Százhalombatta-Földvár

The Bronze Age site of Százhalombatta-Földvár is situated on the right bank of the Danube, near the town of Százhalombatta, 30 km south of Budapest in Hungary. It is one of the largest temperate tell settlements from this period in central Europe.[1] Excavation at the site is ongoing and producing substantial new data revealing a detailed and hitherto unknown picture of Bronze Age life from 2000-1400 BC.[2][3]

The Site
An aerial photo of the site

The site of Százhalombatta is 200 m by 100 m in area. It is estimated that up to two thirds of the original area was destroyed during clay extraction by a local brick factory and by erosion from the River Danube.[4] The Bronze Age settlement was built on a bluff with valleys to north and south, the River Danube to the east and it was fortified with a ditch to the west, a feature common to other Vatya tells. It was strategically positioned at the end of the Benta valley, potentially controlling access to other sites including smaller settlements within the valley. It overlooks a long stretch of the River Danube and may have been involved in river-borne trade and communication.[5] The settlement was first occupied at the end of the Early Bronze Age (the transition from the classic Nagyrév (Szigetszentmiklós) to the late Nagyrév (Kulcs). It was continuously inhabited through the Middle Bronze Age Vatya and Vatya-Koszider period. This was followed by a hiatus in occupation until the Urnfield phase of the Late Bronze Age from which there are only a few traces. Occupation layers at the site are up to 6 m deep. Finds from the site include pottery, daub, plaster, metalwork, moulds, loom weights, bone tools, antler objects, ground stone, lithics, amber, animal and occasional human bones.[6] Many of the Bronze Age houses were burnt. This has resulted in outstanding preservation of organic material including botanical remains such as thatch from house roofs and Bronze Age food like crabapples, peas, beans and lentils.[7] There is also worked wood and basketry. Thin section soil micromorphology,[8] phytoliths, charcoal and coprolites add to the data from the site.

Excavation team

Excavation at the site is directed by Dr Magdolna Vicze (Matrica Museum),[9] Professor Marie Louise Stig Sørensen (University of Cambridge),[10] and Prof Joanna Sofaer (University of Southampton).[11] The annual excavations include Hungarian and British students from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest,[12] the University of Pécs,[13] University of Southampton and the University of Cambridge, as well as Dutch and Swedish students.

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References
  1. Poroszlai, I. (2000) Excavation campaigns on the Bronze Age tell site Százhalombatta-Földvár, I. 1989-1991. II. 1991-1993. In: Poroszlai-Vicze ed., SAX Annual Report I.
  2. Sørensen, M.L.S. and Vicze, M. (2013) Locating Household Activities on a Bronze Age Tell. In: Madella, M., Kovács, G., Kulcsárné-Berzsényi, B. and Briz i Godino, I. (eds.) The Archaeology of Household. Oxbow Books, Oxford, UK. pp. 159–178.
  3. Earle, T. and Kristiansen, K. (eds.) (2010) Organizing Bronze Age Societies. Cambridge: CUP.
  4. Vicze, M. and Poroszlai, I. (eds.) (2005) Százhalombatta Archaeological Expedition. Report 2. Százhalombatta.
  5. Vicze, M. and Poroszlai, I. (eds.) (2000) Százhalombatta Archaeological Expedition (SAX) Annual Report I. Százhalombatta.
  6. Vicze, M. (2004) Excavation methodology on the Százhalombatta Project, In: Kisfaludi, J. (ed.) Archaeological Investigations in Hungary 2002. Budapest, 131-146.
  7. Berzsényi, B. (2009) Prehistoric food and plant resources from the Middle Bronze Age tell site of Százhalombatta-Földvár in Pest County (the Budapest hinterland, Hungary). In: Morel, J. P. and Mercuri, A. (eds.) Plants and Culture: seeds of the cultural heritage of Europe. Centro Europeo per i Beni Culturali Ravello, Edipuglia Bari. 2009
  8. Kovács, G. (2011) Régészeti talaj-mikromorfológia. Antropogén rétegek talaj-mikromorfológiai vizsgálata, Matrica Füzetek III, „Matrica” Múzeum, Százhalombatta, 56 p
  9. "Matrica Múzeum és Régészeti Park | Magunkról". Matricamuzeum.hu. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  10. "Dr Marie Louise Stig Sørensen — Division of Archaeology". Arch.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  11. "Dr Joanna Sofaer | University of Southampton". Southampton.ac.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  12. "ELTE Régészet - Nyitóoldal". Regeszet.elte.hu. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  13. "Régészet Tanszék » English » News". Regeszet.btk.pte.hu. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
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