STONE IMPLEMENTS OF THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE FROM THE TELL SETTLEMENT OF FUZESABONY-OREG-DOMB

This article focuses on the stone materials of the tell settlement at Füzesabony-Öreg-domb considering their archaeological and geological importance. This multiproxy study is the first one that investigates a tell settlement’s stone assemblage from the Great Hungarian Plain (this part of Hungary lacks stone quarries). Therefore, this study helps us to understand the nature of stone raw materials of the Middle Bronze Age and the Füzesabony culture, and allows us to compare it with other Middle Bronze Age cultures (e. g. Vatya culture from Transdanubia). We described more than 150 pieces stone finds belong to the Füzesabony culture (ground stones, axes and adzes, whetstones, moulds and amber pearls) from the site with archaeological and petrographical aspects. Most of the implements came to light in the excavation campaigns from the 1930’s. According to the results most of the rocks were collectible in the North Hungarian Mountains (Mátra and Bükk) and on their foreground. Since these are common local or regional raw materials, their application in building was also widespread. Among the features and pottery, bone/antler, jewel (amber), metal (gold and bronze) finds excavated on the site we can find many well-made ones, indicating that they may have been made for the elit’s order, perhaps by local craftsmen who lived in the settlement. It is unfortunate and is highly regrettable that many finds are missing or were hold back from our scientific investigation. The detailed archaeological and petrographic analyses would help us to understand better the life of this small, original Füzesabony community on its eponym site.