KRAP 2000 Test Excavations at Vésztõ-Bikeri
During the summer of 2000, the Körös Regional Archaeological Project began test excavations at the site of
Vésztõ-Bikeri, a small Early Copper Age (Tiszapolgár Culture) settlement site located approximately 2km south
of the tell site at Vésztõ-Mágor (see Figure 1).
Previous Research at Vésztõ-Bikeri
The site had initially been identified during the course of the Magyarország Régészeti Topográfiája (Ecsedy et al. 1982)
survey, and was revisited by the Körös Regional Archaeological Project in 1998, when additional surface collections were
conducted.
Located across the Dió-Éri canal from Körösladány 14 on the southwestern border of the parish, the site is located on a small
redeposited loess rise on the east side of the canal, just to the north of a defunct meander of the Holt-Sebes-Körös. During
their identification of the site, Ecsedy et al. (1982:188) noted a large amount of animal bones and daub here, in addition to
much Tiszapolgár material. In 1998, collection was conducted using 78.5 m2 circular collection units (5 m "dogleashes") at 30
m intervals. A total of 11 units were collected in this manner (see Figure 2). In addition, several features were identified
and collected separately. These included: two daub concentrations, rich with Tiszapolgár ceramics (Features 3 and 4),
a scatter of human bone (Feature 1), and a scatter of animal bone (Feature 2). Collection unit SE15 most likely was
located near the midden of the site, as it produced 224 diagnostic ceramics (3.7 kg) and 205 animal bones (1.2 kg).
This site likely was related to, if not a direct extension of, site Körösladány 14, which is located on the other side of
the Dió-Éri canal. It was not clear whether the canal dissected the two sites, or whether the sites previously had been
separated by a small depression or seasonal streambed.
The large surface assemblage collected from this site was concentrated over a small area of ca. 0.4 ha. Although the surface
densite fell off slowly to the north and west, its boundaries are were defined to the south and west. The maximum extent of
the diagnostic sherds covered an area of approximately ca. 0.7 ha. Both of these numbers correspond with the figure of 0.58 ha
indicated on the MRT maps. The material was relatively evenly distributed across the top of the small rise, although a
very high density of material was located in a single collection unit (SE15).
With the exception of two unidentified prehistoric sherds, and two later (one possibly Árpád, 1 modern) sherds, all of the
surface material could be assigned to the Tiszapolgár period. Nearly half of this material derived from a single 5m (radius)
collection unit (SE15), which we tentatively interpreted as a midden deposit due to the large amount of animal bones that
also were identified there.
In addition to the midden, the burnt-daub remains of two houses (Features 3 and 4), similar in size, shape, and orientation
to one identified at Körösladány 14 also produced significant amounts of sherds diagnostic of the Early Copper Age.
The remains of a human burial (Feature 2), also were identified. Most of the left tibia, the distal end of the left femur,
the distal end of the right tibia, complete left talus and right talus, and assorted tarsals and phalange fragments were
collected. From the distribution of these elements it appeared that only the lower legs of the individual have been
disturbed by the plow.
In direct association with the human bone were a number of animal bones. These included a nearly complete large mammal
(not bovid) metacarpal, two bovid teeth, a medium mammal astragalus, a medium mammal (dog?) right proximal tibia, one
large mammal rib fragment (in two pieces) and two probably bovid mandible fragments. Some bones tentatively identified
as horse have also been identified in the faunal assemblage from the site.
In addition to the large ceramic and faunal assemblages from the site, a single net sinker, two loom-weight fragments,
and several shell fragments also were identified in the surface collections.
2000 Test Excavations
During July and August, 2000, the Körös Regional Archaeological project returned to conduct test excavations designed to
investigate the nature of subsurface deposits at the site. The research was carried out by a team of Hungarian and American
students and specialists from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, the
József Attila University in Szeged, and the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest
(see Figure 3, Figure 4,
and Figure 5).
Previous Research at the Site
During our surface collections in 1998 (see above), we were able to identify and map several surface features on the site
that led us to believe that unlike most other Copper Age settlements on the Plain a good deal of the subsurface deposits
here had not been entirely destroyed by the plow. In addition, the ceramics we collected from the surface indicated a
single-component, Early Copper Age habitation at the site, with only a handful of sherds that dated to the Árpád Dynasty,
and probably were associated with the 11th century monastery located just to the north of the site at Vésztõ-Mágor
(Hegedüs 1977, 1982; Hegedüs and Makkay 1987). These factors made the site ideal for additional exploration using modern
systematic excavation techniques.
Goals of the 2000 Field Season
Our test excavations in the summer of 2000 were designed to answer a few specific questions about the site:
- We wanted to know whether there were, indeed, any subsurface deposits in primary contexts at the site. This was
important because in general Early Copper Age sites, which tend to be single-component and therefore seldom have any later
material on top of them, are frequently plowed out entirely, leaving behind only subsurface features, such as pits, in primary
contexts.
- We also wanted to determine how the information we had obtained from the surface collections at the site would relate to the
subsurface deposits. We were especially interested in whether the site was, indeed, single component, and whether the surface
features could be associated with subsurface features.
- Finally, we wanted to collect ceramic, radiocarbon, and faunal samples that could help us both to fit this site into the
greater regional context, and also to guide us in future investigations at the site.
Preliminary Results of the Research
We excavated a total of four 2 x 2 m units and by the end of the first week of excavation, we had successfully identified
two burnt daub features we interpreted as houses (see Figure 6). Two of the units came down directly on the corners of
two houses. One we were able to identify in section, which apparently just clipped the wall of a house in Block 1.
Another came down directly on a thick layer of burnt daub in Block 2 (see Figure 7), where we were able to expose the
northeastern corner of a house that extended beyond the edges of the unit to the south and west. The third block revealed
a dense concentration of ceramics and daub, that suggest we are on the edge of another structure that is almost certainly
located just to the east of the block. The fourth block came down on a dense fill of ceramic and bone that allows us to
identify the location of the prehistoric refuse area, or midden, on the site.
While we were excavating the wattle and daub matrix of the structure in Block 2, we came down upon a small group of tanged
bone points that almost certainly were used as arrowheads (see Figure 8). These points were calcined, and probably were
burned and incorporated into the daub matrix as the house itself burned. Although bone tools are not uncommon throughout
the prehistory of the region, and large bone 'harpoons' occur commonly in Neolithic sites throughout the region, small bone
arrowheads are unknown from the Neolithic and Copper Age.
Our test excavation s have allowed us to begin to construct archaeological signatures that relate surface remains to specific
subsurface features. Whereas artifact assemblages associated with domestic structures tend to be dominated by daub and
ceramics, those associated with the refuse area have many more animal bones (see Figure 9).
During our test excavations, we also collected several radiocarbon samples that will help us clarify the chronological
relationship between Vésztõ 20, Körösladány 14, and Vésztõ-Mágor. We presently are waiting for the results of those
radiocarbon analyses.
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