Surface Survey and Site Revisitation, 1998
During the course of field research conducted to finish his doctoral dissertation,
William Parkinson led a small team of archaeologists to revisit several
sites in the Körös Valley during November, 1998.
Research Methods
Given the extensive amount of research that previously had been conducted
within the study area (see
Previous Research in the Study Area), it was
necessary only to revisit a sample of Early Copper Age settlement sites
in order to determine the following:
- The internal organization of Early Copper Age settlements, including
the size and spatial organization of domestic structures and other settlement
features.
- The size of Early Copper Age settlements, based upon the distribution
of ceramics in the plowzone and the presence of surface features.
- The geomorphological setting of Early Copper Age settlements, based upon
their physical location in the landscape and their relationship to previous
water-courses and soil types.
In addition, a controlled ceramic sample was collected from different Early
Copper Age settlements that could be used for the analyses of stylistic
variability throughout the study area.
Site Selection
Since the vast majority of the study area is currently deep-plowed, and
since Early Copper Age sites generally were not reoccupied during later
periods, they tend to consist of very thin habitation layers that are located
directly beneath the current plowzone. As a result, Early Copper Age settlement
sites are frequently entirely destroyed and, except for a few sub-surface
features (such as pits and burials), can only be systematically explored
using surface techniques.
The criteria used to select particular sites for revisitation were based
upon the following considerations:
- Periods exhibited, as documented in the MRT series. Since the primary
focus of the research was directed explicitly towards Early Copper Age sites,
an attempt was made to focus upon those sites that were documented in the
MRT volumes as yielding exclusively or primarily Early Copper Age (Tiszapolgár)
material.
- Relative productivity of ceramic materials, as documented in the MRT
series. Since the relative size of Early Copper Age sites is discernible
largely through the surface distribution of ceramics, an attempt was made
to focus upon those sites that were listed as producing significant quantities
of Tiszapolgár pottery.
- Geographic location within the study area. Since one focus of the research
was to discern differences in ceramic style across the Early Copper Age
landscape, an attempt was made to visit sites in different parts of the
study area (e.g., in different watersheds) that could be used comparatively.
Site Collection
During revisitation to Early Copper Age sites, an attempt was made to assess
whether the surface finds at the site warranted systematic surface collection.
The decision of whether to collect systematic samples of the surface assemblage
was based on a variety of factors, including the quantity of material on
the surface and surface visibility. Several sites that were listed in the
MRT volumes as producing significant amounts of Early Copper Age ceramics
were found to be artifactually barren when revisited in 1998, despite excellent
surface visibility. Since the Great Hungarian Plain witnessed a particularly
cold and wet autumn in 1998, several agricultural fields which we anticipated
would have been plowed remained filled with crops and several sites were
too covered in surface vegetation to warrant collection.
Once the decision was made to conduct surface collections at a site, an
attempt was made to determine the areal extent of the surface scatter. This
was accomplished by spacing fieldwalkers at roughly 20-meter intervals and
by walking in parallel lines over the site. Since the vast majority of Early
Copper Age sites are located on small rises that at one time were the levees
of streambeds, the sites tended to be ovate in shape, extending lengthwise
along the previous streambeds. As each fieldwalker progressed across the
site, a pinflag was placed next to each Early Copper Age diagnostic sherd
in each transect. This allowed the size and density of the Early Copper
Age occupation to be visualized at each site.
Having established the approximate size of the site, a grid was established
over the site to facilitate systematic collection. The center of the grid
was placed directly upon the highest density area, and the orientation of
the grid was based upon the spatial distribution of the ceramic scatter,
which usually correlated with the geophysical location of the site on a
defunct streambank.
Although we experimented with several different collection strategies, we
eventually decided to collect surface samples using circular collection
units (5m radius), or "dog-leashes," at thirty-meter intervals.
Each 78 meter square collection unit was named according to its relative location
to the arbitrary center of each site (e.g., North 30, North 60, etc.). Collection
continued at 30-meter intervals in all directions until the density of surface
material dropped below 5-10 sherds per collection unit for two consecutive
collection units in a row.
In those cases where collection units based upon a four-directional grid
did not accurately define the size and shape of the site, or where the ceramic
sample was not deemed sufficient for stylistic analysis, additional collection
units were conducted at 45-degree angles from the original grid, beginning
at 15-meters from the site center, and extending at 30 meter intervals thereafter.
This collection strategy proved efficient in defining the relative size
of each site, as well as providing a systematic sample of the surface assemblages.
While it would have been ideal to conduct more intensive surface collection
techniques, such as comprehensive ‘vacuuming’ or total collection,
the nature of the research demanded that we acquire samples from as many
sites as possible. As a result, we decided to sacrifice intensity of collection
– and therefore sample size – for a greater number of sites.
Sites Collected During Fieldwork
A total of 47 sites were revisited during October and November of 1998 (see
Figure 1). Descriptions of these sites are summarized in Parkinson 1999:
Table 6.2. More detailed site descriptions, discussions of previous research,
and descriptions of the material for these sites are provided in the MRT
volumes VI (Ecsedy et al. 1982), and VIII (Jankovich et al. 1989). Of the
47 sites revisited during fieldwork, only 11 generated enough surface finds
to warrant additional investigation and site collection. |
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