions were not
entirely strictly separated from each other that time.10
In all likelihood, the SW-NE orientation of the Szilvásvárad grave can be considered as a
variation of the W-E direction, which became the most popular funerary rite in the Carpathian
basin from the period D2/D3, i.e. from the mid-5th century.11 However, in the first half of the 5th
century the orientations were not yet unified north and east of the Danube and, in addition to
increasing numbers of burials with a W-E orientation, those with an E-W,12 NW-SE,13 and SW-NE14
orientation may all be variations of the same rite. At the same time, the S-N orientation15 and its
variations16 – representing the previous customs on the Great Hungarian Plain – are widespread
in the former Sarmatian territories and on the northern and southern edge of the Middle Danube
region. From the second half of the 5th century, the W-E orientation became absolutely dominant. The
SW-NE orientation frequently occurs on those sites or areas where otherwise the W-E orientation
is common.17
The elongated, narrow form of the grave pit (236x80 cm) was also common during this period.18
10
A similar phenomenon was observed in Hernádvécse and at other sites from the 5th century by Eszter Soós
(SOÓS ET AL. 2017, 68–69).
11
TOMKA 2001, 165; RÁCZ 2016.
12
Jászberény, grave 1 (PÁRDUCZ 1959, 318).
13
Mád (KOVRIG 1951, 113–114), Hernádvécse (SOÓS ET AL. 2017, 51–52); Singidunum, grave 63 (IVANIŠEVIĆ–
KAZANSKI 2002, 134).
14
Šarovce, grave 5/1955 and grave 9/1955 (NOVOTNÝ 1976, 26–28), Vicemilice (TEJRAL 1982, 224) and in
Pannonia Singidunum, grave 84 (IVANIŠEVIĆ–KAZANSKI 2002, 137); Viminacium-Burdelj, e.g. grave 3
(ZOTOVIĆ 1981, 108; IVANIŠEVIĆ–KAZANSKI–MASTYKOVA 2006, 138).
15
Csongrád-Kenderföldek (PÁRDUCZ 1959); Hrtkovci-Vranja (DAUTOVA-RUŠEVLJAN 1981); Laa a.d. Thaya
grave 1 (KAT. GERMANEN 345).
16
E.g. SE-NW: Smolin grave 32 (TEJRAL 1973, 25–43; TEJRAL 2005); Viminacium-Više grobalja, grave 1758
(IVANIŠEVIĆ–KAZANSKI–MASTYKOVA 2006, 214).
17
This became common even in the Late Roman cemeteries (LÁNYI 1972, 63).
18
ISTVÁNOVITS 1991, 35; SOÓS ET AL. 2017, 54.
19
TEMPELMANN-MĄCZYŃSKA 1985.
20
TEMPELMANN-MĄCZYŃSKA 1985, 21.
21
TEMPELMANN-MĄCZYŃSKA 1985, 53.
22
ČIŽMÁŘ 1997, Abb. 3. 24–26. We would like to thank Anna Mastykova for recommending this article to us.
23
SCHMIDT 1985, 284–285, Abb. 6, 6.
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 439
zigzag lines and red irregular shaped dots was found in a disturbed female grave in Tarnaméra
(site ‘Sandmine of István Fehér’), dated to the second half of the 5th century.24
Single large beads usually accompanied male burials in the 5th century, and the bead from
Szilvásvárad – its diameter is 2.9 cm – might also be interpreted as a sword bead (very large beads of
various materials and form25 found next to swords and associated with them26), put into the grave
pars pro toto instead of the weapon. According to Wilfried Menghin, the glass sword beads, in
general, belong to chronological group ‘A’, which is equivalent to period D3.27 A sword bead with
similar decoration to the Szilvásvárad piece was found in Wiesbaden-Mainz-Kostheim.28 As an
example from the Carpathian Basin, grave 100 at Szabadka-Verusics can also be mentioned, as well
as grave 69.01 in Nyíregyháza-Rozsrétszőlő, dated to the Hun Period.29
However, a single, large bead can be part of the female costume as well. In the ‘princely’ grave
of Oβmannstedt, a bead can be associated with the brooch worn on the waist.30 On the other hand,
very large beads belonging to female attire were usually found in collections with other beads – as
in the abovementioned case of Wulfen – and not as single pieces. Female dress and jewellery in
the 5th century were adorned with various beads from the head to the feet, and large beads could
have different functions, worn as part of a necklace or a bracelet, sewn on the dress, or hung
from brooches or a belt. 31 A beautiful example of the 5th-century female costume is the find from
Mezőkövesd-Mocsolyás, where large amber and glass beads (1.5–3 cm diameter) found on the right
of the chest might have hung down from the plate brooch worn on the shoulder.32 Nevertheless, we
cannot necessarily assume that the bead from Szilvásvárad was hung on a small cord or sewn to a
dress due to its large hole and the lack of a wear track. It was found approximately on the left side
of the chest, near to the tweezers. However, considered together, this combination of the bead and
the tweezers can also be interpreted instead as, respectively, the clasp and content of a purse lying
on the chest of the deceased.33
The tweezers
The shape of the tweezers from Szilvásvárad are different from the Late Roman types, thus it could
be considered a product of a Barbarian workshop.34 Tweezers frequently occurred in the graves
of the 5-6th centuries in the Carpathian basin. Smaller, finely crafted examples are characteristicly
found in female graves, while large iron specimens are typical male accessories.35 The |X| ornament
was a popular decorative element from the Late Roman to the Merovingian period, and also in the
Eastern European steppe region (e. g. on buckles).36
24
NAGY 2002, 238.
25
The sword beads can be of different shape: barrel, cylinder or disc-shaped, their edges are curved (PINTÉR-
NAGY 2012, 100).
26
In the vicinity of the Rhine limes, the beads, which were found in 4th-5th century male graves, belonged
exclusively to the swords.
27
MENGHIN 1983, 27–31.
28
TEJRAL 2015a, 192, Abb. 45, 2; 217, no. 75 with further literature.
29
PINTYE 2014, 111.
30
BEMMANN 2008, 172–173, Abb. 21.
31
RÁCZ 2016, 312–314.
32
LOVÁSZ 1999. A similar arrangement of beads can be observed in the case of Untersiebenbrunn, grave 2
(SCHMAUDER 2002, vol. 2, 101).
33
For those objects which were found near the rawhide case, Andrea Vaday and Béla Miklós Szőke considered
them to be purse clasps. VADAY–SZŐKE 1983, 110. This interpretation was rejected by Gabriella Vörös
(VÖRÖS 1994, 268–269).
34
For the Roman types see: RIHA 1986, 33–38.
35
KISS 1991, 129.
36
For the latest collection of these items see: KISS 2016, 37–40.
440 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
The tweezers from the Szilvásvárad burial were found on the chest of the deceased. This
position is well-known in the first half of the 5th century, as toilette-sets are often found hung on a
small metal ring on the chest or the stomach in rich female and children graves of the Hun Period
(e.g. Untersiebenbrunn grave 2).37
37
SCHMAUDER 2002, Bd. 2, 101.
38
KÜHN 1935, 106.
39
BRENTJES 1954, 901.
40
TEJRAL 2011, 191–192.
41
BÓNA 1979, 317.
42
BRENTJES 1954, 902. According to him, they are not cicadas, in fact, their shape originated rather from the
lotuses. However, we have to noticed that on the Szilvásvárad cicada the eyes are depicted with two dot-
circle motifs on both side of the head, so the craftsman’s intention was to imitate an animal.
43
Since the shaping of the heads are unique, Jaroslav Tejral tried to distinguish sub-groups based on the
standings and the size of the wings: TEJRAL 2015, 314.
44
MĄCZYŃSKA ET AL. 2016, 9. In addition, traces of thin gold foil could have been observed on the examples
from Almalyk-dere.
45
KISSNÉ CSEH–PROHÁSZKA 2002, 118; TEJRAL 2015, 313–314.
46
KISSNÉ CSEH–PROHÁSZKA 2002, 116. However, anthropological analysis was carried out in only a few cases.
47
MĄCZYŃSKA ET AL. 2016, 10; OBLOMSKY–KOZMIRCHUK 2015, 53.
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 441
Empire and the Barbarians at the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th centuries. In connection
with the workshops which produced the three-winged cicadas, Jaroslav Tejral suggested, based on
the concentration of this type of object in Lower Austria and in Southern Moravia and the semi-
finished specimen found in a goldsmith’s depot from Steinmandl-Buschberg, that a workshop
could have operated in this region.48
If we want to distinguish workshop traditions, we have to pay special attention to the spiral-
threaded nose of the cicada from Szilvásvárad. This is a very rare phenomenon and the closest
analogy is from an unpublished grave from the site of Paks-Lidl (Pannonian limes region). This item
is almost identical with our piece and only differs in the shape of the head and the neck.49 Another
threaded-nose, ribbed-neck cicada was found in the vicinity of Nyíregyháza (NE Hungary), also
made of copper alloy.50 Finally, we have to mention a silver example from the grave of a child at
Intercisa (Dunaújváros, Pannonian limes region).51
In the Late Roman period, the threaded construction also appeared on crossbow brooches with
onion-shaped knobs. These so-called ‘scroll-work’ brooches are characterized by the threaded
construction of the side knobs.52 This type of brooch is found in the southern and western parts
of Germany and in neighboring parts of France. From Pannonia, we know some examples from
Bagolasánc and from grave 42 in Ságvár. Besides these, only stray, unprovenanced, examples are
known.53 This type can be dated to the second half of the C3 and D1 periods on the basis of the
chronological system of the Barbaricum.54 Maurizio Buora examined the cast crossbow brooches,
which are closely related to the aforementioned group. According to him, these appeared on the
frontier of the Roman Empire, mostly at military sites, and the brooches could have been worn
as a signal of higher social status.55 The production technology displayed by the cicadas from
Szilvásvárad, Paks, Intercisa and from the Nyírség region, while in some ways unique, nonetheless
suggest that they were rooted in Late Roman workshop traditions, just like the crossbow brooches
with onion-shaped knobs and scroll works.
The exact position of the cicada brooch from Szilvásvárad could not be observed due to the
poor preservation of the skeleton. It lay approximately along the axis of the body, on the lower part
of the chest or on the upper part of the stomach. Its nose pointed towards the legs. According to
evidence from undisturbed graves, most cicada brooches were worn in pairs – as an accessory of
the peplos dress – on the shoulder (e. g. Intercisa),56 or as the third brooch beside a pair of large plate
brooches. Closing the cloak with a brooch on the chest was a common practice in the Late Roman
and early Migration Period as well. However, if the dress was closed on the stomach/waist and the
brooch was associated with the belt – which is less likely in our case –, then we are faced with a later
style of dress, which appeared in the middle of the 5th century.57
48
TEJRAL 2015, 315.
49
The brooch from Szilvásvárad has a flat, concave place on the neck, whereas on the other example, four
ribs can be observed. Personal communication with János Gábor Ódor. We would like to thank him for the
information.
50
On the basis of personal communication with Dr. Eszter Istvánovits. We would thank like to her for the
information.
51
VISY 1981, 211, Fig. 3–4.
52
Group B5 in Endre Tóth’s typological system: TÓTH 2015, 340–341. This technical solution also occurres in
some other sub-types.
53
TÓTH 2015, 341–342.
54
QUAST 2015, 307 with further literature; TÓTH 2015, 341.
55
BUORA 2013, 430–435. Other authors also confirm that crossbow brooches often appear in military contexts
(e.g. QUAST 2015, 307–308).
56
VISY 1981, 211, 3. kép; KOVÁCS 2004, 123, 128–129, 5. kép.
57
RÁCZ 2016, 315–316, Abb. 10. See also MIHÁCZI-PÁLFI 2018, Fig. 2.
442 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
The buckle
Buckles with animal heads are most widespread in the western half of the Roman Empire. The
example from Szilvásvárad belongs to the group of ‘simple buckles with animal heads’ (einfache
Tierkopfschnallen)58 or to Type IIIa in the typological system of military belt accessories in Britain
made by Sonia Chadwick Hawkes.59 These bronze buckles are characterized by semicircular frame/
loop, on which there are two open-jawed animal heads, probably a lion or leopard, facing each
other across the hinge-bar.60 The buckle from Szilvásvárad is quite rough and of poor quality, and
the details are barely recognizable.61
Einfache Tierkopfschnallen are well known mainly in military contexts along the limes; they first
appear during the reign of Valentinian I in Gallia in the 360/370s and can be dated to as late as the
middle of the 5th century according to Horst Wolfgang Böhme.62 We do not know any identical
pieces among these buckles, and Böhme suggested that besides the high quality specialized and
professional ateliers in large centers (e.g. at Trier or Tournai) there were several local workshops
that produced more simple pieces, both in military and civil contexts, and on both sides of the
limes.63 In this case, it is very difficult to distinguish ‘originals’ (made in urban or military centres)
from ‘copies’ (provincial or barbarian imitations) among buckles with animal heads.
Böhme argues convincingly that the origins of the Tierkopfschnallen (and Kerbschnittgarnituren)
in Gallia can be associated with the military costumes of the Roman army.64 On the other hand, in
the 5th century, this type of buckle also appears in female graves both in Roman and in Barbarian
territory. We can mention grave 3 from Wulfen (Sachsen-Anhalt) and grave 363 from Schleitheim-
Hebsack, where buckles with animal heads were found together with dot-circle ornamented
triangle-backed combs and brooches. At Wulfen it was accompanied by a large bead similar to the
example from Szilvásvárad.65
Bell-shaped comb
Combs as grave-goods were widespread both in Pannonia and in the Barbarian territories of the
Carpathian basin from the last third of the 4th century, and they became even more popular during
the 5th century.66
The specimen from Szilvásvárad was made from bone in three pieces: a central toothed plate
and two parts of a handle. It belongs to the so-called ‘bell-shaped’ or ‘Chernyakhov-Sîntana de
58
BÖHME 2008, 72–81.
59
CHADWICK HAWKES 1961.
60
CHADWICK HAWKES 1961, 59. These can be ornamented with chip-carved, engraved or pressed technique,
but undecorated specimens are also known. The chape/body? belonging to the frame can be gilded or cut
from a sheet and they are fixed with hinges. However, we have to note that these chapes are frequently
missing, as in the case of the Szilvásvárad specimen.
61
Cf. BÖHME 1974, Abb. 16.
62
BÖHME 1974, 55–73; BÖHME 2008, 76–81.
63
BÖHME 2008, 81–84, Abb. 5 (with workshop-finds).
64
BÖHME 2008, 84–86.
65
TEJRAL 1997, Abb. 16; SCHMIDT 1985, 286, Abb. 6. Several buckles with animal heads are known from
the Carpathian basin from the Migration Period. We can mention the example from grave 28 at Ártánd-
Kisfarkasdomb, which was found in a weapon grave (ISTVÁNOVITS–KULCSÁR 1999, fig. 15, 1), and the
female grave 64 in the Gepidic period cemetery of Szentes-Nagyhegy (CSALLÁNY 1961, 53–54, Taf. XXXVI,
15). This latter specimen is thicker and better manufactured than ours, and it can be dated to the turn of the
5th and 6th centuries. Some later variants are known from further Gepidic burials: Szolnok-Szanda grave
118, animal headed buckle with chip carved plate (BÓNA 2002, 217, Taf. 44, 1), Kistelek (?), similar silver
buckle (CSALLÁNY 1961, 227, Taf. CXCV, 10) and Szőreg-Téglagyár grave 97, large buckle with animal
heads (NAGY 2005, 133, 188, Taf. 62, 1).
66
RÁCZ 2016, 309, Abb. 4.
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 443
Mureş’ type.67 Its ornamentation consists of incised lines and dot-circle motifs on the lower part of
the handle with additional dot-circle motifs randomly arranged on the edge. Besides joining the
layers, the copper rivets could also have an ornamental function.68 Similar bell-shaped combs arе
known both from the territory of the Chernyakhov-Sîntana de Mureş culture and from Pannonia,
but they also occurred in Lower Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, and Moravia.69 The dot-circle motif
was commonly used by the Roman bone-crafting workshops in Pannonia, so this ornament can be
attributed to their influence.70 As Mária T. Bíró pointed out, there was a close connection between
the manufacturing traditions between Pannonia, the former Dacia province, which was inhabited
by the Sîntana de Mureş culture during the 4th century A.D., and NE Hungary.71 It is more striking
in our case because, in the settlement at Szilvásvárad, an antler comb with zoomorphic decoration
was found, which has remarkable analogies both in Pannonia (e.g. Csákvár, Intercisa, Hrtkovci
(Serbia) and in Transylvania (Mediaş, Tîrgu Mureş, Lechinta).72
Good analogies to our comb are known from a Hun Period female grave with plate brooches
from Čaňa (Hernádcsány) in the Hernád Valley,73 from a male grave from Tiszalök-Rázompuszta
also dated to the Hun Period74, and from an early Migration Period settlement from Bratislava-
Devín.75
The placement of the comb next to the feet follows an earlier funeral tradition, where lobed-
backed combs were found in the Roman provincial and early „Barbarian” graves near the thighs or
the knees, between the legs, or in front of the feet, probably in a purse.76 In the eastern cemeteries
of the Chernyakhov-Sîntana de Mureş culture, the combs lay near the head in almost 40% of all
cases, while they were put next to the feet in 30%.77 From the second half of the 5th century, the
double-sided combs and the later specimens which were found in Gepidic period cemeteries were
frequently put next to the skull.78
67
For the manufacturing technology and the typology see: T. BÍRÓ 1994, 39; BÓZSA 2016, 127, with further
literature. According to the typology of Galina Nikitina, this form is similar to the subgroup B2 dated to
the second half of the 3rd century, so, in our opinion, the origin of the 5th century comb from Szilvásvárad
should be looked for elsewhere (NIKITINA 2008, 82).
68
See BÓZSA 2016, 142.
69
T. BÍRÓ 1994, 39; IONIŢA 1971, 15–16; BÓZSA 2016, 142 and MASEK 2016, 127–131, 138–139, with further
literature.
70
See for example: Páty-Site 4, feat. 166 (OTTOMÁNYI 2008, 238–242, Abb. 9, 3)
71
For the distribution of some types see: T. BÍRÓ 2002, 66, map 3.
72
Personal communication from Csilla Farkas. We would thank her for the information. T. Bíró 2002, 50–55.
73
Semicircular handled comb with horizontally incised lines and dot-circle motifs. (TEJRAL 1973, Abb. 1;
TEJRAL 1997, 345, Abb. 21, 11). In this article Jaroslav Tejral assigned the comb to period D2, between
380/400–440/450 (TEJRAL 1997, 351).
74
Bell-backed comb with dot-circle ornaments (PÁRDUCZ 1959, 330, Taf. XXII, 3).
75
Bell-backed comb, the whole surface was covered with dot-circle motifs (KAT. GERMANEN Kat. IX.6.b, 409).
76
OTTOMÁNYI 2001, 49.
77
NIKITINA 2008, 83, graf. 3.
78
BÓNA–NAGY 2002, 95–98, Abb. 44.
79
We would like to thank Dr. Lutz Grunwald for his kind help with the identification of the examined pot.
444 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
archaeological sites of ‘Auf der Eich’ and ‘Siegfriedstraße’, which probably represent a continuation
of a pre-existing pottery industry, reorganized after the attack, during the reign of Emperor Julian.80
Stylistically, the pot from Szilvásvárad most closely resembles Mayen Ware Type Alzei 30b
defined by Alfred Wieczorek,81 or, according to Mark Redknap’s classification, Type R29 (single-
handled jug).82 This type is wide-spread in western Germany, north-east France, and the Benelux
Union, with specific analogies to the Szilvásvárad pot found, for example, in grave 16 at Vireux-
Molhain83, grave 141 at Jülich84, and grave 106 at Wageningen85. Mayen Ware pottery is occasionally
seen beyond this region, as far afield as Aguntum (East Tyrol)86, and south-east England (Canterbury,
London, Colchester, Portchester)87. According to the most recent classification by Lutz Grunwald,
our single-handled jug can be dated between 420/430-450/460 A.D.88
However, vessels of broadly similar shapes to the Szilvásvárad pot are not completely unknown
within Pannonia and Noricum. Another stylistic parallel, known as Type 2, has also been described
by Marianne Pollak within the pottery from the cemetery of Favianis (Mautern, Lower Austria).89
In addition to their general appearance, the Type 2 vessels also share other similarities to the
Szilvásvárad pot, including an incised line under the neck, a ribbed handle, and uneven firing.
However, some differences are also apparent, with Type 2 vessels having a more conical body
shape, and the handle joined to the rim rather than at the neck. According to Pollak, Type 2 dates
to the second half of the 4th century and the first half of the 5th century.90 It is commonly found
throughout the territory of Pannonia (e.g. Keszthely-Dobogó, Somogyszil, Gerulata/Rusovce) and
Noricum (Traismauer, Pöchlarn), and rarely to the north of the Danube Limes (e.g. Pohořelice).91
Nonetheless, on balance, the Szilvásvárad pot appears to bear closer physical similarities to
distant Mayen Ware forms than to the comparatively more local Type 2 jugs, although the manner
in which it was deposited, in a grave next to the deceased, follows a tradition commonly found
elsewhere in the Middle Danube region. According to the examination of burial rituals, in the
Late Roman and Sarmatian period vessels were commonly placed beside the legs or feet of the
deceased, however, during the 5th century, this gradually changed with vessels more often placed
next to the head. In the Szilvásvárad burial, the jug was placed by the left foot of the deceased,
thereby indicating that in this regard the “old tradition” was being followed.
Petrographic analysis:
In order to further investigate the hypothesis that the Szilvásvárad jug originated from the Mayen
workshops, petrographic analysis was undertaken on a sample from the Szilvásvárad jug and
comparisons were made with previously published data and reference materials.92 Ceramic
petrography is an invasive analytical method, in which a pottery sample prepared as a glass slide
thin section is examined with a polarising light microscope, in order to determine its composition
and structure. From this information, interpretations may be made regarding the technology
of production as well as the geological environment from which raw materials were procured,
80
GRUNWALD 2016, 346–348.
81
WIECZOREK 1987, 388–389.
82
REDKNAP 1988, 30, Fig. 18.
83
LEMANT 1985, 20, Fig. 25, 4
84
PÖPPELMANN 2010, Taf. 48, 141:5.
85
VAN ES 1964, 214.
86
AUER 2012
87
REDKNAP 1988, 9; TYERS 1998, 152.
88
GRUNWALD 2016, 350–351.
89
POLLAK 1993.
90
POLLAK 1993, 53.
91
POLLAK 1993, 150. Pohořelice: ČIŽMÁŘ 1995, 25.
92
We would like to thank Dr. Sándor Józsa for his help in the thin section preparation, and Dr. Sándor Józsa,
Tamás Sági and Dr. György Szakmány for their valuable assistance with the petrographic analysis.
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 445
which is generally local to the actual place of manufacture.93 The pottery of the workshops of
Mayen (Mayenerware / Eifelkeramik94) has been the subject of various previous scientific studies,
including analysis by ceramic petrography95, and more recently, by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and
X-ray fluorescence (XRF).96
In addition to data in the published literature, we were able to make direct comparisons
between the sample from the Szilvásvárad jug and a thin section of a Late Roman Mayen Coarse
Ware vessel, found in Leadenhall Court, London, and now included within the National Roman
Fabric Reference Collection (NRFRC, Sample 281)97 held at the British Museum.98 According to
the system proposed by Mark Redknap, both samples may be identified macroscopically as fabric
Type R (spätrömische rauhwandige Mayener Ware)99, while stylistically the London sample can be
classified as Type R1 (lid-seated jar).100
Mayen is located on the border of the East Eifel highland zone, adjacent to the Middle Rhine
Basin, and through which flows the River Nette before joining the Rhine. The region around Mayen
has a distinctive geological signature due to the combination of tephritic / trachytic / basaltic lava
that forms the volcanic massif of the East Eifel, and the clay and loess found on the valley slopes.101
The unique geological environment, in turn, resulted in ceramic products with a particularly
distinctive mineralogical composition, especially a suite of inclusions of magmatic origin. According
to the petrographic analysis by Kurt Böhner on Mayen Ware found in Trier, inclusions from a
variety of geological origins can be identified within Mayen Ware, including not only those derived
from extrusive igneous rocks but also sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The main magmatic
constituents are sanidine, anorthoclase, plagioclase, haüyne, aegirinaugite, barkevitic hornblende,
magnetite, titanite, apatite, magmatic glass and pumice, and trachyte fragments, while the main
non-magmatic inclusions are derived from greywacke, quartzite, slate, phyllite and mica schist,
and their constituent components.102 In general, this suite of inclusions appears to be present in
Mayen pottery from all periods of production, although differences in the relative proportion and
size of inclusions have been reported, with the fabric becoming increasingly fine-textured during
the medieval period. 103
The reference sample from the NRFRC used for comparison was identified as Late Roman
Mayen Coarse Ware by Tomber and Dore.104 In thin section,105 the sample displays a homogenous,
optically active, micromass (<10 μm), light brown in plane polarised light (PPL) and yellow to
grey-brown in cross-polarised light (XPL), with channel voids between c. 0.25 and 4 mm in length
93
QUINN 2013, 4.
94
Eifelkeramik is used collectively for the pottery of certain typological characteristics produced in the
Eifel mountain region of Germany, including Trier, Speicher and Mayen. Mayenerware is only used for
the pottery produced in Mayen, which is the most readily identified due to its distinctive mineralogical
composition. TYERS 1996, 151.
95
BÖHNER 1958, 63–67; FULFORD–BIRD 1975, 171–181; TOMBER–DORE 1998, 70.
96
GLUHAK 2010; XU and HOFMEISTER 2011, 35–41; GLUHAK ET AL. 2012; XU 2012.
97
TOMBER–DORE 1998, 70; NRFRC sample 281 is from object 1995,0711.113.
98
We are most grateful to Dr Roberta Tomber (The British Museum) for providing information of the Mayen
Coarse Ware sample in the National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (NRFRC). The photomicrographs
of Sample 281 published in this study are the property of the British Museum, and were taken with a Leica
DFC 500 camera using Leica DMRX polarising light microscope and LAS 4.2.0 software. The National
Roman Fabric Reference Collection is available online: http://romanpotterystudy.org/nrfrc/base/index.php
(20.02.2019).
99
REDKNAP 1988, Fig. 18.
100
TYERS 1996, 151–152.
101
REDKNAP 1988, 3.
102
BÖHNER 1958, 64.
103
REDKNAP 1988, 6.
104
TOMBER–DORE 1998, 70–71.
105
During our petrographic description, we used the guidelines of Ian Whitbread (WHITBREAD 1995, Appendix 3).
446 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
Fig. 5. 1. Szilvásvárad, hornblende (XP); 2. London, hornblende (bottom) and fine-grained sandstone fragment
(right) (XP); 3. Szilvásvárad, clinopyroxene (top) and titanite (bottom right) (XP); 4. London, fine-grained
sandstone fragment (left) and volcanic rock fragment with titanite and biotite (right) (XP);
5. Szilvásvárad, volcanic rock fragment with plagioclase and sanidine phenocrysts (XP);
6. London, volcanic rock fragment with plagioclase phenocrysts (XP)
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 447
Fig. 6. 1. Szilvásvárad, hornblende with resorbed edges (PPL); 2. London, hornblende with resorbed edges (PPL);
3. Szilvásvárad, sanidines (right) and plagioclases (left) (XP); 4. London, sanidines (top right; middle right),
plagioclases (stripy grains) and fine-grained sandstone fragment (left) (XP); 5. Szilvásvárad, fine-grained
sandstone fragments (top), clinopyroxene (middle right) and nepheline (bottom) (XP); 6. London, fine-grained
sandstone fragments (bottom), phyllite fragments (top; right) and clinopyroxene (middle) (XP)
448 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
and commonly aligned parallel to the vessel walls forming c. 10% of the field of view. Inclusions
form c. 30% of the field of view and display a bimodal grain-size frequency distribution. The fine
fraction, consists of few well sorted, open spaced, rounded to sub-rounded, silt-sized inclusions
(<62 μm), of primarily monocrystalline quartz, K-feldspar and opaque minerals. The coarse
fraction predominates, consisting of very poorly sorted, open spaced, rounded to sub-rounded,
fine to very coarse sand-sized (62 μm–2000 μm) rock fragments and disaggregated mineral
inclusions. This coarse fraction is derived from rocks of volcanic, sedimentary, and metamorphic
origin. The volcanic derived component includes porphyritic rock fragments with sanidine and
plagioclase phenocrysts (Fig. 5.6), porphyritic lava, and disaggregated mono-mineral clasts, such
as plagioclase, sanidine (Fig. 6.4), clinopyroxene (Fig. 6.6), amphibole (Fig. 5.2; Fig. 6.2), titanite,
biotite (Fig. 5.4) and opaque (magnetite?) fragments. The sedimentary and metamorphic derived
component includes fine and medium-grained quartz sandstone (Fig. 5.2, 4; Fig. 6.4, 6), siltstone,
slate, and phyllite (Fig. 6.6) fragments. The compositional differences evident between the fine
and coarse fractions are significant as they strongly indicate that a tempering material (a fine to
coarse volcanic/sedimentary/metamorphic sand) was artificially added to the clay paste during the
manufacturing.
The sample from Szilvásvárad106 shows a slightly heterogeneous, optically active micromass,
greyish brown to reddish brown in both XP and PPL, with channel voids between c. 0.3 and
4.2 mm in length, more frequent closer to the rim, parallel to the vessel walls, forming c. 13%
of the field of view. The aplastic inclusions in total form c. 30% of the field of view, and, as with
the London sample, also display a bimodal grain-size frequency distribution. The fine fraction
consists of few, well-sorted, open-spaced, sub-rounded and rounded, silt-sized (<62 μm), mineral
fragments, including monocrystalline quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase and opaque minerals. The
coarse fraction consists of poorly sorted, open-spaced, sub-rounded to rounded, medium to very
coarse sand-sized (0.2–2 mm) rock fragments and disaggregated minerals. The volcanic inclusions
include porphyritic lava rock fragments (Fig. 5.5), sanidine, plagioclase (Fig. 5.5; Fig. 6.3), nepheline
(Fig. 5.5), biotite, pyroxene (Fig. 5.3; Fig. 6.5), amphibole (Fig. 5.1; Fig. 6.1), titanite (Fig. 5.3), while
sedimentary and metamorphic rock fragments appear as fine-grained sandstone (Fig. 6.5), siltstone,
slate, and phyllite inclusions. The different mineralogical compositions of the different size fractions
suggest that they derive from different sources, with the fine fraction naturally occurring in the
clay, while the coarse volcanic, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock and mineral fragments were
intentionally added together to the clay paste as a sand temper.
The results of the petrographic analysis of the Szilvásvárad jug are in accordance with the
published data about Mayen Coarse Ware and with the comparative sample from London. From
this analysis, it appears probable that coarse sand, of predominantly volcanic origin, was added
during the preparation of the paste to naturally silty clay. The freshness of the grains, and the
presence of sanidine, plagioclase, nepheline, pyroxene, amphibole, biotite, titanite both as minerals
and in rock fragments, together with porphyritic lava fragments with alkali phenocrysts suggest
that the sand originates from an alkali volcanic region with recent (Quaternary) volcanic activity,
where trachyte is present. This type of sand can be found in the volcanic region of the East Eifel, in
the direct vicinity of the excavated Roman and medieval kilns in Mayen.107 The minor differences
between the samples from Szilvásvárad and London can be explained by natural variations in
the raw materials or accidental or intended technological differences (such as variation in firing
conditions). According to these results, the petrographic analysis strengthens the preceding
typological identification and affirms the hypothesis that the pot found in the grave at Szilvásvárad
106
The photomicrographs of the sample from Szilvásvárad were taken with a Zeiss AxioCam MRc5 using
Zeiss AxioScope A1 polarising light microscope and Zeiss AxioVision 4.9.1 software at the Archaeometry
Laboratory of the Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. KMOP-
4.2.1/B-10/-2011-0002.
107
GLUHAK 2010, 40.
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 449
is a product of the pottery centre of Mayen, making it the most easterly known example of Late
Roman Mayen Ware pottery.
108
Such a grave was published recently from the Middle Don valley, from Novaya Chigla. In this grave, a
pair of earrings with polyhedric pendants was found with a necklace made from beads and pendants.
However, according to the anthropological examination, the deceased was an adultus-maturus male
(BEREZUTSKIJ–MASTYKOVA 2016).
109
EFFROS 2000.
110
If we examine the simultaneous occurrence of a knife and tweezers, on the one hand, this combination
was found in female and children graves, like grave 1 and 2 at Untersiebenbrunn (early 5th century) or
the single grave of Hrtkovci-Vranja (mid-5th century) (cf.: RÁCZ 2016, Tab. 1). On the other hand, a similar
combination was found in male graves from Árpás-Dombiföld-Szérűskert, Ordacsehi-Kis-töltés, and
Zsámbok site 15. See: KISS 2016, 33–34, note 12 with further literature. They frequently occurred in male
graves from the 4th-5th centuries in France and Germany, where they predominantly belonged to rich,
armed, persons; for example: Jüling grave 161. (PÖPPELMANN 2010, Taf. 61), Rhenen grave 842 (BÖHME 1974,
Taf. 66).
111
In some of the elite burials of the 5th century there are grave-goods of the ’opposite sex’, but they never
occur as part of the costume / according to their original role (Untersiebenbrunn, female grave: attachment
of a sword; Budapest-Zugló, male grave: fragments of a diadem, recycled as shoe or belt sets) (SCHMAUDER
2002, Bd. 2; NAGY 2010, 170–174).
450 Bence Gulyás – Zsófia Rácz – Katalin Bajnok – John Gait
112
REDKNAP 1999, 395.
113
The easternmost sherd was found in Auguntum, now Lienz, Tyrol (AUER 2012).
114
QUAST 2009; BEMMANN 2008, 145.
115
The reconstruction of certain movements based on the distribution of some costume accessories often
comes up in the archaeological literature. For example, Péter Straub assumed a two-way migration between
Pannonia and the Upper Danube region linked to the Suebians, however, he did not exclude the possibility
of vibrant trade relations as well (STRAUB 2008, 192–193). However, this example refers to a later period
when Roman rule had collapsed. In the Late Roman period, the appearance of low-quality handmade
pottery is traditionally viewed as evidence of the Barbarian presence in the fortresses as foederati (QUAST
2017).
116
BEMMANN 2008, 146–147, Abb. 2.
117
GRANE 2012.
118
Cf. QUAST 2019 in this volume.
A solitary 5th century burial from Szilvásvárad-Lovaspálya, North-East Hungary 451
explanation: it does not mean automatically that the deceased (if it was after all a male person)
or a family member was actually a veteran of the Roman Army from the Rhine limes. However,
it is evident that the community in Szilvásvárad displayed Roman influences. Furthermore, this
connection can be further confirmed by the cicada brooch, which was a typical accessory in the
Hun period Carpathian Basin, but, in our case, appears to have been manufactured following
Roman workshop traditions.
CONCLUSION
This particular burial from Szilvásvárad provides an intriguing and intimate insight into how
individuals may have responded to the complex readjustments of the Hun Period. While the
burial practices (solitary burial, SW-NE orientation, narrow grave pit) and some of the grave goods
(brooch, comb, tweezers) found in this grave fit perfectly into the archaeological phenomena of the
5th century Carpathian Basin, other features (single-handled jug, buckle with animal head) are rare
or unique in this region and, at the same time, reveal strong connections with the western Roman
Empire. To understand this phenomenon, a plausible explanation is a type of personal mobility
between the northern part of the Carpathian Basin and western Europe.
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Bence Gulyás
Régészettudományi Intézet / Institute of Archaeological Sciences
ELTE – Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem / Eötvös Loránd University
H-1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 4/B.
[email protected]
Zsófia Rácz
Régészettudományi Intézet / Institute of Archaeological Sciences
ELTE – Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem / Eötvös Loránd University
H-1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 4/B.
[email protected]
Katalin Bajnok
Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest
H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33.
[email protected]
John Gait
Scientific Research Department, The British Museum, London
GB-WC1B 3DG London, Great Russel Street
[email protected]