Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings

in the Upper Tisza Region

Mikhailo Potushniak

In the second half of the 1970s and in the 1980s the author investigated two settlements of the

Starcevo/Körös (Cris) Culture (SKC) in the Transcarpathian Region. By this time, the settlement of

Méhtelek-Nádas and a number of other sites was known in the northeastern part of Hungary. The

question of their ethnocultural attribution has been discussed for a long time (KALICZ-MAKKAY 1976;

KALICZ-MAKKAY 1977). Sites investigated in the Transcarpathian Region definitely supported the

suggestion about the direct presence of the Starcevo/Körös communities in the Upper Tisza region, and

showed that the whole of northeastern valley of the Tisza river belonged to the SKC (POTUSHNIAK 1985).

Zastavne-MalaHora/Zápszony-Kishegy

The first settlement was researched at the village of Zastavne, site Mala Hora. The site is

situated in the central part of the Kosino-Zastavne Highland of volcanic origin that emerges

independently in the Transcarpathian Plain, in the southwestern part of the county. The southern end

of the highland is situated on the territory of Hungary. Cultural remains of the settlement could be

registered at a surface not larger than 1-1.5 hectares, along the western side of the site, situated at the

lowest part of the highland. The cultural layer could be traced 0.3-0.6 m deep from the modern surface.

At several spots it was disturbed by deep ploughing. About 1200 sq. m of the site were investigated

divided into squares and test trenches placed at different parts of the site. During three excavation

campaigns (1976-1977,1982) we researched five dwelling assemblages: three subterranean and three

semi-subterranean houses. In the following we offer the short description of the investigated features.

Subterranean house la/76 (fig. 1) was represented by an elongated oval pit dug into the subsoil and cut by pits of different shapes and depths. The axis of the house was directed from north to south. It was 12.4x6.1 m large, 0.7-1.8 m deep from the level of registering the pit. The deepest part was in its northwestern sector. Taking into consideration that the upper part of the pit was cut to 0.2 m by deep ploughing (it could be traced by the strong appearance of the cultural layer on the ploughed surface of the soil), the original depth of the house could be 0.9-2 m.

In the process of the cleaning the dwelling, we could trace two horizons: the upper one

belonging to the semi-subterranean house (1/76 - fig. 2) and the lower one belonging to the

subterranean house (la/1976). The base of the subterranean house could be traced after the cleaning

of the semi-subterranean house. As it became clear later, the whole northern and partly the southern

part of the subterranean house was basically reconstructed. Only its central part remained almost

untouched. All the deep bases of the subterranean house were covered by yellow subsoil clay, the

colour of which hardly differed from the subsoil of the pit. At first, this circumstance caused certain

NyJAME XLVI. 2004. 53-69.

Mikhailo Potushniak

F i g . l Settlement

Zastavne-Mala Hora/ Zápszony-Kishegy

View of dwelling la/76. lower building horizon

l . k é p Zápszony-Kishegy/

Zastavne-Mala Hora la/76, épület

az objektum alsó rétege

Fig. 2 Settlement

Zastavne-Mala Hora/ Zápszony-Kishegy

View of dwelling 1/76. upper building horizon

2. kép Zápszony-Kishegy/

Zastavne-Mala Hora 1/76. épület

az objektum felső rétege

Fig. 3 Settlement

Zastavne-Mala Hora/ Zápszony-Kishegy

View of dwelling 3/82 3 . k é p

Zápszony-Kishegy/ Zastavne-Mala Hora

3/82. épület

54

Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings ...

difficulties when cleaning the base of the subterranean house, the cultural layer of which under the

sterile layer did not exceed 0.1-0.15 m. It was also problematic because of the partly widening side-

walls in the northern part. The thickness of the sterile layer dividing the upper and lower horizon in

the northern part made 0.4-0.8 m and 0.2-0.3 m in the southern part. The base of the subterranean

house was then filled, and thus, the semi-subterranean house got a more or less even base. The semi-

subterranean house was 0.4-0.9 m deep from the level of registering it, and, taking into consideration

the damage of the upper part of the pit, it was originally 0.6-1 m deep.

In the process of investigation of these two dwelling assemblages, it was determined that

there were two open fireplaces functioning in the subterranean house: one in the central part of the

dwelling and another one in the southern end, under the western wall. The latter was covered by a

layer of subsoil clay during the reconstruction of the building. The entrance of the dwelling was

situated in the southern end. Here we could trace steps cut into the subsoil.

In the semi-subterranean house the fireplace continued to function in the central part. In the

northern part, at a section filled during the reconstruction, under the western wall a clay kiln was

built. The collapsed vault of the kiln was traced at a surface of 5 sq. m in the form of thick layer of

clay plastering. On the partly preserved round bottom of the kiln, remains of a collapsed large, black

polished vessel were found. Beside it, on the floor, under the collapsed walls of the kiln, there were

remains of two big vessels - of a conical bowl standing on nipple shaped feet and a pot.

Among the 10.000 units of archaeological material collected in the dwelling, only 300 pieces

belonged to the lower construction horizon: subterranean house la/76. To this horizon belonged

also a fragment of a female figurine, found in the southern fire-place pit, and a big conical top with

cup shaped handle, decorated with incised pattern. It was found on the bottom of the fireplace pit,

situated beside the eastern side of the central fireplace. The latter was also covered by a layer of

subsoil clay in the process of reconstruction.

Thin cultural layer, the small number of archaeological finds show that the subterranean

house - dwelling la/76 existed for a short time. We should note that there are certain technological-

typological differences between the pottery of the lower and upper construction horizons (fig. 1-2).

(We shall return to this topic later).

Fig. 4 Settlement Zastavne-Mala Hora/ Zápszony-Kishegy View of dwelling 4/82 4. kép Zápszony-Kishegy/ Zastavne-Mala Hora 4/82. épület

55

Mikhailo Potushniak

Subterranean house 3/82 (fig. 3) was represented by an irregular roundish pit, similar to the previous one, dug into the subsoil. It was slightly prolonged from south to north. It was 13.4x13.2 m big, 0.6-1.6 m deep from the level of registering it. The outlines of the feature were found 0.3-0.4 m deep from the modern surface, its filling was light grey. Darker, black cultural layer could be traced almost until the middle of the depth. The bottom of the pit, especially in the southern part, had an uneven base cut with pits connected to each other, of different shapes and depths. Under the southern wall of the dwelling, three fireplaces were situated composing a semicircle. Two of them - the „eastern" and the „central" ones were made in the deepened parts of the floor, the third -the „western" one - was situated directly at the wall, on the subsoil base, 1 m high from the level of the floor. Northeast of the latter fireplace, the entrance of the dwelling was found, as a plain surface slightly bent towards the centre. The cultural layer at the entrance could be traced also outside the walls.

In the process of cleaning the dwelling pit of the subterranean house, we collected about 10.000 units of archaeological material that was concentrated almost exclusively in the southern part, starting from about the middle of the depth and at the base. The insignificant number of material collected in the northern part, shows its agricultural and craft function. It must had been separated from the southern „kitchen" part with a dividing wall.

Another independent room was traced under the eastern wall, in the southern part of the house, close to the „eastern" fireplace. It was separated from the rest of the dwelling by two, high vault shaped remains of the subsoil. Here we could trace an almost rectangular pit with a plain bottom and a „bed" above it, cut into the wall in the shape of a semicircle. It had a vertical sidewalk This room was 3.3 m long (S-N) and 2.35 wide (E-W). In the filling of this room we found a minimal number of finds, among which there was an interesting piece: an unbroken miniature female clay figurine standing on the top of the southern subsoil remain, as if pressed into its base.

The kitchen and living room function of the southern part of the dwelling is evidenced not only by the great number of pottery, stone tools collected here, but also by the thick concentration of small pieces of bones in the western sector (between the „western" and „central" fire-places). There was a 0.2-0.3 m thick cultural layer at the very base of the floor. In the filling of the „eastern" fireplace we also found a number of rotted burned shells of hazelnuts (corylus) and acorns of oak (auerans robur).

Fig. 5 Settlement

Zastavne-Mala Hora/ Zápszony-Kishegy

Ground plan of dwelling 2/77. 1: burned clay, 2: fireplace,

3: clay plastering, 4: grinding stone,

5: vessels, 6: post-hole 5. kép

Zápszony-Kishegy/ Zastavne-Mala Hora

2/77. épület 1: égett agyag, 2: tűzhely,

3: agyagtapasztás, 4: őrlőkő, 5: kerámia,

6: cölöplyuk

Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings ...

Semi-subterranean house 2/77 (fig 5-5a) was traced at a distance of 6 m from the eastern wall of house 1/76 and la/76. It was represented by an irregular, rectangular pit oriented from the east to the west. It was 11x8.2 m large and 0.3-0.8 m deep.

The outlines of the feature were found under the level of ploughing, on the level of subsoil. During the research of the pit above its level, we could trace a layer of strongly stamped, 0.2 m thick yellow subsoil clay containing only organic compounds. This layer could be followed especially along and outside the walls of the pit. During the cleaning we felt that this layer could be cut easily only when slicing it horizontally in large stripes. Under this layer of soil the outlines of the dwelling pit could be traced. We suggest that this layer belonged to the collapsed clay walls along the outlines of the pit. Despite of the large excavated surface outside the dwelling pit, we did not observe any post-holes.

The base of the pit, especially under the walls, was cut by pits of different shapes and depth. The central part of the feature had a more or less even base. The southeastern corner of the dwelling pit was followed by a small triangular, 10 sq. m large part of a building. This must had been the entrance room. Here we could observe the entrance in the shape of steps cut into the eastern wall of the room.

In the semi-subterranean house we found two heating devices. In the centre there was an open fireplace with a plain, roundish base that was plastered with a thin layer of clay burned to red. The clay kiln could be situated under the northern wall, at the base of one of the pits. Here we unearthed

Fig. 5a Settlement Zastavne-Mala Hora/ Zápszony-Kishegy Profiles of dwelling 2/77. 1: ploughing level, 2: cultural layer, 3: vessels, 4: remains of clay walls, 5: burned clay, 6: grinding stone, 7: subsoil, 8: clay plastering of the kiln, 9: fire-place 5a. kép Zápszony-Kishegy/ Zastavne-Mala Hora 2/77. épület metszete 1: szántott réteg, 2: kultúrréteg 3: kerámia, 4: agyagfal maradványai, 5: égett agyag, 6: őrlőkő, 7: altalaj, 8: tűzhely agyagtapasztása, 9: tűzhely

Mikhailo Potushniak

the concentration of big pieces of burned clay plastering with the traces of branches that made the framework, found in different levels. The eastern wall of this pit had a burned vertical wall, and at its base we observed thin layers of ash and charcoal (fig. 5-5a).

In the filling of the dwelling we found more than 3.500 units of archaeological material (fig. 9: 68-100). No compact concentrations of pottery were observed. Only at the base of one of the pits, in the southwestern corner of the dwelling, two unbroken, black polished biconical bowls were found upside down. One of them had a ring shaped bottom.

Semi-subterranean house 4/82 (fig. 4), found 13 m west of subterranean house 3/82, was half destroyed by the building activities of the eastern channel. The outlines of the feature were observed 0.3 m deep from the modern surface, at the level of subsoil. The remains of the feature were 10x4-5 m large. This was a pit dug into the subsoil 0.2-03 m deep. The whole structure must have been an elongated oval feature with aN-S axis. Its length could be about 12 m, the utmost width 6-7 m.

At the investigated part of the feature, at its base (under the eastern wall) we traced three big wash tub shaped pits situated in a row, from the north to the south. They were 0.8 m deep from the base. These must had been the remains of pillar support. In the southern end of the dwelling pit, under the wall, in one of the pits, a thick, irregular concentration of clay plastering was found. Inside it, there were layers of ash and small pieces of charcoal. The base and side wall of the pit were burned. The clay kiln must had been situated here.

In the filling of the investigated part of the dwelling we collected a small but rich archaeological material. In the filling of three pits, remains of twelve unbroken and half-preserved vessels were unearthed. According to all typological features, the pottery of this dwelling is absolutely identical with that of the subterranean house 3/82 (fig. 3). This fact refers to their synchronous existence.

Fig. 6 Settlement

Rivne-KismezoV S zerny e-Ki sm ező

Ground plan of dwelling 2/88.

1: ploughing level, 2: subsoil, 3: cultural layer,

4: remains of the kiln, 5: track of the channel

6. kép Szernye-Kismező

Rivne-Kismező 2/88. épület

1: szántott réteg, 2: altalaj, 3: kultúrréteg

1 m 4: tűzhely maradványai, 5: csatorna vonala

58

Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings

Rivne-Kismező/Szernye-Kismező

The second Starcevo/Körös Culture settlement was found in village of Rivne, at the site of Kismezö, situated 1 km south of the village and 10 km north of settlement Zastavne-Mala Hora. The settlement occupies an arch shaped headland made by the ancient meandering bed of river Serne. The river was regulated, today this is channel. The site in question is multi-level. Beside the SKC building horizon (Rivne-Kismezö I) two features of the Painted Pottery Culture (PPC) from the Middle Neolithic Age were investigated (Rivne-Kismezö II). In the walls of the channel that was cut into the settlement, we could trace the culture layers of Halstatt, La Tcne, Roman Age, and Middle Ages. The traces of SKC were recorded at a surface of 1-1.5 hectares.

The site was investigated in three field campaigns. In 1977-78 a big dwelling of the SKC (dwelling 1/77-78) and two features of the PPC (2/77, 2/78) were researched. In 1988 parts of two SKC houses (2/88, 3/88) were investigated.

Fig. 7 Settlement Rivne-Kismezö/ Szernye-Kismező Ground plan of dwelling 3/88. 1: ploughing level, 2: subsoil, 3: cultural layer, 4: fireplace, 5: track of the channel, 6: fragment of a clay figurine 7. kép Szernye-Kismező/ Rivne-Kismezö 3/88. épület 1: szántott réteg, 2: altalaj, 3: kultúrréteg 4: tűzhely, 5: csatorna vonala, 6: idoltöredék

59

Mikhailo Potushniak

Semi-subterranean house 1/77-78 was a pit deepened into the subsoil. It had significant

sizes, the outlines could not be well determined: the pit was more or less rectangular or roundish.

The outlines of the feature were observed 0.5-0.6 m deep from the modern surface, at the level of

subsoil. About one fourth of the dwelling pit, its northern part was demolished by the channel. We

could investigate a 16 m long (N-S) and 12 m wide (E-W) large part of the feature. Its original

length could be 20 m. A tongue shaped, 8x5 m large pit was connected to the eastern wall of the

structure. It had an uneven base and probably served as an entrance room. The whole northern half

of the investigated part of the pit had an almost plain bottom, it was 0.4-0.5 m deep from the level of

recording. The base of the southern half, along the eastern wall of the pit was cut by shallow (0.2-0.7

m from the level of the bottom) pits of various shapes, connected with each other. Here, in one of the

pits, situated closer to the entrance room, at a surface of more than 10 sq. m we observed the concentration

of burned clay plastering mixed with ash, small pieces of charcoal, burned clay, that must had been the

remains of a clay kiln. However, the bottom and the place of the kiln were not found.

Fig. 8 Fragments

and schematic reconstruction of the clay dwelling model

8. kép Agyag épületmodell töredéke és sematikus rekonstrukciója

60

Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings ...

In the southern, western and northern sector of the investigated feature, at the level of the bottom, we recorded five roundish pits with plain bottom (only one of them, at the eastern wall of the excavation section had a washing tub shaped bottom). Their diameter was 1-2.5 m, they were 0.4-1.5 m deep from the base of the pit. The deepest one was situated at the southernmost end of the dwelling. The pits together formed a circle, from the south to the east, 2-4 m from each other. Three of them were dug directly under the western wall. Judging from their situation and shape, we can suggest that these pits belonged to pillars supporting the roof inside the house. As a conclusion, we can not exclude that the base ofthat part of the dwelling that emerged above surface could have had a round shape. Taking into consideration the large size of the dwelling assemblage in question (the whole territory made more than 250 sq. m), we can suggest that this house was divided inside into two rooms: the northern one, playing agricultural and workshop role, and the southern one, used as a dwelling and kitchen. It must be underlined that no heating devices were found in the northern part of the dwelling pit. The majority of archaeological material was concentrated in the southern part of the feature.

At the western wall of the house we could trace feature 2/78, that was situated 0.1 m higher then the level of house 1/77-78. The archaeological material found here belongs to a younger period than SKC (fig. 9: 101-155).

Ten years later two more dwelling assemblages were investigated at the settlement of Rivne-Kismező 1,30^40 m SW from dwelling 1/77-78, close to the ancient bed of river Serne. The features were found during the digging of a road-ditch, when thick cultural layers could be recorded.

Semi-subterranean house 2/88 (fig. 6) was half destroyed by the channel. The feature was represented by an elongated oval pit deepened into the subsoil. The remained and investigated part of the dwelling pit was 8.9x2.9-3 m large (the whole size could be about 9.5x4-6 m). It was recorded 0.4 m deep from the modern surface, at the level of subsoil. We did not succeed in finding clear traces of a heating device. Only in the southwestern part, at the very edge of the remained part of the feature, we traced a solid concentration of burned clay plastering of rectangular shape. It was found at the base of the bottom, its size was 0.6x0.6 m, thickness was 0.2 m. Judging from the high concentration of archaeological material in this part of the feature, the kiln must have been situated somewhere in the western corner of the dwelling pit destroyed by the channel. The entrance could be followed under the eastern wall.

Semi-subterranean house 3/88 (fig. 7) was found 11.5 m SW of semi-subterranean house 2/88, along the track of the channel. This feature was also an irregular, triangular pit with rounded corners, deepened into the subsoil. It was 4.8 m long (N-S), 6.6 m wide (E-W), 0.18 m deep under the sidewalls and 0.5 m deep in the centre. Almost in the centre, we traced a 1.3-1 m large open fireplace made in a washing tub shaped pit, deepened into the base of the floor. The fireplace was filled by burned clay mixed with ash and small pieces of charcoal. Side-walls of the fireplace were also burned red. At the level of the fireplace we found two small, half-fragmented vessels and remains of a large amphora shaped vessel with a narrow neck, wide bottom standing at six nipple shaped feet.

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Mikhailo Potushniak

Beregszász-Kerekhegy/Berehovo-Kerekhegy

Finally, the third settlement that can be categorised as belonging to the SKC in the Transcarpathian Region was discovered as long ago as in 1896 in the eastern outskirts of Beregszász, at the site of Kerekhegy. Unstratified material coming from here and preserved in T. Lehoczky's collection is kept now in the Transcarpathian Museum of Local History. A bottom fragment of a black polished vessel standing at four nipple shaped feet belongs to the Starcevo/Körös time.

The data described above can be summarised in the following way. On the settlements of the SKC in the Transcarpathian Region we found two types of dwelling constructions (judging from the shapes of their bases): semi-subterranean and subterranean houses. On the settlement of Zastavne-Mala Hora both semi-subterranean and subterranean houses are known. On the settlement of Rivne-Kismező I we know exclusively semi-subterranean houses. Shapes and sizes of the dwelling pits are different. Large size can be met both in the case of semi-subterranean and subterranean houses. Taking into consideration the size of the bottoms of the houses, we can assume that the useful territory of the subterranean houses at the settlement of Zastavne-Mala Hora made an average of 65-70 -120 sq. m (dwellings la/76, 3/82), of the semi-subterranean houses: 70-100 sq. m (dwellings 1/76, 2/77, 4/82). At the settlement of Rivne-Kismező I the significant size of the dwelling pit in semi-subterranean house 1/77-78 is outstanding: about 240 sq. m, while the territory of the semi-subterranean houses 2/88 and 3/88 is relatively small: 30 and 70 sq. m.

There is no doubt that inside, the large dwellings were divided into several rooms. It could be probably made by dividing walls, because in wintertime the heating of such big territory of dwellings could not be effective. This is true mainly in the case of subterranean house 3/82 (fig. 3) and semi-subterranean house 1/77-78. One of the rooms of such dwellings probably functioned as food storage, and in wintertime young animals of the domestic stock could be kept here. The agricultural function of these rooms can be suggested because of the lack of heating devices, and also because the small number of archaeological material found here. The cultural layer usually differs by its lighter colour. The base of the agricultural part of the dwelling pit is less cut by pits, it is more even.

The kitchen and living part of these dwellings is significantly smaller. Here we usually record heating devices. The base of the floor is uneven, it is usually cut by pits. The cultural layer is of dark colour, containing a large number of archaeological material.

In the subterranean houses we recorded 2 or 3 fireplaces, they are always open. However, the latter fact has nothing to do with chronology, because, for example, the semi-subterranean house 4/ 82 that, according to all typological signs of the pottery assemblage, coexisted with subterranean house 3/82, had a clay kiln. In the semi-subterranean houses, along with fireplaces we observe also clay kilns. Usually heating devices were constructed at the walls of the dwelling pit. The reason for that was that in the sidewalls or under the roof of the dwelling, holes for letting the smoke out were made. In several dwellings, heating devices were situated closer to the exit, probably, for the same reason. We suggest that clay kilns had a season character. Usually they were built in wintertime and worked more effective for the heating of the dwelling; at that time there could have been several ones in the house. We also have to take into consideration that kilns functioned for a short time, they were frequently destroyed and reconstructed. Remains of destroyed kilns were taken out of the dwelling. That is why the place of the kilns did not remained in the base of the floor. In wintertime, when the soil was frozen, material for building the kiln, similarly as for other needs, was taken directly from the base of the dwelling - which would explain the unevenness of the floor and the large number of pits in the kitchens.

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Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings ...

The existence of several fireplaces in the dwellings does not mean that they were used synchronously. Only one of them burned all the time for keeping the fire and illuminating the dwelling. This function must have been fulfilled by the fireplace situated on a piece of the subsoil, above the floor level, at the western wall of subterranean house 3/82; fireplace in the central part of the subterranean - semi-subterranean house 1 a-1 /76. Such fireplaces must had been built in each dwelling, playing sacral role.

What was the construction like, in the case of the sidewalls of the investigated dwellings, on the first hand in the case of semi-subterranean houses? The lack of post-holes around the dwelling pits refers to a construction without pillars. Despite of different shapes of pits, the part of the dwellings that emerged above surface was rectangular. The sidewalls extended the dwelling pit. There is no doubt that the roof must had been tent shaped, the framework of which was supported inside the house by pillars and by the sidewalls. There was no ceiling. The height needed by the dwellers had to be provided by the tent roof.

An idea of the part of the buildings emerging above the surface in the age in question is given by the fragments of a dwelling model found in semi-subterranean house 1/77-78 at the settlement of Rivne-Kismező I (fig. 8). A big fragment of a tent roof (arch shaped profile) and a corner of the side wall was preserved. On the basis of these fragments we made an attempt to reconstruct the original form of the model.

It seems to us that the model consisted of two parts: an upper one, a movable roof, and the lower one, a box imitating the interior of the dwelling. Originally it stood on two horizontal solid feet. The corner of the lower part refers to a slightly trapezoid base of the model. The exterior side of the fragment has a strongly thickening wall in its lower part with wavy profile and suddenly narrowing, thinning walls in the upper part. From the interior side they were smoothed. Between thick and thin walls, in the corner, a window was cut.

These details of the house model make them very significant for determining the construction of the sidewalls in the semi-subterranean dwellings. Thickening walls of the lower part remind us tree trunks horizontally put on each other and covering clay walls from the outside, that is to say, this is a specific log construction with an exterior base along the walls. This exterior „log-construction", probably, strengthened and preserved the bases of clay walls from moistening and sinking. Such walls could be built of adobe, clay mixed with straw. They were laid in layers and could reach the height of 1.5 m.

The top of the model has an arched profile and long, plastic ribs, possibly imitating logs keeping together the roof at its upper part. The edges of the roof on the model were broken. From technical point of view, the function of the stringer logs is unclear. In the reality, water can not run down such a tent roof. Perhaps that was the reason for this type of construction: one end of the roof was higher than the other one, not only on the model, but it was built in this way in the reality.

The dwelling model represented here is an ideal tool for reconstructing the exterior outlook of dwellings 2/77 and 2/88.

The construction of entrance rooms on the investigated settlements has to be considered as a specific feature of the semi-subterranean houses in question. They, probably, were connected with the main room also by sidewalls. Above them a light cover was built as the continuation of the tent roof. Such entrance rooms were traced in the case of semi-subterranean house 2/77-1/77-78. Such a light roof construction must had covered all the entrances of the dwellings.

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Mikhailo Potushniak

Subterranean houses without sidewalls had a different construction of the part emerging above the surface. We do not exclude that there could be a log construction along the lines of the pit. The roof of the subterranean houses, their emerging part consisted only of a tent (subterranean house la/ 76) or conical (subterranean house 3/82) roof, the binder of which was supported by pillars inside the house. The edges of the roof lied outside the dwelling pit.

We can suggest that in the process of turning subterranean house la/76 into semi-subterranean (1/76), the roof of the dwelling was elevated higher. Under it two rows of logs could be placed, that is how the needed height was provided for the semi-subterranean house.

Out of eight investigated dwellings, two semi-subterranean houses (4/82 and 3/88) show some constructive differences comparing them with other dwellings. The low depth of the base and small size of the whole construction is notable. They are situated close to big dwellings, have the same find materials as dwellings of different type. Earlier we have underlined that subterranean house 3/82 and semi-subterranean house 4/82 existed synchronously. Pottery finds of semi-subterranean houses 2/88 and 3/88 are also absolutely identical.

So, we have several reasons to suggest, that in summer time the population of the settlements continued their farming and household activities outside the dwellings. For that they probably built „summer kitchens" beside the dwellings. These temporary buildings had pillar support and a hut shaped branch roof protecting from rain and sun, and light wickerwork walls protecting from wind. In such constructions they built kilns and fireplaces. That was the place for cooking food, butchering animal bodies, making tools etc. Dwellings 4/82 and 2/88 must have represented these type of buildings. „Summer kitchen" type buildings have wide analogies also in the later archaeological cultures on the territory in question; we also know ethnographic parallels.

So, on the settlements of Zastavne-Mala Hora and Rivne-Kismező I two types of dwelling buildings existed: subterranean houses (dwellings la/76,3/82), semi-subterranean houses (dwellings 1/76,2/77,1/77-78,2/88). The latter type can include also „summer kitchen" type buildings (dwellings 4/82, 3/83).

Already at the first phase of investigation of settlements Zastavne-Mala Hora and Rivne-Kismező I we categorised these sites as a special Upper Tisza group of the SKC and suggested that the investigated assemblages can involve further inner groups. Considering their material culture, the Transcarpathian settlements are close to the „Transylvanian Körös", the territory from where the SKC communities moved to the Upper Tisza. Among the published sites known by us, close analogies are represented only by settlements of Méhtelek-Nádas and Beria.

At the second phase of investigations, in the 1980s, four more dwelling assemblages were excavated. They supported the idea of multi-phase development of the Upper Tisza Group. To-date we separate four phases in the development of the Upper Tisza Group that can be well recorded according to stratigraphic data, different types of dwelling constructions with their asynchronous material bearing typological and technological differences. A specific sign is the appearance of „foreign" pottery in certain assemblages, the number of which gradually increased in the second phase. According to all technological and typological characteristics, this pottery absolutely differs from the Starcevo-Körös one and at the same time, absolutely identical with the pottery of Szatmár, Szamos, Esztár, Kopcany, Raskovce and other groups that we suggested to consider in the frames of the unified Painted Pottery Culture (PPC). Chronologically the latter followed the SKC in the Upper Tisza Region.

Pottery of the Upper Tisza Group of the SKC is characterised by black and brown polished vessels of relatively high quality, burned in kilns. Clay was mixed with chamote and sand. The leading vessel shapes are pots, conical and biconical bowls, amphoras - storage vessels with cylindrical

Data to the question of the Starcevo/Körös Culture dwellings ...

neck, different cups and beakers. Conical tops with cup shaped handle are frequently met. A lot of vessels have nipple shaped feet and ring shaped bottom. The ornamentation includes pinched, notched, imprinted motives. Sometimes ornaments reminding ear of corn and bunches of corns are met. Almost in each dwelling several fragments of pottery ornamented by linear incised compositions were found. Black painted motives were observed only on „foreign" ceramics.

Among chipped tools, pieces made of obsidian dominate - the average of 83%. The tool collections include knife shaped flakes (31.6%), chisels (24.3%), scrapers (9.4%), trapezoid flakes (5.9%) and arrowheads. Polished tools are represented by chisels and different kinds of axes. Miniature axes are frequently met. Chipped stone industries of settlements have atavistic features of the Danubian Tardenoise.

Among clay objects weights and spindle-whorls, beads, amulets, pendants, bracelets were found. The anthropomorphic sculpture material includes realistic and schematic female figurines.

Usually they are represented in different eternal forms: young woman-mother(?), pregnant woman, old woman, usually with big bottom. Figurines are represented in standing, half-sitting and sitting poses. Schematic figurines are shown as rectangular tiles. Fragments of anthropomorphic vessels standing on big and small feet were also found.

A rich osteological material was collected, but only one dwelling's material was analysed. The bones found here belonged exclusively to domestic animals: cow-bull, goat-sheep, pig (ZHURAVLJOV-KOTOVA 1996. 4-5).

Our collected data make it possible to separate four phases in the development of the Upper Tisza Group of the SKC:

1. Early phase is represented by the material of subterranean house 1 a/76 and 3/82, and semi-subterranean house 4/82. „Foreign" painted pottery was not met here.

2. Second phase is represented by the material collected in semi-subterranean house 1/76 (fig. 9: 1-67). Painted pottery appears here, making 6-7% of the total number.

3. Third phase is represented by the material of semi-subterranean house 2/77 (fig. 9: 68-100) and of houses 2/88, 3/88. Painted pottery makes 12-24%.

4. Fourth phase is represented by the material of semi-subterranean house 1/77-78 (fig. 9: 101-155), where painted pottery makes already about 50%. It is important to note that among the few fragments decorated by linear motives, for the first time at this phase, we observe motives with analogies in the Early Linear Pottery material of the Tisza Region. This can not be registered at the previous phases on the pottery with linear decoration. In the final phase the number of black and brown polished vessels and that of typical Körös shapes suddenly decreases.

For the chronology of the SKC sites of the Upper Tisza Region we can accept dates resulted from the excavations at Méhtelek-Nádas (KALICZ-MAKKAY 1976. 23-24): first half of the fifth millennium B.C.

(Translated by Valéria Kulcsár)

Mikhailo Potushniak

References

KALICZ-MAKKAY 1976.

Nándor Kalicz-János Makkay: Frühneolitische Siedlung in Méhtelek-Nádas. MittArchlnst 6. 1976. 13-24.

KALICZ-MAKKAY 1977.

Nándor Kalicz-János Makkay: Die Linienbandkeramik in Grossen Ungarischen Tiefebene. StudArch, Budapest 1977.

POTUSHNIAK 1985.

М.Ф. Потушняк: Неолит Закарпатья: культуры Криш и расписной керамики. In: Археология Украинской ССР, т. 1. Наукова думка, Киев 1985. 139-150.

ZHURAVLJOV-KOTOVA 1996. О.П. Журавльов - Н.С. Котова: Тваринництво неолатичного населения Украши. Археологля 1996: 2. 3-17.

Mikhailo POTUSHNIAK

Uzhhorod Group, Archaeological Department of the I. Krip'akevich Intitute of Ukranian Studies

National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine 88000 Ukraine, Uzhhorod, vul. Universitets'ka 21

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