Books by Ákos Pető
Content
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Intro... more Content
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Introductory thoughts to the Palaeoecological Section of the Environment – Human – Culture conference
Attila Barczi, Tünde Horváth, Ákos Pető, János Dani: Hajdunánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Balázs Benyhe, Tímea Kiss, György Sipos, Andrea Deák, István Knipl: Investigation of human induced surface development at an archaeolgical excavation site near Bugac (Hungary)
Gergely Bóka: Changes in settlement patterns in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in the Körös Region Hydrogeology, reliefs and settlements
József Dezső, Gergely Kovaliczky, Réka Balogh, György Sipos: On loess hills and in floodplains. Preliminary report on geoarchaeological investigations near Szederkény – Kukorica-dűlő (M60 Motorway) and its floodplain in Hungary
Zoltán Horváth, Zoltán Kárpáti, Endre Krolopp†, Csaba Gulyás-Kis, Zsófia Medzihradszky, Bálint Tóth: Assessment of the relationship between environmental changes and urbanization through sedimentary, soil formation, malacological and pollen analyses (Pécs – Búza tér)
Gábor Ilon: The present and potential future strategy of environmental historical research in Western Hungary
Gabriella Kovács: Potentials of the archaeological application of soil micromorphological thin sections at Százhalombatta-Földvár Bronze Age tell settlement
Rozália Kustár, Pál Sümegi: Palaeoenvironmental changes inferred from results of excavations implemented in 2002 and 2003 near the settlement of Harta
Pál Sümegi, Sándor Gulyás, Gergő Persaits: Environmental history of Hungary: long time connection between man and environment in the Carpathian Basin. An instance for Early Neolithic economy on the loess covered alluvial island (Nagykörű – Tsz Gyümölcsös site)
Csaba Szalontai: The role and importance of the Maty Stream in the settlement history of Szeged neighbourhood. Preliminary results
Gábor Serlegi, Szilvia Fábián, Márta Daróczi-Szabó, Gabriella Sholl-Barna, Attila Demény: Climatic and environmental changes during the Late Copper Age in the Transdanubian region
II. Archaeobotany
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotany. Opening lecture
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotanical investigation of an Early Iron Age tumulus at Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary
Árpád Kenéz, Ferenc Gyulai, Ákos Pető: Archaeobotanical examination of food remains from Keszthely – Fenékpuszta Late Roman inner fortress with special focus on the consumption of cereals and the preparation of food
Ákos Pető, Árpád Kenéz, Orsolya Herendi, Ferenc Gyulai: Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary
III. Archaeozoology
László Bartosiewicz: Archaeozoology in Hungary: the anatomy of a discipline
Erika Gál, Gabriella Kulcsár: Changes at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Characterizing subsistence on the basis of animal remains in southern Transdanubia, Hungary
György Goldman, Júlia Szénászky: Settlement unit of the Tiszapolgár culture at Battonya – Vertán-major archaeological site
Beáta Tugya, Zoltán Rózsa: Use of horn as a raw material from the Sarmatian excavation site of Szűcs Tanya in Községporta, Orosháza. Archaeological, archaeozoological and ethnographical references
IV. Anthropology
Ildikó Pap: Anthropology and Archaeology. A changing relationship?
Orsolya László: “Long gone childhood”. Comparative analysis of children in Medieval cemeteries
Brigitta Ősz, Vanda Voicsek, Csaba Vandulek, Péter Zádori: Paleopathological analysis of the human skeletal material from the cemetery at Lánycsók – Gata-Csotola (Hungary) dating to the Early Árpádian Age: a preliminary study
V. Archaeometry
Katalin T. Bíró: Archaeology and archaeometry: magic wand, fashion or routine?
László Csedreki, Rozália Kustár, Péter Langó: Micro-PIXE analysis of gilt silver mounts from the Hungarian Conquest Period
Marianna Dági: Goldsmiths and techniques of manufacture. Gold myrtle wreaths from Late Classical and Early Hellenistic Macedonia
Katalin Gherdán, Tünde Horváth, Mária Tóth: Potentials in ceramic petrography research. A case study at a multi-period site (Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő, M7 / S-10)
János Jakucs, Judit Sándorné Kovács: Identification of Middle Neolithic ceramics paintings from nort-eastern Hungary and north-western Romania by the means of Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Nándor Kalicz, Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Gabriella Scholl-Barna, Bernadett Bajnóczi, George H. Hourmouziadis, Fotis Ifantidis, Aikaterini Kyparissi-Apostolika, Maria Pappa, Rena Veropoulidou, Christina Ziota: Stable isotope geochemical provenance study of shell ornaments from Aszód – Papi földek
Éva Kelemen, Mária Tóth, Bernadett Bajnóczi: Archaeometric analysis of Árpádian Age and Late Medieval building materials from Csongrád County
Szilvia Lakatos, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Examination of a bronze Venus statue by archaeological and archaeometric methods
Emilia Pásztor: The role and significance of astronomy in prehistoric archaeological research. Case studies from Europe and the Carpathian Basin
Béla Rácz: Transcarpathian obsidians: literature data and field experience
Miklós Rácz, Sándor Puszta: Comparison of the results from a ground-penetrating radar survey and an archaeological excavation in the Medieval church of Sóly
György Sipos, Tünde Horváth, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Data to the dating of a Late Copper Age ritual human mask from Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő
György Szakmány, István Sajó, Eszter Harsányi: Archaeometric investigation of Pannonian imitations of the black-coated pottery from Trier
Péter Pánczél, Attila Kreiter, György Szakmány: Petrographic, XRF, SEM-EDS and CL analyses of Celtic ceramics from Bátaszék – Körtvélyes-dűlő
Ildikó Zsók, György Szakmány, Attila Kreiter, Tibor Marton: Archaeometric analyses of Neolithic ceramics from Balatonszárszó
Content
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Introdu... more Content
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Introductory thoughts to the Palaeoecological Section of the Environment – Human – Culture conference
Attila Barczi, Tünde Horváth, Ákos Pető, János Dani: Hajdunánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Balázs Benyhe, Tímea Kiss, György Sipos, Andrea Deák, István Knipl: Investigation of human induced surface development at an archaeolgical excavation site near Bugac (Hungary)
Gergely Bóka: Changes in settlement patterns in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in the Körös Region Hydrogeology, reliefs and settlements
József Dezső, Gergely Kovaliczky, Réka Balogh, György Sipos: On loess hills and in floodplains. Preliminary report on geoarchaeological investigations near Szederkény – Kukorica-dűlő (M60 Motorway) and its floodplain in Hungary
Zoltán Horváth, Zoltán Kárpáti, Endre Krolopp†, Csaba Gulyás-Kis, Zsófia Medzihradszky, Bálint Tóth: Assessment of the relationship between environmental changes and urbanization through sedimentary, soil formation, malacological and pollen analyses (Pécs – Búza tér)
Gábor Ilon: The present and potential future strategy of environmental historical research in Western Hungary
Gabriella Kovács: Potentials of the archaeological application of soil micromorphological thin sections at Százhalombatta-Földvár Bronze Age tell settlement
Rozália Kustár, Pál Sümegi: Palaeoenvironmental changes inferred from results of excavations implemented in 2002 and 2003 near the settlement of Harta
Pál Sümegi, Sándor Gulyás, Gergő Persaits: Environmental history of Hungary: long time connection between man and environment in the Carpathian Basin. An instance for Early Neolithic economy on the loess covered alluvial island (Nagykörű – Tsz Gyümölcsös site)
Csaba Szalontai: The role and importance of the Maty Stream in the settlement history of Szeged neighbourhood. Preliminary results
Gábor Serlegi, Szilvia Fábián, Márta Daróczi-Szabó, Gabriella Sholl-Barna, Attila Demény: Climatic and environmental changes during the Late Copper Age in the Transdanubian region
II. Archaeobotany
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotany. Opening lecture
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotanical investigation of an Early Iron Age tumulus at Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary
Árpád Kenéz, Ferenc Gyulai, Ákos Pető: Archaeobotanical examination of food remains from Keszthely – Fenékpuszta Late Roman inner fortress with special focus on the consumption of cereals and the preparation of food
Ákos Pető, Árpád Kenéz, Orsolya Herendi, Ferenc Gyulai: Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary
III. Archaeozoology
László Bartosiewicz: Archaeozoology in Hungary: the anatomy of a discipline
Erika Gál, Gabriella Kulcsár: Changes at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Characterizing subsistence on the basis of animal remains in southern Transdanubia, Hungary
György Goldman, Júlia Szénászky: Settlement unit of the Tiszapolgár culture at Battonya – Vertán-major archaeological site
Beáta Tugya, Zoltán Rózsa: Use of horn as a raw material from the Sarmatian excavation site of Szűcs Tanya in Községporta, Orosháza. Archaeological, archaeozoological and ethnographical references
IV. Anthropology
Ildikó Pap: Anthropology and Archaeology. A changing relationship?
Orsolya László: “Long gone childhood”. Comparative analysis of children in Medieval cemeteries
Brigitta Ősz, Vanda Voicsek, Csaba Vandulek, Péter Zádori: Paleopathological analysis of the human skeletal material from the cemetery at Lánycsók – Gata-Csotola (Hungary) dating to the Early Árpádian Age: a preliminary study
V. Archaeometry
Katalin T. Bíró: Archaeology and archaeometry: magic wand, fashion or routine?
László Csedreki, Rozália Kustár, Péter Langó: Micro-PIXE analysis of gilt silver mounts from the Hungarian Conquest Period
Marianna Dági: Goldsmiths and techniques of manufacture. Gold myrtle wreaths from Late Classical and Early Hellenistic Macedonia
Katalin Gherdán, Tünde Horváth, Mária Tóth: Potentials in ceramic petrography research. A case study at a multi-period site (Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő, M7 / S-10)
János Jakucs, Judit Sándorné Kovács: Identification of Middle Neolithic ceramics paintings from nort-eastern Hungary and north-western Romania by the means of Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Nándor Kalicz, Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Gabriella Scholl-Barna, Bernadett Bajnóczi, George H. Hourmouziadis, Fotis Ifantidis, Aikaterini Kyparissi-Apostolika, Maria Pappa, Rena Veropoulidou, Christina Ziota: Stable isotope geochemical provenance study of shell ornaments from Aszód – Papi földek
Éva Kelemen, Mária Tóth, Bernadett Bajnóczi: Archaeometric analysis of Árpádian Age and Late Medieval building materials from Csongrád County
Szilvia Lakatos, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Examination of a bronze Venus statue by archaeological and archaeometric methods
Emilia Pásztor: The role and significance of astronomy in prehistoric archaeological research. Case studies from Europe and the Carpathian Basin
Béla Rácz: Transcarpathian obsidians: literature data and field experience
Miklós Rácz, Sándor Puszta: Comparison of the results from a ground-penetrating radar survey and an archaeological excavation in the Medieval church of Sóly
György Sipos, Tünde Horváth, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Data to the dating of a Late Copper Age ritual human mask from Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő
György Szakmány, István Sajó, Eszter Harsányi: Archaeometric investigation of Pannonian imitations of the black-coated pottery from Trier
Péter Pánczél, Attila Kreiter, György Szakmány: Petrographic, XRF, SEM-EDS and CL analyses of Celtic ceramics from Bátaszék – Körtvélyes-dűlő
Ildikó Zsók, György Szakmány, Attila Kreiter, Tibor Marton: Archaeometric analyses of Neolithic ceramics from Balatonszárszó
Talks by Ákos Pető
The aim of this study is to examine the technology and composition of a peculiar figurine from a ... more The aim of this study is to examine the technology and composition of a peculiar figurine from a Körös culture settlement at Szakmár-Kisülés in south Hungary. Through petrographic, Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analyses the possible technological similarities and differences between the figurine and local ceramics and a plaster are assessed and the question of whether the figurine was made locally or imported is considered. On a macroscopic level the lover part of the figurine indicates that it was made from three clearly distinguishable layers from which samples were taken. Thin section analysis was applied to examine the similarities and differences between raw materials, fabric preparations and tempering practices of the different layers of the figurine, Körös ceramics and plaster. LA-ICP-MS was also utilized to assess the compositional characteristics of the figurine layers, ceramics and plaster, while XRD analysis was carried out in order to examine the phase composition and firing temperature of the different layers of the figurine. Since the multi-layered nature of the figurine may have serious social implications the assessment of its technological characteristics opens new avenues for interpretation of how the figurine may have been used and conceptualised.
Kurgan Studies by Ákos Pető
Two kurgans located on the Great Hungarian Plain, the Csı´po +and Lyukas-mound, have been examine... more Two kurgans located on the Great Hungarian Plain, the Csı´po +and Lyukas-mound, have been examined in precise detail with the involvement of experts of various disciplines. International cooperation enhanced research on the biogenic genesis of soils and landscapes. The aim was to elucidate the construction of both mound bodies, to describe modern soil development, to analyse the buried soils under the kurgans, and to reconstruct the palaeoenvironments of their surroundings, utilizing biomorphic analysis and pedological investigations. The results of the biomorph (phytolith) analysis and the soil macromorphological descriptions indicate that both the modern and palaeo profiles of both kurgans include Chernozem-type soils, formed under predominantly semi-arid steppe vegetation. No evidence of Luvisol development was detectable. The ancient environments of both kurgans were similar in many points with the modern landscape, and development was determined by climate and vegetation typical for steppe environments. r
Kurgans are special human-made flatland formations of the endless steppe of Eurasia. For centurie... more Kurgans are special human-made flatland formations of the endless steppe of Eurasia. For centuries, archaeology has been the primary science to examine these objects. The buried soil profiles under burial mounds (kurgans) are the messengers of ancient landscape forming factors, soil generation processes and palaeobotanical patterns. A Bronze Age burial mound, in the Hajdúság region has been precisely researched aiming to reconstruct the pre-mound environment (with special focus on the plant ecological properties) of the surrounding area. For these purposes both inorganic (phytolith) and organic plant (pollen) microremains were recovered from soil samples collected from the buried ground surface underneath the mound. Palaeobotanical results have underlined the on-site pedological observations and laboratory measurements. Both pollen and phytolith analysis have shown the existence of a central ridge inhabited by (semi)xerofil steppe vegetation and lower microrelief depressions around it. Although phytoliths have shown the possible existence of a grovelike habitat, arboreal pollen is underpresented in the samples. Palinological analysis have drawn the attention on the probable human impact in the outer skirts of the later kurgan as weed species have occurred in higher concentrations in the examined samples.
In: V. M. Heyd, G. Kulcsár, V. Szeverényi (eds.) 2013, Transition to the Bronze Age: Interregional Interaction and Socio-Cultural Change at the Beginning of the Third Millennium BC in the Carpathian Basin and Surrounding Regions, ARCHAEOLINGUA, Budapest, pp. 153-179
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Hajdúnánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessme... more (in Hungarian with English abstract)
Hajdúnánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Kurgans are special man-made flatland formations of the endless steppe of Eurasia. The multidisciplinary excavation of Hajdúnánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom, one of the typical Pit Grave kurgans in the Great Hungarian Plain region is presented in the paper. For centuries, archaeology has been the primary science to examine these objects. The buried soil profiles under burial mounds (kurgans) are the messengers of ancient landscape forming factors, soil generation processes and palaeobotanical patterns. Results from palaeopedology, soil micromorphology, geochemistry, palaeobotany (phytolith analysis and palynology) and archaeology are summarised in order to understand the evolution, construction and the former palaeoenvironment of the kurgan and its close vicinity. Based on the results gained from the various disciplines and the archaeological findings excavated at the kurgan the study gives an insight into the Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age 1-2 periods including the Boleráz / Baden, Coţofeni, Pit-Grave, Makó and Nyírség cultures in north-eastern Hungary. Geochemical analysis underlines that the kurgan was built in several, separate stages. Palaeobotanical results have underlined the existence of a central ridge inhabited by (semi)xerofi l steppe vegetation and lower microrelief depressions around it. Although phytoliths have shown the possible existence of a grove-like habitat, arboreal pollen is underrepresented in the samples. This is complemented by the palaeopedological analysis of the buried soil profi le under the formation, which was identifi ed as a Chernozem soil. Palynological analysis has drawn the attention on the probable human impact in the outer skirts of the later kurgan as weed species have occurred in higher concentrations in the examined samples.
(in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Survey of the bi... more (in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Survey of the biotical and abiotical landscape factors of the Bán-halom kurgan and its surrounding territory
Soil-Phytolith Studies by Ákos Pető
A set of plant opal particles – phytolith assemblage – found in soils can provide information on ... more A set of plant opal particles – phytolith assemblage – found in soils can provide information on the covering vegetation. The phenomena of redundancy and multiplicity usually makes it difficult to directly link a single phytolith to a given species or even to a higher taxanomic unit. The aim of this paper is to present the results of multivariate statistical analyses applied on the data gained from twenty soil profiles and to recommend on diagnostic morphotypes and/or morphotype groups. Correspondence and principal component analyses have been performed on the data matrix composed of over 6000 phytoliths identified in 117 soil samples from Hungary. Based upon the results, soil types representing different habitats can be charaterized by distinctive indicator groups. On the basis of the research data of 20 soil profiles and as a result of the comparative analysis a suggested reference system is presented, which hopefully enables detection of the habitat and soil type through the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the diagnostic morphotypes in palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.
One way of utilizing soils in research on environment history is to detect and understand the pla... more One way of utilizing soils in research on environment history is to detect and understand the plant opal assemblages in soil profiles. Plant opal particles, also known as phytoliths, accumulate in the topsoil and represent an inorganic inprint of the surface vegetation. A phytolith assemblage is primarily characterized by the plant association that produces it, but secondary processes such as soil formation and human impacts may also influence the vertical distribution and appearance of phytoliths within a soil profile. The qualitative analysis of plant opal particles allows us to reconstruct former environments, whilst quantitative observations can be used to understand the influence of the monotonous or periodically changing vegetation that inhabits the surface.
This paper presents an analysis of a soil phytolith database consisting of 117 samples taken from 20 profiles. The aim was to demonstrate how diversity indices, which are primarily designed to characterize biomes, can be applied to soil phytolith studies in order to describe the phytolith-producing potential of soil representing various habitats and plant associations.
The morphotype diversity indices used in the study are able to shed light on the complexity of soil development. Based on the calculation of morphotype diversity indices, three major soil types were distinguished. In the case of Type I, both the phytolith
content and the morphotype diversity increased as a consequence of natural and artificial effects, resulting in a phytolith surplus compared to natural processes. In Type II,
due to the geomorphological position of the soil profile and fluvial processes (surface instability in general), a decrease in the phytolith content and the morphotype diversity can be detected, which leads to phytolith and organic matter deficits. Intact profiles, where the phytolith composition depends only on the vegetation, were classified as Type III; the morphotype diversity and vertical distribution of the phytoliths at this type are mainly
affected by internal processes.
(in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Phytolith profi... more (in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary I-II. Methodological aspects and results of the examined mountain,rocky soils, sandy soils and rankers.
(in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Phytolith profil... more (in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary III. Results of the examined brown forest soil profiles.
(in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Phytolith profil... more (in Hungarian with English abstract - Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology)
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary IV. Results of the examined chernozem and alkaline soil profiles
The examination of silica microremains of plants species may lead us to form a better understandi... more The examination of silica microremains of plants species may lead us to form a better understanding of recent land use history of soils. Phytoliths -anorganic products of plant species -are taxa specific, therefore diagnostic of distinct anthropogenic impacts, such as cultivation of non-indigenous plants. Present study demonstrates that phytolith analysis is a suitable tool to detect various human impacts in recent times as well and not only in a palaeoecological context. A case study of a well-developed Luvisol from the Bakony Mountains provided good opportunity to understand how complex the 'life of a soil' may be, and how all important information is archived within one profile in the form of microscopic, silica-built particles.
Avar Studies by Ákos Pető
Mikro- i makroarheobotaničke analize odabranih kasnoavarodobnih grobova s arheološkog nalazišta N... more Mikro- i makroarheobotaničke analize odabranih kasnoavarodobnih grobova s arheološkog nalazišta Nuštar provedene su kako bi se otkrila interakcija između pogrebnih običaja i biljaka kasnoavarodobnog (710.–810.) stanovništva u istočnoj Hrvatskoj (hrvatskom Podunavlju). Tijekom istraživanja iz grobova je prikupljeno 108 uzoraka tla i sedimenta; zbog velike količine zemlje uzorci su prikupljani s različitih dubina i položaja unutar zapuna. Osim toga, prikupljeno je i nešto malo manje od 100 cijelih posuda sa sadržajem. Dvadeset uzoraka iz zapuna grobova za makroarheobotaničke analize, kao i deset uzoraka zemlje iz posuda za mikroarheobotaničke analize izabrano je prema “razlikovnom ključu” (uzorci iz svih spolnih i dobnih skupina, te različitih tipova ukopa). Nijedan od uzoraka nije sadržavao velike količine sjemena ili ostataka plodova; općenito ih se sve može obilježiti kao loše arheobotaničke cjeline. Identificirani biljni makroostaci odnose se na šest različitih žitarica i tri različite vrste korova. Žitarice čine 67,31% ukupnog uzorka, korov čini 12,50%, a preostalih 15,38% hranu. Fitolitske analize pokazale su prisutnost fitolita povezanih sa žitaricama, ali većina uzoraka smatra se sterilnim. Na osnovi mikro- i makroarheobotaničkih istraživanja odabranih grobova kasnoavarodobnog groblja možemo pretpostaviti da upotreba biljaka u pogrebnim običajima na arheološkom nalazištu Nuštar nije igrala značajnu ulogu. U svjetlu prethodno proučavanih kasnoavarodobnih naselja i groblja u zemljopisnom okruženju (Karpatska kotlina i srednje Podunavlje) čini nam se da su u slučaju obrednog i grobnog konteksta proizvodi životinjskog podrijetla možda imali važniju ulogu.
Micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigations were carried out on a selection of Late Avar graves from the archaeological site of Nuštar with the aim to reveal interactions between burial customs and plants of the Late Avar (710–810) population in Eastern Croatia (Croatian Danube region). During the excavation 108 soil and sediment samples were collected from the graves; due to the fact that there was a great amount of material, samples were collected from different depths and places in graves. Moreover, a little less than 100 whole vessel contents were recovered. Twenty sediment samples from grave-fill for macro-archaeobotanical study, as well as ten samples from vessels for microarchaeobotanical study were chosen according to a “difference key” (samples from all gender and age and different burials). Overall the archaeobotanical assemblages were poor with none of the samples yielding high amounts of seed or fruit remains. Thus, only six different cereals and three different weed species were identified. Cereals form 67.31% of the entire assemblage, whilst weeds form 12.50% and food remains 15.38%. Phytolith analyses also show the presence of cereal related phytoliths, but most of the samples were considered sterile. Based on the micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigations of selected graves from the Late Avar cemetery we may consider that the use of plants in burial customs at Nuštar did not play a significant role. In light of previous studies at Late Avar settlements and cemeteries in the surrounding geographical environment (Carpathian Basin, and Middle Danube valley) animal-derived products might have therefore had a more prominent role in ritual and burial contexts.
Pető Á–Kenéz Á–Herendi O–Gyulai F 2012. A késő avar kor növényhasznosítási és tájgazdálkodási pot... more Pető Á–Kenéz Á–Herendi O–Gyulai F 2012. A késő avar kor növényhasznosítási és tájgazdálkodási potenciáljának értékelése egy dél-alföldi telepen végzett mikro- és makro-archaeobotanikai vizsgálat alapján. In: Kreiter A–Pető Á–Tugya B (Szerk.) Környezet–Ember–Kultúra: Az alkalmazott természettudományok és a régészet párbeszéde. Budapest: MNM, 181-194
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary.
Micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigation of a Late Avar archaeological site (Hodmezővasarhely – Kopáncs II / 11.) was carried out to reveal interactions between the inhabitants of the settlement and plants in the surrounding landscape. To assess potential land use forms results gained by the means of different archaeobotanical methods (phytolith, pollen, macrofl oral analyses and wood identifi cation) were applied. Conclusions regarding the environment is based on the phytolith analysis of a soil profi les opened at the site, and palynological data gained from an excavated well. The integrated botanical data show an environment with different habitat patches. Territorries of the higher sand dunes and ridges in the vicinity of the site could have served the goals of cereal production, whilst the periodically water-effected depressions, slopes and grove-like habitats could have been used for grazing cattle and gathering fruits and raw plant material for building purposes.
(Bilingual paper)
Pető Á, Herendi O 2012 Fitolitkutatási adatok a Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs II.... more (Bilingual paper)
Pető Á, Herendi O 2012 Fitolitkutatási adatok a Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs II. lelőhely (Csongrád megye) környezeti rekonstrukciójához és archaeobotanikai elemzéséhez – Phytolith research data on the environmental reconstruction and archaeobotanical analysis of Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs II (Csongrád County) archaeological site. In: Kvassay, J. (Szerk. / Ed.) Évkönyv és jelentés a Kulturális Örökségvédelmi Szakszolgálat 2009. évi feltárásairól – 2009 Field Service for Cultural Heritage Yearbook and Review of Archaeological Investigations. Budapest, 431–459. (Bilingual paper)
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Books by Ákos Pető
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Introductory thoughts to the Palaeoecological Section of the Environment – Human – Culture conference
Attila Barczi, Tünde Horváth, Ákos Pető, János Dani: Hajdunánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Balázs Benyhe, Tímea Kiss, György Sipos, Andrea Deák, István Knipl: Investigation of human induced surface development at an archaeolgical excavation site near Bugac (Hungary)
Gergely Bóka: Changes in settlement patterns in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in the Körös Region Hydrogeology, reliefs and settlements
József Dezső, Gergely Kovaliczky, Réka Balogh, György Sipos: On loess hills and in floodplains. Preliminary report on geoarchaeological investigations near Szederkény – Kukorica-dűlő (M60 Motorway) and its floodplain in Hungary
Zoltán Horváth, Zoltán Kárpáti, Endre Krolopp†, Csaba Gulyás-Kis, Zsófia Medzihradszky, Bálint Tóth: Assessment of the relationship between environmental changes and urbanization through sedimentary, soil formation, malacological and pollen analyses (Pécs – Búza tér)
Gábor Ilon: The present and potential future strategy of environmental historical research in Western Hungary
Gabriella Kovács: Potentials of the archaeological application of soil micromorphological thin sections at Százhalombatta-Földvár Bronze Age tell settlement
Rozália Kustár, Pál Sümegi: Palaeoenvironmental changes inferred from results of excavations implemented in 2002 and 2003 near the settlement of Harta
Pál Sümegi, Sándor Gulyás, Gergő Persaits: Environmental history of Hungary: long time connection between man and environment in the Carpathian Basin. An instance for Early Neolithic economy on the loess covered alluvial island (Nagykörű – Tsz Gyümölcsös site)
Csaba Szalontai: The role and importance of the Maty Stream in the settlement history of Szeged neighbourhood. Preliminary results
Gábor Serlegi, Szilvia Fábián, Márta Daróczi-Szabó, Gabriella Sholl-Barna, Attila Demény: Climatic and environmental changes during the Late Copper Age in the Transdanubian region
II. Archaeobotany
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotany. Opening lecture
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotanical investigation of an Early Iron Age tumulus at Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary
Árpád Kenéz, Ferenc Gyulai, Ákos Pető: Archaeobotanical examination of food remains from Keszthely – Fenékpuszta Late Roman inner fortress with special focus on the consumption of cereals and the preparation of food
Ákos Pető, Árpád Kenéz, Orsolya Herendi, Ferenc Gyulai: Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary
III. Archaeozoology
László Bartosiewicz: Archaeozoology in Hungary: the anatomy of a discipline
Erika Gál, Gabriella Kulcsár: Changes at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Characterizing subsistence on the basis of animal remains in southern Transdanubia, Hungary
György Goldman, Júlia Szénászky: Settlement unit of the Tiszapolgár culture at Battonya – Vertán-major archaeological site
Beáta Tugya, Zoltán Rózsa: Use of horn as a raw material from the Sarmatian excavation site of Szűcs Tanya in Községporta, Orosháza. Archaeological, archaeozoological and ethnographical references
IV. Anthropology
Ildikó Pap: Anthropology and Archaeology. A changing relationship?
Orsolya László: “Long gone childhood”. Comparative analysis of children in Medieval cemeteries
Brigitta Ősz, Vanda Voicsek, Csaba Vandulek, Péter Zádori: Paleopathological analysis of the human skeletal material from the cemetery at Lánycsók – Gata-Csotola (Hungary) dating to the Early Árpádian Age: a preliminary study
V. Archaeometry
Katalin T. Bíró: Archaeology and archaeometry: magic wand, fashion or routine?
László Csedreki, Rozália Kustár, Péter Langó: Micro-PIXE analysis of gilt silver mounts from the Hungarian Conquest Period
Marianna Dági: Goldsmiths and techniques of manufacture. Gold myrtle wreaths from Late Classical and Early Hellenistic Macedonia
Katalin Gherdán, Tünde Horváth, Mária Tóth: Potentials in ceramic petrography research. A case study at a multi-period site (Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő, M7 / S-10)
János Jakucs, Judit Sándorné Kovács: Identification of Middle Neolithic ceramics paintings from nort-eastern Hungary and north-western Romania by the means of Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Nándor Kalicz, Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Gabriella Scholl-Barna, Bernadett Bajnóczi, George H. Hourmouziadis, Fotis Ifantidis, Aikaterini Kyparissi-Apostolika, Maria Pappa, Rena Veropoulidou, Christina Ziota: Stable isotope geochemical provenance study of shell ornaments from Aszód – Papi földek
Éva Kelemen, Mária Tóth, Bernadett Bajnóczi: Archaeometric analysis of Árpádian Age and Late Medieval building materials from Csongrád County
Szilvia Lakatos, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Examination of a bronze Venus statue by archaeological and archaeometric methods
Emilia Pásztor: The role and significance of astronomy in prehistoric archaeological research. Case studies from Europe and the Carpathian Basin
Béla Rácz: Transcarpathian obsidians: literature data and field experience
Miklós Rácz, Sándor Puszta: Comparison of the results from a ground-penetrating radar survey and an archaeological excavation in the Medieval church of Sóly
György Sipos, Tünde Horváth, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Data to the dating of a Late Copper Age ritual human mask from Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő
György Szakmány, István Sajó, Eszter Harsányi: Archaeometric investigation of Pannonian imitations of the black-coated pottery from Trier
Péter Pánczél, Attila Kreiter, György Szakmány: Petrographic, XRF, SEM-EDS and CL analyses of Celtic ceramics from Bátaszék – Körtvélyes-dűlő
Ildikó Zsók, György Szakmány, Attila Kreiter, Tibor Marton: Archaeometric analyses of Neolithic ceramics from Balatonszárszó
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Introductory thoughts to the Palaeoecological Section of the Environment – Human – Culture conference
Attila Barczi, Tünde Horváth, Ákos Pető, János Dani: Hajdunánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Balázs Benyhe, Tímea Kiss, György Sipos, Andrea Deák, István Knipl: Investigation of human induced surface development at an archaeolgical excavation site near Bugac (Hungary)
Gergely Bóka: Changes in settlement patterns in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in the Körös Region Hydrogeology, reliefs and settlements
József Dezső, Gergely Kovaliczky, Réka Balogh, György Sipos: On loess hills and in floodplains. Preliminary report on geoarchaeological investigations near Szederkény – Kukorica-dűlő (M60 Motorway) and its floodplain in Hungary
Zoltán Horváth, Zoltán Kárpáti, Endre Krolopp†, Csaba Gulyás-Kis, Zsófia Medzihradszky, Bálint Tóth: Assessment of the relationship between environmental changes and urbanization through sedimentary, soil formation, malacological and pollen analyses (Pécs – Búza tér)
Gábor Ilon: The present and potential future strategy of environmental historical research in Western Hungary
Gabriella Kovács: Potentials of the archaeological application of soil micromorphological thin sections at Százhalombatta-Földvár Bronze Age tell settlement
Rozália Kustár, Pál Sümegi: Palaeoenvironmental changes inferred from results of excavations implemented in 2002 and 2003 near the settlement of Harta
Pál Sümegi, Sándor Gulyás, Gergő Persaits: Environmental history of Hungary: long time connection between man and environment in the Carpathian Basin. An instance for Early Neolithic economy on the loess covered alluvial island (Nagykörű – Tsz Gyümölcsös site)
Csaba Szalontai: The role and importance of the Maty Stream in the settlement history of Szeged neighbourhood. Preliminary results
Gábor Serlegi, Szilvia Fábián, Márta Daróczi-Szabó, Gabriella Sholl-Barna, Attila Demény: Climatic and environmental changes during the Late Copper Age in the Transdanubian region
II. Archaeobotany
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotany. Opening lecture
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotanical investigation of an Early Iron Age tumulus at Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary
Árpád Kenéz, Ferenc Gyulai, Ákos Pető: Archaeobotanical examination of food remains from Keszthely – Fenékpuszta Late Roman inner fortress with special focus on the consumption of cereals and the preparation of food
Ákos Pető, Árpád Kenéz, Orsolya Herendi, Ferenc Gyulai: Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary
III. Archaeozoology
László Bartosiewicz: Archaeozoology in Hungary: the anatomy of a discipline
Erika Gál, Gabriella Kulcsár: Changes at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Characterizing subsistence on the basis of animal remains in southern Transdanubia, Hungary
György Goldman, Júlia Szénászky: Settlement unit of the Tiszapolgár culture at Battonya – Vertán-major archaeological site
Beáta Tugya, Zoltán Rózsa: Use of horn as a raw material from the Sarmatian excavation site of Szűcs Tanya in Községporta, Orosháza. Archaeological, archaeozoological and ethnographical references
IV. Anthropology
Ildikó Pap: Anthropology and Archaeology. A changing relationship?
Orsolya László: “Long gone childhood”. Comparative analysis of children in Medieval cemeteries
Brigitta Ősz, Vanda Voicsek, Csaba Vandulek, Péter Zádori: Paleopathological analysis of the human skeletal material from the cemetery at Lánycsók – Gata-Csotola (Hungary) dating to the Early Árpádian Age: a preliminary study
V. Archaeometry
Katalin T. Bíró: Archaeology and archaeometry: magic wand, fashion or routine?
László Csedreki, Rozália Kustár, Péter Langó: Micro-PIXE analysis of gilt silver mounts from the Hungarian Conquest Period
Marianna Dági: Goldsmiths and techniques of manufacture. Gold myrtle wreaths from Late Classical and Early Hellenistic Macedonia
Katalin Gherdán, Tünde Horváth, Mária Tóth: Potentials in ceramic petrography research. A case study at a multi-period site (Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő, M7 / S-10)
János Jakucs, Judit Sándorné Kovács: Identification of Middle Neolithic ceramics paintings from nort-eastern Hungary and north-western Romania by the means of Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Nándor Kalicz, Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Gabriella Scholl-Barna, Bernadett Bajnóczi, George H. Hourmouziadis, Fotis Ifantidis, Aikaterini Kyparissi-Apostolika, Maria Pappa, Rena Veropoulidou, Christina Ziota: Stable isotope geochemical provenance study of shell ornaments from Aszód – Papi földek
Éva Kelemen, Mária Tóth, Bernadett Bajnóczi: Archaeometric analysis of Árpádian Age and Late Medieval building materials from Csongrád County
Szilvia Lakatos, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Examination of a bronze Venus statue by archaeological and archaeometric methods
Emilia Pásztor: The role and significance of astronomy in prehistoric archaeological research. Case studies from Europe and the Carpathian Basin
Béla Rácz: Transcarpathian obsidians: literature data and field experience
Miklós Rácz, Sándor Puszta: Comparison of the results from a ground-penetrating radar survey and an archaeological excavation in the Medieval church of Sóly
György Sipos, Tünde Horváth, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Data to the dating of a Late Copper Age ritual human mask from Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő
György Szakmány, István Sajó, Eszter Harsányi: Archaeometric investigation of Pannonian imitations of the black-coated pottery from Trier
Péter Pánczél, Attila Kreiter, György Szakmány: Petrographic, XRF, SEM-EDS and CL analyses of Celtic ceramics from Bátaszék – Körtvélyes-dűlő
Ildikó Zsók, György Szakmány, Attila Kreiter, Tibor Marton: Archaeometric analyses of Neolithic ceramics from Balatonszárszó
Talks by Ákos Pető
Kurgan Studies by Ákos Pető
Hajdúnánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Kurgans are special man-made flatland formations of the endless steppe of Eurasia. The multidisciplinary excavation of Hajdúnánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom, one of the typical Pit Grave kurgans in the Great Hungarian Plain region is presented in the paper. For centuries, archaeology has been the primary science to examine these objects. The buried soil profiles under burial mounds (kurgans) are the messengers of ancient landscape forming factors, soil generation processes and palaeobotanical patterns. Results from palaeopedology, soil micromorphology, geochemistry, palaeobotany (phytolith analysis and palynology) and archaeology are summarised in order to understand the evolution, construction and the former palaeoenvironment of the kurgan and its close vicinity. Based on the results gained from the various disciplines and the archaeological findings excavated at the kurgan the study gives an insight into the Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age 1-2 periods including the Boleráz / Baden, Coţofeni, Pit-Grave, Makó and Nyírség cultures in north-eastern Hungary. Geochemical analysis underlines that the kurgan was built in several, separate stages. Palaeobotanical results have underlined the existence of a central ridge inhabited by (semi)xerofi l steppe vegetation and lower microrelief depressions around it. Although phytoliths have shown the possible existence of a grove-like habitat, arboreal pollen is underrepresented in the samples. This is complemented by the palaeopedological analysis of the buried soil profi le under the formation, which was identifi ed as a Chernozem soil. Palynological analysis has drawn the attention on the probable human impact in the outer skirts of the later kurgan as weed species have occurred in higher concentrations in the examined samples.
Survey of the biotical and abiotical landscape factors of the Bán-halom kurgan and its surrounding territory
Soil-Phytolith Studies by Ákos Pető
This paper presents an analysis of a soil phytolith database consisting of 117 samples taken from 20 profiles. The aim was to demonstrate how diversity indices, which are primarily designed to characterize biomes, can be applied to soil phytolith studies in order to describe the phytolith-producing potential of soil representing various habitats and plant associations.
The morphotype diversity indices used in the study are able to shed light on the complexity of soil development. Based on the calculation of morphotype diversity indices, three major soil types were distinguished. In the case of Type I, both the phytolith
content and the morphotype diversity increased as a consequence of natural and artificial effects, resulting in a phytolith surplus compared to natural processes. In Type II,
due to the geomorphological position of the soil profile and fluvial processes (surface instability in general), a decrease in the phytolith content and the morphotype diversity can be detected, which leads to phytolith and organic matter deficits. Intact profiles, where the phytolith composition depends only on the vegetation, were classified as Type III; the morphotype diversity and vertical distribution of the phytoliths at this type are mainly
affected by internal processes.
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary I-II. Methodological aspects and results of the examined mountain,rocky soils, sandy soils and rankers.
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary III. Results of the examined brown forest soil profiles.
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary IV. Results of the examined chernozem and alkaline soil profiles
Avar Studies by Ákos Pető
Micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigations were carried out on a selection of Late Avar graves from the archaeological site of Nuštar with the aim to reveal interactions between burial customs and plants of the Late Avar (710–810) population in Eastern Croatia (Croatian Danube region). During the excavation 108 soil and sediment samples were collected from the graves; due to the fact that there was a great amount of material, samples were collected from different depths and places in graves. Moreover, a little less than 100 whole vessel contents were recovered. Twenty sediment samples from grave-fill for macro-archaeobotanical study, as well as ten samples from vessels for microarchaeobotanical study were chosen according to a “difference key” (samples from all gender and age and different burials). Overall the archaeobotanical assemblages were poor with none of the samples yielding high amounts of seed or fruit remains. Thus, only six different cereals and three different weed species were identified. Cereals form 67.31% of the entire assemblage, whilst weeds form 12.50% and food remains 15.38%. Phytolith analyses also show the presence of cereal related phytoliths, but most of the samples were considered sterile. Based on the micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigations of selected graves from the Late Avar cemetery we may consider that the use of plants in burial customs at Nuštar did not play a significant role. In light of previous studies at Late Avar settlements and cemeteries in the surrounding geographical environment (Carpathian Basin, and Middle Danube valley) animal-derived products might have therefore had a more prominent role in ritual and burial contexts.
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary.
Micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigation of a Late Avar archaeological site (Hodmezővasarhely – Kopáncs II / 11.) was carried out to reveal interactions between the inhabitants of the settlement and plants in the surrounding landscape. To assess potential land use forms results gained by the means of different archaeobotanical methods (phytolith, pollen, macrofl oral analyses and wood identifi cation) were applied. Conclusions regarding the environment is based on the phytolith analysis of a soil profi les opened at the site, and palynological data gained from an excavated well. The integrated botanical data show an environment with different habitat patches. Territorries of the higher sand dunes and ridges in the vicinity of the site could have served the goals of cereal production, whilst the periodically water-effected depressions, slopes and grove-like habitats could have been used for grazing cattle and gathering fruits and raw plant material for building purposes.
Pető Á, Herendi O 2012 Fitolitkutatási adatok a Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs II. lelőhely (Csongrád megye) környezeti rekonstrukciójához és archaeobotanikai elemzéséhez – Phytolith research data on the environmental reconstruction and archaeobotanical analysis of Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs II (Csongrád County) archaeological site. In: Kvassay, J. (Szerk. / Ed.) Évkönyv és jelentés a Kulturális Örökségvédelmi Szakszolgálat 2009. évi feltárásairól – 2009 Field Service for Cultural Heritage Yearbook and Review of Archaeological Investigations. Budapest, 431–459. (Bilingual paper)
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Introductory thoughts to the Palaeoecological Section of the Environment – Human – Culture conference
Attila Barczi, Tünde Horváth, Ákos Pető, János Dani: Hajdunánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Balázs Benyhe, Tímea Kiss, György Sipos, Andrea Deák, István Knipl: Investigation of human induced surface development at an archaeolgical excavation site near Bugac (Hungary)
Gergely Bóka: Changes in settlement patterns in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in the Körös Region Hydrogeology, reliefs and settlements
József Dezső, Gergely Kovaliczky, Réka Balogh, György Sipos: On loess hills and in floodplains. Preliminary report on geoarchaeological investigations near Szederkény – Kukorica-dűlő (M60 Motorway) and its floodplain in Hungary
Zoltán Horváth, Zoltán Kárpáti, Endre Krolopp†, Csaba Gulyás-Kis, Zsófia Medzihradszky, Bálint Tóth: Assessment of the relationship between environmental changes and urbanization through sedimentary, soil formation, malacological and pollen analyses (Pécs – Búza tér)
Gábor Ilon: The present and potential future strategy of environmental historical research in Western Hungary
Gabriella Kovács: Potentials of the archaeological application of soil micromorphological thin sections at Százhalombatta-Földvár Bronze Age tell settlement
Rozália Kustár, Pál Sümegi: Palaeoenvironmental changes inferred from results of excavations implemented in 2002 and 2003 near the settlement of Harta
Pál Sümegi, Sándor Gulyás, Gergő Persaits: Environmental history of Hungary: long time connection between man and environment in the Carpathian Basin. An instance for Early Neolithic economy on the loess covered alluvial island (Nagykörű – Tsz Gyümölcsös site)
Csaba Szalontai: The role and importance of the Maty Stream in the settlement history of Szeged neighbourhood. Preliminary results
Gábor Serlegi, Szilvia Fábián, Márta Daróczi-Szabó, Gabriella Sholl-Barna, Attila Demény: Climatic and environmental changes during the Late Copper Age in the Transdanubian region
II. Archaeobotany
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotany. Opening lecture
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotanical investigation of an Early Iron Age tumulus at Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary
Árpád Kenéz, Ferenc Gyulai, Ákos Pető: Archaeobotanical examination of food remains from Keszthely – Fenékpuszta Late Roman inner fortress with special focus on the consumption of cereals and the preparation of food
Ákos Pető, Árpád Kenéz, Orsolya Herendi, Ferenc Gyulai: Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary
III. Archaeozoology
László Bartosiewicz: Archaeozoology in Hungary: the anatomy of a discipline
Erika Gál, Gabriella Kulcsár: Changes at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Characterizing subsistence on the basis of animal remains in southern Transdanubia, Hungary
György Goldman, Júlia Szénászky: Settlement unit of the Tiszapolgár culture at Battonya – Vertán-major archaeological site
Beáta Tugya, Zoltán Rózsa: Use of horn as a raw material from the Sarmatian excavation site of Szűcs Tanya in Községporta, Orosháza. Archaeological, archaeozoological and ethnographical references
IV. Anthropology
Ildikó Pap: Anthropology and Archaeology. A changing relationship?
Orsolya László: “Long gone childhood”. Comparative analysis of children in Medieval cemeteries
Brigitta Ősz, Vanda Voicsek, Csaba Vandulek, Péter Zádori: Paleopathological analysis of the human skeletal material from the cemetery at Lánycsók – Gata-Csotola (Hungary) dating to the Early Árpádian Age: a preliminary study
V. Archaeometry
Katalin T. Bíró: Archaeology and archaeometry: magic wand, fashion or routine?
László Csedreki, Rozália Kustár, Péter Langó: Micro-PIXE analysis of gilt silver mounts from the Hungarian Conquest Period
Marianna Dági: Goldsmiths and techniques of manufacture. Gold myrtle wreaths from Late Classical and Early Hellenistic Macedonia
Katalin Gherdán, Tünde Horváth, Mária Tóth: Potentials in ceramic petrography research. A case study at a multi-period site (Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő, M7 / S-10)
János Jakucs, Judit Sándorné Kovács: Identification of Middle Neolithic ceramics paintings from nort-eastern Hungary and north-western Romania by the means of Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Nándor Kalicz, Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Gabriella Scholl-Barna, Bernadett Bajnóczi, George H. Hourmouziadis, Fotis Ifantidis, Aikaterini Kyparissi-Apostolika, Maria Pappa, Rena Veropoulidou, Christina Ziota: Stable isotope geochemical provenance study of shell ornaments from Aszód – Papi földek
Éva Kelemen, Mária Tóth, Bernadett Bajnóczi: Archaeometric analysis of Árpádian Age and Late Medieval building materials from Csongrád County
Szilvia Lakatos, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Examination of a bronze Venus statue by archaeological and archaeometric methods
Emilia Pásztor: The role and significance of astronomy in prehistoric archaeological research. Case studies from Europe and the Carpathian Basin
Béla Rácz: Transcarpathian obsidians: literature data and field experience
Miklós Rácz, Sándor Puszta: Comparison of the results from a ground-penetrating radar survey and an archaeological excavation in the Medieval church of Sóly
György Sipos, Tünde Horváth, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Data to the dating of a Late Copper Age ritual human mask from Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő
György Szakmány, István Sajó, Eszter Harsányi: Archaeometric investigation of Pannonian imitations of the black-coated pottery from Trier
Péter Pánczél, Attila Kreiter, György Szakmány: Petrographic, XRF, SEM-EDS and CL analyses of Celtic ceramics from Bátaszék – Körtvélyes-dűlő
Ildikó Zsók, György Szakmány, Attila Kreiter, Tibor Marton: Archaeometric analyses of Neolithic ceramics from Balatonszárszó
I. Palaeoecology
Pál Sümegi: Long-term relationship between human and environment Introductory thoughts to the Palaeoecological Section of the Environment – Human – Culture conference
Attila Barczi, Tünde Horváth, Ákos Pető, János Dani: Hajdunánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Balázs Benyhe, Tímea Kiss, György Sipos, Andrea Deák, István Knipl: Investigation of human induced surface development at an archaeolgical excavation site near Bugac (Hungary)
Gergely Bóka: Changes in settlement patterns in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in the Körös Region Hydrogeology, reliefs and settlements
József Dezső, Gergely Kovaliczky, Réka Balogh, György Sipos: On loess hills and in floodplains. Preliminary report on geoarchaeological investigations near Szederkény – Kukorica-dűlő (M60 Motorway) and its floodplain in Hungary
Zoltán Horváth, Zoltán Kárpáti, Endre Krolopp†, Csaba Gulyás-Kis, Zsófia Medzihradszky, Bálint Tóth: Assessment of the relationship between environmental changes and urbanization through sedimentary, soil formation, malacological and pollen analyses (Pécs – Búza tér)
Gábor Ilon: The present and potential future strategy of environmental historical research in Western Hungary
Gabriella Kovács: Potentials of the archaeological application of soil micromorphological thin sections at Százhalombatta-Földvár Bronze Age tell settlement
Rozália Kustár, Pál Sümegi: Palaeoenvironmental changes inferred from results of excavations implemented in 2002 and 2003 near the settlement of Harta
Pál Sümegi, Sándor Gulyás, Gergő Persaits: Environmental history of Hungary: long time connection between man and environment in the Carpathian Basin. An instance for Early Neolithic economy on the loess covered alluvial island (Nagykörű – Tsz Gyümölcsös site)
Csaba Szalontai: The role and importance of the Maty Stream in the settlement history of Szeged neighbourhood. Preliminary results
Gábor Serlegi, Szilvia Fábián, Márta Daróczi-Szabó, Gabriella Sholl-Barna, Attila Demény: Climatic and environmental changes during the Late Copper Age in the Transdanubian region
II. Archaeobotany
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotany. Opening lecture
Ferenc Gyulai: Archaeobotanical investigation of an Early Iron Age tumulus at Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary
Árpád Kenéz, Ferenc Gyulai, Ákos Pető: Archaeobotanical examination of food remains from Keszthely – Fenékpuszta Late Roman inner fortress with special focus on the consumption of cereals and the preparation of food
Ákos Pető, Árpád Kenéz, Orsolya Herendi, Ferenc Gyulai: Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary
III. Archaeozoology
László Bartosiewicz: Archaeozoology in Hungary: the anatomy of a discipline
Erika Gál, Gabriella Kulcsár: Changes at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Characterizing subsistence on the basis of animal remains in southern Transdanubia, Hungary
György Goldman, Júlia Szénászky: Settlement unit of the Tiszapolgár culture at Battonya – Vertán-major archaeological site
Beáta Tugya, Zoltán Rózsa: Use of horn as a raw material from the Sarmatian excavation site of Szűcs Tanya in Községporta, Orosháza. Archaeological, archaeozoological and ethnographical references
IV. Anthropology
Ildikó Pap: Anthropology and Archaeology. A changing relationship?
Orsolya László: “Long gone childhood”. Comparative analysis of children in Medieval cemeteries
Brigitta Ősz, Vanda Voicsek, Csaba Vandulek, Péter Zádori: Paleopathological analysis of the human skeletal material from the cemetery at Lánycsók – Gata-Csotola (Hungary) dating to the Early Árpádian Age: a preliminary study
V. Archaeometry
Katalin T. Bíró: Archaeology and archaeometry: magic wand, fashion or routine?
László Csedreki, Rozália Kustár, Péter Langó: Micro-PIXE analysis of gilt silver mounts from the Hungarian Conquest Period
Marianna Dági: Goldsmiths and techniques of manufacture. Gold myrtle wreaths from Late Classical and Early Hellenistic Macedonia
Katalin Gherdán, Tünde Horváth, Mária Tóth: Potentials in ceramic petrography research. A case study at a multi-period site (Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő, M7 / S-10)
János Jakucs, Judit Sándorné Kovács: Identification of Middle Neolithic ceramics paintings from nort-eastern Hungary and north-western Romania by the means of Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Nándor Kalicz, Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Gabriella Scholl-Barna, Bernadett Bajnóczi, George H. Hourmouziadis, Fotis Ifantidis, Aikaterini Kyparissi-Apostolika, Maria Pappa, Rena Veropoulidou, Christina Ziota: Stable isotope geochemical provenance study of shell ornaments from Aszód – Papi földek
Éva Kelemen, Mária Tóth, Bernadett Bajnóczi: Archaeometric analysis of Árpádian Age and Late Medieval building materials from Csongrád County
Szilvia Lakatos, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Examination of a bronze Venus statue by archaeological and archaeometric methods
Emilia Pásztor: The role and significance of astronomy in prehistoric archaeological research. Case studies from Europe and the Carpathian Basin
Béla Rácz: Transcarpathian obsidians: literature data and field experience
Miklós Rácz, Sándor Puszta: Comparison of the results from a ground-penetrating radar survey and an archaeological excavation in the Medieval church of Sóly
György Sipos, Tünde Horváth, Zoltán May, Mária Tóth: Data to the dating of a Late Copper Age ritual human mask from Balatonőszöd – Temetői-dűlő
György Szakmány, István Sajó, Eszter Harsányi: Archaeometric investigation of Pannonian imitations of the black-coated pottery from Trier
Péter Pánczél, Attila Kreiter, György Szakmány: Petrographic, XRF, SEM-EDS and CL analyses of Celtic ceramics from Bátaszék – Körtvélyes-dűlő
Ildikó Zsók, György Szakmány, Attila Kreiter, Tibor Marton: Archaeometric analyses of Neolithic ceramics from Balatonszárszó
Hajdúnánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom: archaeological assessment and scientific examination of a typical kurgan from the Great Hungarian Plain
Kurgans are special man-made flatland formations of the endless steppe of Eurasia. The multidisciplinary excavation of Hajdúnánás-Tedej – Lyukas-halom, one of the typical Pit Grave kurgans in the Great Hungarian Plain region is presented in the paper. For centuries, archaeology has been the primary science to examine these objects. The buried soil profiles under burial mounds (kurgans) are the messengers of ancient landscape forming factors, soil generation processes and palaeobotanical patterns. Results from palaeopedology, soil micromorphology, geochemistry, palaeobotany (phytolith analysis and palynology) and archaeology are summarised in order to understand the evolution, construction and the former palaeoenvironment of the kurgan and its close vicinity. Based on the results gained from the various disciplines and the archaeological findings excavated at the kurgan the study gives an insight into the Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age 1-2 periods including the Boleráz / Baden, Coţofeni, Pit-Grave, Makó and Nyírség cultures in north-eastern Hungary. Geochemical analysis underlines that the kurgan was built in several, separate stages. Palaeobotanical results have underlined the existence of a central ridge inhabited by (semi)xerofi l steppe vegetation and lower microrelief depressions around it. Although phytoliths have shown the possible existence of a grove-like habitat, arboreal pollen is underrepresented in the samples. This is complemented by the palaeopedological analysis of the buried soil profi le under the formation, which was identifi ed as a Chernozem soil. Palynological analysis has drawn the attention on the probable human impact in the outer skirts of the later kurgan as weed species have occurred in higher concentrations in the examined samples.
Survey of the biotical and abiotical landscape factors of the Bán-halom kurgan and its surrounding territory
This paper presents an analysis of a soil phytolith database consisting of 117 samples taken from 20 profiles. The aim was to demonstrate how diversity indices, which are primarily designed to characterize biomes, can be applied to soil phytolith studies in order to describe the phytolith-producing potential of soil representing various habitats and plant associations.
The morphotype diversity indices used in the study are able to shed light on the complexity of soil development. Based on the calculation of morphotype diversity indices, three major soil types were distinguished. In the case of Type I, both the phytolith
content and the morphotype diversity increased as a consequence of natural and artificial effects, resulting in a phytolith surplus compared to natural processes. In Type II,
due to the geomorphological position of the soil profile and fluvial processes (surface instability in general), a decrease in the phytolith content and the morphotype diversity can be detected, which leads to phytolith and organic matter deficits. Intact profiles, where the phytolith composition depends only on the vegetation, were classified as Type III; the morphotype diversity and vertical distribution of the phytoliths at this type are mainly
affected by internal processes.
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary I-II. Methodological aspects and results of the examined mountain,rocky soils, sandy soils and rankers.
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary III. Results of the examined brown forest soil profiles.
Phytolith profile cadastre of the most significant and abundant soil types of Hungary IV. Results of the examined chernozem and alkaline soil profiles
Micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigations were carried out on a selection of Late Avar graves from the archaeological site of Nuštar with the aim to reveal interactions between burial customs and plants of the Late Avar (710–810) population in Eastern Croatia (Croatian Danube region). During the excavation 108 soil and sediment samples were collected from the graves; due to the fact that there was a great amount of material, samples were collected from different depths and places in graves. Moreover, a little less than 100 whole vessel contents were recovered. Twenty sediment samples from grave-fill for macro-archaeobotanical study, as well as ten samples from vessels for microarchaeobotanical study were chosen according to a “difference key” (samples from all gender and age and different burials). Overall the archaeobotanical assemblages were poor with none of the samples yielding high amounts of seed or fruit remains. Thus, only six different cereals and three different weed species were identified. Cereals form 67.31% of the entire assemblage, whilst weeds form 12.50% and food remains 15.38%. Phytolith analyses also show the presence of cereal related phytoliths, but most of the samples were considered sterile. Based on the micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigations of selected graves from the Late Avar cemetery we may consider that the use of plants in burial customs at Nuštar did not play a significant role. In light of previous studies at Late Avar settlements and cemeteries in the surrounding geographical environment (Carpathian Basin, and Middle Danube valley) animal-derived products might have therefore had a more prominent role in ritual and burial contexts.
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Assessment of potential plant exploitation and land use of the Late Avar period in the light of micro- and macroarchaeobotanical analyses of an archaeological site in Southeastern Hungary.
Micro- and macro-archaeobotanical investigation of a Late Avar archaeological site (Hodmezővasarhely – Kopáncs II / 11.) was carried out to reveal interactions between the inhabitants of the settlement and plants in the surrounding landscape. To assess potential land use forms results gained by the means of different archaeobotanical methods (phytolith, pollen, macrofl oral analyses and wood identifi cation) were applied. Conclusions regarding the environment is based on the phytolith analysis of a soil profi les opened at the site, and palynological data gained from an excavated well. The integrated botanical data show an environment with different habitat patches. Territorries of the higher sand dunes and ridges in the vicinity of the site could have served the goals of cereal production, whilst the periodically water-effected depressions, slopes and grove-like habitats could have been used for grazing cattle and gathering fruits and raw plant material for building purposes.
Pető Á, Herendi O 2012 Fitolitkutatási adatok a Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs II. lelőhely (Csongrád megye) környezeti rekonstrukciójához és archaeobotanikai elemzéséhez – Phytolith research data on the environmental reconstruction and archaeobotanical analysis of Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs II (Csongrád County) archaeological site. In: Kvassay, J. (Szerk. / Ed.) Évkönyv és jelentés a Kulturális Örökségvédelmi Szakszolgálat 2009. évi feltárásairól – 2009 Field Service for Cultural Heritage Yearbook and Review of Archaeological Investigations. Budapest, 431–459. (Bilingual paper)
Turján mögött” II.: The hydrological system
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Geoarchaeological observations at the Bronze Age site of Kakucs–Turján mögött
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Geoarchaeological study of the Bronze Age fortified
settlement of Perkáta, Forrás-dűlő
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Prospects of applying soil parameters in archaeological activity area analysis. A methodological case study from the Győr–Ménfőcsanak-Szélesföldek archaeological site.
The everyday life of prehistoric people can be assessed with the scientific tools used by household archaeology. The archaeological interpretation is based upon the material culture and buildings that cultures left behind. The aim of applying physical and chemical parameters of soil in activity area analyses is also to assess the activities of prehistoric people although due to the nature of soil analyses we are able to identify different activities, as well. The present paper summarizes the results of a soil science-based activity area analysis conducted on two buildings, one Celtic (La Tène, 3rd century BC) and one Roman indigenous (1st century AD), selected at the Győr–Ménfőcsanak-Széles-földek archaeological site (NW Hungary) for internal space and activity area analyses. The continuous horizontal sampling protocol enabled representative samples to be collected throughout the feature in a 50×50 cm sampling grid from the anthropogenic sediments of the archaeological floor and the filling. The sampled archaeological features showed similarities in size and structure. Both were semi-subterranean buildings with two postholes used to support the roof. A total number of 68 anthropogenic sediment samples were collected. The soil science methods consisted of the most basic ones (TOC%, Ptotal, pH [HOH, KCl], CaCO3%, KA – texture parameter) because the aim at this stage of the research was to elaborate an easy-to-use protocol for internal activity area analysis. In order to separate archaeological anthropogenic impacts from the background signals of the surrounding environmental setting, four control soil profiles, located within the territory of the archaeological site, were described, sampled and analysed using the same methods. The identification of soil science background data is indispensable in order to assess whether the archaeological samples transmit real human impact or not. Data gained from the archaeological features are evaluated in two ways. The dataset needs to be quantitatively compared to the results of analysis on control soil profiles, which serve as a reference material for the archaeological site, specific to the geological setting. The human impact within the internal space of the archaeological features can only be identified if the environmental and human-induced signals can be clearly distinguished. The anthropogenic impact within the internal space can then be evaluated based upon the heterogeneity, value ranges and horizontal dispersion of the applied parameters throughout the sampling grid of the building. In the present study the most informative of all the parameters applied in the internal activity area analysis were the total phosphorus (Ptotal) and the total organic carbon content (TOC), while the carbonate content and the texture data could only partially be linked to human impact at the archaeological site. Based on the results of the chemical and physical soil analysis, the use of the internal space differed for the two buildings. In the case of the Roman indigenous building significant differences could be detected within the interior space. The horizontal distribution patterns showed that TOC accumulated in the north-western part, while Ptotal accumulated in the northern periphery and partly in the very middle of the building. This pattern, complemented by information from other soil parameters, reflects a welldefined selectivity in internal space use with distinct activity areas. In contrast, the Celtic building was characterized by uniform horizontal indicator distribution patterns, suggesting the homogeneity of internal space use within the archaeological feature.
A short historical overview of plant opal studies: from discovery to modern applications
The role of phytolith research in palaeoecological resonstructions.
The present paper is based on the presentation held on 31st March 2009 at the Hungarian National Museum on a workshop entitled "Archaeology – Geology - Pedology – how far have we got with palaeoecological reconstructions?” organised by the Archaeometry Workshop. Following paper intends to present the brief history and theoretical development of the discipline called phytolith analysis and intends to give a basic theoretical background of various methodological aspects, before discussing certain issues and experimental relations gained in Hungarian case studies. The function of the uppermost Earth cover – defined as soil – is multifarious. Besides being the most important medium for crop cultivation and buffer of contaminations, it shelters the ’memories’ of human history in the form of many different phenomena. Not only macrofossils or archaeological findings transmit information on how people managed their environment, but microscopic remains formed in and by living organisms are equipped with notable information package, too. Phytolith analysis went through several phases of development during the last two centuries until the most important baselines of the discipline evolved. Nowadays these principles are widely used in environmental archaeology, palaeoecology and landscape studies. Tracing the development of the discipline provides useful lessons for all of those applying the method in environmental studies. During the building of a soil-phytolith database, a wooded pasture in the Bakony Mountains was selected as a target area too conduct controll studies for the further development of the reference database. An ecological classification system was used to conduct the analysis of the target area, which was once densily covered by decidous forest. Environmental change classified by ’forest – ploughland – wooded pasture’ was underlined by the results of the controll Luvisol profile.
(Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense; 4.)
Spatial analysi of the use of inner space based on integrated archaeobotanical analyses: a methodological case study from Győr-Ménfőcsanak Széles-földek archaeological site.
In addition to the archaeological interpretation of finds, the scientific analysis of soil samples – collected systematically and with the required precision – is also an adequate method for defining the activity area within a site or even a feature. The spatial distribution of data stored in the form of chemical and physical parameters, and plant or animal remains within the soil reflect the economic life and the everyday customs of former cultures. This paper presents the results of a complex archaeobotanical analysis conducted on 68 floor samples from the excavation of two features (houses) at the site of Győr–Ménfőcsanak, Széles-földek. The samples represent the floor levels of a Celtic and a Roman period indigenous house. The samples were collected in squares of 50×50 cm laid onto the floor surface of the houses. We attempted to show the possible differences between the use of space within the two features by the methods of archaeobotany and phytolith analysis. Our aim was to draw conclusions about the former, interior spatial usage of the buildings with the help of the identified plant remains. The identified micro and macro-archaeobotanical remains found in the material of the floor imply that a large amount of plant material connected to cereals (stem, leaf, glume, spike fragment, cereal grain fragment, etc.) was stored inside the houses. The overall interpretation of the distribution pattern projected onto the floor levels, and the spatial evaluation of the data enabled us to put forward hypotheses regarding the usage of the internal spaces. While it was not possible to determine unequivocal differences of spatial usage in the internal space of the Roman period indigenous feature (129/4645), two distinct spatial sections could be observed in the Celtic house (127/5111). Despite these facts, we can suppose the following functions and possibilities of spatial usage during the use of both houses: hay or straw storage, littered barns for caprovines, dung storage. The latter may also refer to spatial usage in connection with ceramic production based on the identified graphite fragments.
(in Hungarian with English abstract)
Archaeobotanical examination of food remains from Keszthely – Fenékpuszta Late Roman inner fortress with special focus on the consumption of cereals and the preparation of food
Budapest: Agroinform; Magyar Bortörténeti Társaság, 2013. pp. 171-185.
Evidence of bone marrow consumption in the Baden culture based on the examination of a bowl excavated from Pit 98/103 at Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs I., Olasz-tanya archaeological site.
Settlement features of the Late Copper Age Baden culture at Kopáncs were excavated at the south-western boundary of Hódmezővásárhely in the autumn of 2009. Feature (pit) 98/103 yielded a brownish-grey, 11 cm high intact bowl with burnt patches, slightly outcurving rim and a body form of an upturned truncated cone, tempered with sand and grit. We examined its contents, with the intent of determining the bowl’s function. Therefore, we conducted analyses of plant and animal remains as well as organic residue analysis of the vessel. The dominance of animal remains was indicated by the bone fragments inside the fill and the absence of macrofloral remains. The base fragment of the Baden vessel was examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Data refer to the one-time presence of bone marrow. In addition to investigating the vessel, we collected recent bone marrow samples from cattle (Bos taurus L.), domestic pig (Sus domesticus Erxl.), and sheep (Ovis capra L.) species to examine their FT-IR signatures. The bone fragments of the species mentioned occurred both inside the vessel and in the feature. FT-IR data suggest the presence of fats and a minor peak for non-specific proteins that had been integrated into and accumulated within the vessel’s wall, indicating that the vessel was used to process or cook bone marrow, suggesting rendering fat from bones. The examination of vessel contents is not yet widespread at Hungarian sites and only a few examples are known in connection with the Baden culture. The FT-IR analysis of the organic residues contained within the vessel wall from Hódmezővásárhely has added new data, supported by evaluations, to what we have known thus far about the culture’s eating habits.
Tugya B-Kovács Zs-Pető Á-Herendi O-Sándorné Kovács J-Logan ML- S Cummings L 2012 csontvelő felhasználásának bizonyítéka Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs I., Olasz-tanya lelőhely (Csongrád megye) badeni település 98/103. számú gödrének kerámiájában. Archeometriai Műhely IX(1): 39-534.
(in Hungarian with English Abstract)
Individual variance in pőhytolith assemblage of grass leaves: And example of Poa pratensis L. (Poaceae)
(in Hungarian with English Abstract)
Phytolith morphotype diversity of the loess vegetation of the Kéthalom kurgan (Hajdúszoboszló, NE-Hungary)
igaz olyan vizsgálati objektumok esetében, amelyek egyed feletti szerveződésűek, esetleg táji szintűek. Esettanulmányunkban a Hatvantól északra található, mintegy 18 hektáros kisgombosi fás legelő történeti feltárásának eredményeit egészítjük ki különböző természettudományos vizsgálatokkal (földhasználati rekonstrukció, talajtani, magbanki- és fitolitvizsgálat, évgyűrűszélességek alapján követett növekedési trend megfigyelése), alátámasztva, illetve további részletekkel látva el azokat. Az írott források alapján a vizsgálati terület első írásos említése csupán a XVII. századból származik, azonban a talajviszonyok, növényi mikro- és makromaradványok arra engednek következtetni, hogy a terület használata jóval messzebbre nyúlik vissza az időben. Birtoklástörténete bonyolult és szerteágazó. A történeti térképek feldolgozása során kiderült, hogy a kisgombosi fás legelő egykori zárt erdő felnyílása révén jöhetett létre, jelenlegi „fás legelő” habitusának pontos kialakulását azonban csak becsülni lehet. A XVIII. században már igen ritka, magas törzsű tölgyfaerdő képről tanúskodnak az archív források. Használatának intenzitását tekintve kiemelendő a XX. század első harmada. Az 1930-as évekből származó fényképanyag bizonyítja, hogy akkor még aktívan legeltetéssel hasznosított terület volt, amelynek intenzitása nyomot hagyhatott a terület fás szárú vegetációjának évgyűrűiben, csakúgy, mint a szomszédos erőmű tevékenysége is a XX. század második felében. A terület használatával fokozatosan hagytak fel, amit a katonai munkatérképek alapján készített felszínborítás-változásokat bemutató ábrák is jól tükröznek, továbbá pontosításokra ad lehetőséget a fás vegetáció fiatalabb egyedeinek kormeghatározása is.