Aniko Toth

From the excavated Avar (M43 Nr 39 KÖH 52733) houses and pits, domestic animals (60%) and remnants of the former wild fauna (deer, bird, rodent, mussel) were found. Adult and juvenile specimens assume livestock breeding goals. The minimum quantity of meat calculated on the basis of the estimated number of individuals could reach 668 kg.
In the Uerpmann meat quality classification, the highest number of medium quality bones was found. The number of low and high meat value bone finds is nearly the same. Examination of the body region of livestock bone finds shows a mixed distribution. The lack of terminal bones, based on cattle, small ruminant and pig remains, suggests that the killing place of the animals may have been farther from the examined area. The finds were scattered from objects, suggesting that the remains may have been part of more than one individual.
The remains of animal body parts excavated in buildings could be used for consumption also for processing. These included both lower and higher quality based on body region and meat value.

Sarmatian animal bone remains at Csanádpalota-Országhatár (M43 Nr. 56)

Based on the collection of Sarmatian finds, there have been leafy forests mixed with clearings, meadows and river floodplains (similar to environmental conditions of the Bronze Age) which were suitable for husbandry of larger animals (used for their meat, milk, their strength). They had large number of adult cattle, also younger animals were slain for their meat as well. The cattle keeping was supplemented by the sheep and goat keeping for their meat, milk and wool.
The large number of horses refers to their utilization. Cuts on the bones may indicate kitchen processing. The polished metapods suggest taking tools. The increase in animal stock can be attributed to a large number of adult individuals (meat utility). They had medium and large dogs.

Animal bone remains of the Árpád Age from the excavation site at Csanádpalota–Országhatár

A large number of animal remains (12.883 pieces) could be collected from the four periods of the M43 Nr 56. (Nr. 61.) Csanádpalota–Országhatár KÖH 52785 archaeological dig site.
The majority of animal bones are related to the Sarmatian period (N: 6103). Half of the bones could be identified on a species level. Remains of the kitchen and processing waste could be identified from all periods, and only a few, almost complete and partial animal skeletons were uncovered (Árpád Age, 150. object, male dog). 48.2% of the archeologically valuable material from the Árpád Age was unearthed from pit objects; while additional animal bone materials were scattered between other objects. A large number remains with medium to high meat content were uncovered from ditches and pits.
The most common find among the Árpád Age bones were the remains of household animals, which is only supplemented by the remains of hunted and collected animals (red deer, clams).
The species encountered from the phylum of Mollusca presuppose the presence of a major watercourse with a sandy bottom, with an environment rich in leafy forests (river floodplain) and dotted with clearings and meadows.
Household livestock does not seem to have been substantial. The husbandry of larger animals (cattle and horse) seems to have been the most important. The remains of smaller ruminant and swine suggests husbandry of livestock for their meat. Dog remains were scarcely found in object, but entire skeletons did turn up.
There are traces of a tool on the inner part of a cattle’s jaw and on the spoke bone of a horse which – as an anthropogenic effect occurring at other dig sites as well – are possibly marks made by a tool used during the Árpád Age. Based on archeological zoological research these could have been bone anvils.

The territory in the north-eastern part of Makó,
known as the Dáli ugar (fallow of Dál), was
inhabited in the Middle Bronze Age (Szőreg-
Perjámos culture). The archaeological features
(pits) contained animal remains left from dining
and processing. The role of livestock breeding
(96,7%) was much more significant than hunting
or fishing (3,3% altogether). This connotes
a successful livestock breeding community
in this settlement. The order of the domestic
animals is the following: neat (33,6%) – small
ruminants (30,3%) – swine (25,1%) – dog (9%)
– horse (1,9%).
The neat and sheep occurring in larger numbers
were typically medium-sized. The proportion
of swine is falling behind in comparison to the
aforementioned group but not significantly. The
rate of horses is low at the site.
Dogs were medium-sized pups and also
adults in large numbers. They were probably
kept as watchdogs and for guarding the flock
and hunting. This can be confirmed from the
larger number of domestic animals that had
lived an advanced age and were finally slaughtered,
which fact also refers to intensive stock
breeding customs. The occurring wild animals
in the environment were adult and juvenile aged
hare, red deer, European roe deer, badger and
certain mustelids.
Judging from the bone remains, the dominant
animals were the ones that had medium (40,4%)
and low (35,6%) meat value.
The large number of shell fragments alludes
to a gathering lifestyle and also characterizes
the hydrographic environment with a muddy
river, that had strong currents or a temporary
smaller river or perhaps dead water, which had
lost connection with the rivers.

Animal remains from the Late Avar Period
cemetery of Kiskundorozsma–Subasa
(M5 Nr. 38, 26/90)

The area along the Tisza River was especially
suitable for an agricultural, peasant lifestyle
and for a change to a settled way of life due to its
rich riverine and lacustrine environment. Graves
yielding larger amounts of animal remains in the
Late Avar Period cemetery of Subasa belonged
mostly to women. They are characterised by an
arrangement and composition of grave goods
similar to children’s graves. Bones of small poultry
placed in these graves may have served as
provisions for the journey to the afterlife. They
may have played an important role both in life
and religion as indicated by the placement of
grave goods. Animal remains in women’s graves
included, furthermore, cattle, sheep, domestic
hen and goose, and eggs. The latter could have
had an apotropaic character in the case of
children, and could be a symbol of fertility in
the case of adult men and women (Matolcsi
1975, Matolcsi 1982, Bartosiewicz 1995).
The amount of animal remains beside the two
male skeletons is not significant: the domestic
hen was placed beside the left pelvis.
In the case of this cemetery, the bones of large
mammals (rib, scapula, long bones) included
decorated bone plates and other remains suitable
for further processing as well.

Térképtárunk törzsanyagának felmérését Rózsa Gáborral kezdtük meg. A tulajdonképpen " kaotikus" állapotban levő térkép, tervdokumentáció és makett állomány felmérésével indítottuk meg munkánkat állapotfelmérés, teljes körű leírás és digitalizálás céllal elősegít­ve a későbbi leltározási munkákat. A térképtári dokumentumokat a Mérnöki Hivatal, az Államépítészeti Hivatal, a Koszta József Múzeum és Rózsa Gábor adományát képezi. Így a közös múzeumi és levéltári vállalkozás elhatározásakor a Délalföldi Archív Térképtár (DAT) saját jelzeteket alakít­hatott ki. E jelzetekkel láttunk el minden, az állományba került anyagot, amelyek elsősorban Szentes és környezetének területét érintik. Az állomány kezelésekor alakult ki, milyen csoportok köré helyezhetjük anyagunkat...

Thanks to the preventive excavation carried
out due to the highway constructions, significant
information was gathered concerning the
husbandry life style of Sarmatian communities.
The Site M5 Nr. 34 26/72 Kiskundorozsma-
Nagyszék II proved to be the richest in animal
bone finds in the excavation area of Csongrád
County. Primary analysis has shown that the
settlement part was a Sarmatian settlement
inhabited in several phases with its golden
age in the 3rd–4th centuries. The excavation
provides significant archaeological, anthropological,
archaeobotanical, petroghraphical
and archaeozoological finds (Szalontai – Tóth
2000). A result of complex analysis, the environment
of the site may be outlined, also the
animal-keeping lifestyle of the settled community
and the changes in the livestock can be
detected. The reconstructed natural environment
depicts a humid meadow and gallery forest,
periodically flooded by water, providing the
source for pasturing animals, as well as hunting
and fishing.
In the community of the Barbarian settlement
from the period of the Roman Empire
between the 1st and 5th centuries, cattle, sheep
and swine husbandry was dominant, although
they also kept horses and dogs. This indicates
that the available finds may not be considered
as kitchen waste uniformly.
The livestock was kept not only to provide
food for the community, but they were also
marketed. The animals could have been sold
in markets, e.g. at Roman sentry-posts, also
indicated by the location of the site, its being
situated at the crossing-place over the River
Tisza and close to the delta of River Maros.
The settlement may have been situated along a
trade-route – Aquincum-Szeged, Lugio-Szeged-
Apulum – also confirmed by the high number
of Roman import products found at the site.
(Vörös 1993, Szalontai – Tóth 2000). All this
is supported by the fact that among animal
bone finds the remains of domesticated cats
and geese were also discovered, which got into
the Barbaricum via trade in course of the 3rd-
4th centuries (crossing place Partiscum, trading
place, Vaday-Vörös.1979/1980, 125, Bökönyi
1983, 336, Vörös 1993, 61).

Szeverényi Vajk - Priskin Anna - Czukor Péter - Torma Andrea - Tóth Anikó

Recent research has demonstrated that
around 1300-1100 BC, the southern part of
the Great Pannonian Plain is characterized by
the emergence of a series of massive fortified
settlements. This substantial change in settlement
patterns indicates important social and economic
transformations in the region, the nature of which,
however, remains unknown yet. Furthermore,
the function of these settlements is debated
to some degree, as they have not yet yielded
substantial domestic remains (houses), and
their interpretations as refugia or ritual centres
is also possible. We address this issue through
the analysis of the remains of the subsistence
economy from Csanádpalota-Földvár, southeast
Hungary. We present the preliminary results of the
palaeobotanical and archaeozoological analyses,
complemented with the study of agricultural
macrolithic implements. The results are then
compared to those from other contemporary
sites in the Carpathian Basin and southeast
Europe. The exploitation of animals follows
a general Bronze Age pattern in the region. Plant
cultivation shows more diversity in the period. It
seems that the practices at Csanádpalota follow
wider European trends in some aspects, while
diverge considerably in others. Both types of
remains as well as macrolithic tools confirm
the presence of special depositions at the site
that were probably the result of ritual activities.

The population of the multiperiod site with its apex in the Late Sarmatian Period left a significant amount of archaeological, anthropological and zoological remains in the studied area.
The site, as part of the Tisza-Maros triangle, was an area rich in waters before the river regulations. The proximity of the Maros River, which was probably used as a trade route, enabled a close relationship between nature and the Late Sarmatian groups that settled here.
The natural environment was meadow-pasture and parkland, enabling both animal keeping (cattle, sheep) and hunting (deer, roe deer, and boar). The economy of the community that had probably settled down for a longer period here was characterized by a grazing cattle (39%), pig (26%), sheep/goat (23%) and horse (12%). Dogs were similar to today’s medium sized specimens (e.g. shepherds), and may have included hounds, shepherds and watchdogs.
The zoological study of the faunal remains and the use of Kretzoi’s and Uerpmann’s categories indicate animal husbandry and their use for food and secondary products. Most of the finds came from kitchen refuse pits.
The number of cattle and sheep remains from 4th-5th-century Sarmatian graves is small. Bones with lower and higher meat values and the finds from graves and features connected to graves indicate animal sacrifice (sheep skull) and feasting during the burial ceremony.