János Gábor Tarbay
My general interest and fascination focuses on bronze and gold artefacts, along with their technology and historical background, regardless of location, origin or period. As an archaeologist my main research concentrates on Bronze Age metal artefacts and hoard assemblages from Central and Eastern Europe. I am also involved in several discussions on diverse topics like warfare, ancient technology or illicit antiquities that can be related to this field of research. During my years of study, I have developed a special method for the complex analysis of metal finds, which includes the typochronological evaluation and technological characterization (use-wear, manufacturing technique, experiments). In the framework of small-scale projects (Axe Project, Spear Project) that are carried out by scientific cooperation with specialists from research laboratories, archaeometallurgical investigation has also become my interest. The results of this approach let me interpret the biography of these objects on a ‘microscopic level’, allowing a more in depth analyses of the previously and recently found assemblages.
My aim is to adapt to different research territories, materials and questions, as well as learning new analytical methods, pass my knowledge to the next generation of archaeologists, and most of all seek out some dynamic, international cooperation that works on equal grounds and could provide new challenges for me.
My aim is to adapt to different research territories, materials and questions, as well as learning new analytical methods, pass my knowledge to the next generation of archaeologists, and most of all seek out some dynamic, international cooperation that works on equal grounds and could provide new challenges for me.
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Hoards by János Gábor Tarbay
Police during a night of police control. According to the person who smuggled the finds, the
findings were discovered in the ‘attic of a house in Budapest, during garbage disposal’. This
obvious lie can be easily refuted by the results of the typo-chronological analysis of the objects.
The seized finds comprise sword blades, spearheads, a knife, socketed axes and chisels,
sickles, bracelets, metal vessel parts, metal lumps, and some unidentifiable fragments. Except
for a few supra-regional types (a Vadena-type knife and some Kelčice-type bracelets), the
style of these artefacts matches the bronze products often deposited in Hajdúböszörmény-type
(Ha B1) hoards in the east Carpathian Basin. The concentration of stylistically close analogies
in the territory of Hungary and the presence of typologically identical finds in the assemblage
support the previous hypothesis that they were indeed looted somewhere in ‘Szabolcs-Szatmár-
Bereg County’. A plausible findspot can be located in the northern and central areas of
the county, such as the zone between Nyírmada, Mátészalka, Kántorjánosi, and Vaja, the area
where the police action took place.
these burials are associated with a prominent elite in the Ha C Period that maintained long-ranging contacts with communities in the (north)west and south. By contrast, virtually nothing is known about either the extent of the EIA settlement both in geographical and chronological terms, its inner structure, or the activity of the community associated with it. In this paper, we aim to show some of the first results of the field research conducted in the last months on the hill and to introduce the first documented EIA hoard of Somló Hill. The typo-chronological evaluation of the hoard suggests that it was deposited in the Late Hallstatt Period, i.e. the Ha D2–D3 phases.
research programme, the aim of which is to explore Somló Hill (Veszprém County), which has been neglected
by systematic field research focusing on the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and Early Iron Age (EIA) inhabitation of
the site. In the current phase of the research programme, new, preliminary results have been provided on the
settlement history of the site, primarily through a systematic metal detector survey. Based on the discovered
metal objects, the south-eastern plateau of Somló Hill was inhabited primarily between the Rei Br C and Ha B2
phases, and life on the settlement was probably continuous during the Hallstatt Culture in EIA. In addition to
briefly introducing our preliminary results, one of the four hoards, Hoard II from Somló Hill, is introduced. This
assemblage was found by Győző Csaba Budai, a volunteer, on the once-inhabited part of the south-eastern plateau.
Owing to his discovery, the in situ hoard was documented in excavation. The hoard consists of a handful
of objects belonging to a few people, such as a gouge, six Lovasberény-type bracelets, three bracelets with rolled
ends, two lumps, and a pseudo-winged axe. The arrangement and grouping of the objects within the assemblage
reflect deliberate selection and deposition. The typo-chronological analysis of the objects from the second hoard
of Somló Hill suggests that the assemblage was deposited around the younger LBA phase of the settlement in
the Ha B1–Ha B2 phases.
Late Bronze Age, East Carpathian Basin, Hajdúböszörmény horizon (Ha B1), hoarding, elite, supra-region connections, correspondence analysis, bronze vessel set, weaponry.
bronze. These unique Late Bronze Age (Br D - Ha B1) fishing / hunting instruments were distributed in the territories of
present-day Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria along the main rivers like the Danube and the Tisza. Like their antler counterparts
that emerged during the Copper Age in Europe, these metal harpoon heads have fine functional analogs in the
ethnographic materials of the Nunavut culture in northern Canada and Greenland, particularly of the Classic Thule cultural
tradition (AD 900-1600). In Carpathian prehistory, it is very likely that these harpoons were used for big fish (carp,
catfish, northern pike, beluga sturgeon, etc.) exploitation, which may have played an essential role in the local Late
Bronze Age food production strategies. The study explores the function and use of metal harpoon heads, their hafting
possibilities, and the importance of harpooning in the daily lives of Late Bronze Age societies in the Carpathian Basin.
Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest under the supervision of Gábor V. Szabó
Eastern Europe. The first one is a Ha B1 sword hoard, allegedly from Mátészalka (Hungary, Szabolcs-Szatmár-
Bereg County). The assemblage was looted in 2017. In less than a year, two of the finds have entered the
British antiquities market and they were sold under fake provenance. The second find could have been a late
Period V (Ha B3) elite burial. The looted assemblage has appeared on the domongol.org metal detectorist blog,
and it is allegedly originating from “Ternopil Oblast” (Ukraine). It contains a bell helmet with solar barge
decoration and a fragment of a unique Hajdúböszörmény-type situla, the parallels of which relate this find
to the Rivoli (Italy) burial and the metallurgical sphere of the Eary Iron Age.
collector the artefacts were found in Gönc as part of a hoard. The study discusses the dating of the finds and their technological
properties. As a results of these analyses it seems that the finds can be dated between the Br D and Ha B1 periods of the Late Bronze
Age, and one of them is most likely an ethnographic find.
Police during a night of police control. According to the person who smuggled the finds, the
findings were discovered in the ‘attic of a house in Budapest, during garbage disposal’. This
obvious lie can be easily refuted by the results of the typo-chronological analysis of the objects.
The seized finds comprise sword blades, spearheads, a knife, socketed axes and chisels,
sickles, bracelets, metal vessel parts, metal lumps, and some unidentifiable fragments. Except
for a few supra-regional types (a Vadena-type knife and some Kelčice-type bracelets), the
style of these artefacts matches the bronze products often deposited in Hajdúböszörmény-type
(Ha B1) hoards in the east Carpathian Basin. The concentration of stylistically close analogies
in the territory of Hungary and the presence of typologically identical finds in the assemblage
support the previous hypothesis that they were indeed looted somewhere in ‘Szabolcs-Szatmár-
Bereg County’. A plausible findspot can be located in the northern and central areas of
the county, such as the zone between Nyírmada, Mátészalka, Kántorjánosi, and Vaja, the area
where the police action took place.
these burials are associated with a prominent elite in the Ha C Period that maintained long-ranging contacts with communities in the (north)west and south. By contrast, virtually nothing is known about either the extent of the EIA settlement both in geographical and chronological terms, its inner structure, or the activity of the community associated with it. In this paper, we aim to show some of the first results of the field research conducted in the last months on the hill and to introduce the first documented EIA hoard of Somló Hill. The typo-chronological evaluation of the hoard suggests that it was deposited in the Late Hallstatt Period, i.e. the Ha D2–D3 phases.
research programme, the aim of which is to explore Somló Hill (Veszprém County), which has been neglected
by systematic field research focusing on the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and Early Iron Age (EIA) inhabitation of
the site. In the current phase of the research programme, new, preliminary results have been provided on the
settlement history of the site, primarily through a systematic metal detector survey. Based on the discovered
metal objects, the south-eastern plateau of Somló Hill was inhabited primarily between the Rei Br C and Ha B2
phases, and life on the settlement was probably continuous during the Hallstatt Culture in EIA. In addition to
briefly introducing our preliminary results, one of the four hoards, Hoard II from Somló Hill, is introduced. This
assemblage was found by Győző Csaba Budai, a volunteer, on the once-inhabited part of the south-eastern plateau.
Owing to his discovery, the in situ hoard was documented in excavation. The hoard consists of a handful
of objects belonging to a few people, such as a gouge, six Lovasberény-type bracelets, three bracelets with rolled
ends, two lumps, and a pseudo-winged axe. The arrangement and grouping of the objects within the assemblage
reflect deliberate selection and deposition. The typo-chronological analysis of the objects from the second hoard
of Somló Hill suggests that the assemblage was deposited around the younger LBA phase of the settlement in
the Ha B1–Ha B2 phases.
Late Bronze Age, East Carpathian Basin, Hajdúböszörmény horizon (Ha B1), hoarding, elite, supra-region connections, correspondence analysis, bronze vessel set, weaponry.
bronze. These unique Late Bronze Age (Br D - Ha B1) fishing / hunting instruments were distributed in the territories of
present-day Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria along the main rivers like the Danube and the Tisza. Like their antler counterparts
that emerged during the Copper Age in Europe, these metal harpoon heads have fine functional analogs in the
ethnographic materials of the Nunavut culture in northern Canada and Greenland, particularly of the Classic Thule cultural
tradition (AD 900-1600). In Carpathian prehistory, it is very likely that these harpoons were used for big fish (carp,
catfish, northern pike, beluga sturgeon, etc.) exploitation, which may have played an essential role in the local Late
Bronze Age food production strategies. The study explores the function and use of metal harpoon heads, their hafting
possibilities, and the importance of harpooning in the daily lives of Late Bronze Age societies in the Carpathian Basin.
Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest under the supervision of Gábor V. Szabó
Eastern Europe. The first one is a Ha B1 sword hoard, allegedly from Mátészalka (Hungary, Szabolcs-Szatmár-
Bereg County). The assemblage was looted in 2017. In less than a year, two of the finds have entered the
British antiquities market and they were sold under fake provenance. The second find could have been a late
Period V (Ha B3) elite burial. The looted assemblage has appeared on the domongol.org metal detectorist blog,
and it is allegedly originating from “Ternopil Oblast” (Ukraine). It contains a bell helmet with solar barge
decoration and a fragment of a unique Hajdúböszörmény-type situla, the parallels of which relate this find
to the Rivoli (Italy) burial and the metallurgical sphere of the Eary Iron Age.
collector the artefacts were found in Gönc as part of a hoard. The study discusses the dating of the finds and their technological
properties. As a results of these analyses it seems that the finds can be dated between the Br D and Ha B1 periods of the Late Bronze
Age, and one of them is most likely an ethnographic find.
armlets with crescent-shaped terminals from the Prehistoric Collection of the Hungarian National Museum. In
addition to the new Tápióbicske find, the Dunavecse, Biia, the Géza Kárász Collection find from Transylvania
and the Körös area specimens were also included in the analysis. Based on the handheld XRF results, it can be
concluded that most of the studied armlets have high Ag (21–24 wt%) and low Cu (0.06–0.17 wt%) content.
These objects form a relatively uniform group (Hartmann A3) based on their elemental composition, regardless of their type and presumed date. Lower Ag content was only detected in the Körös area find (ca. 5.8 wt%)
(Hartmann B) and in the rivets of the Biia armlet (ca. 12.3 wt%) (Hartmann L/Q2). Our results suggest that the
studied armlets had a lower Ag content compared to the previous measurements on the Bilje, Pipea and Boarta
armlets, made by different techniques (OES, SR XRF). The applied method is not suitable to determine the origin
of the raw materials. Only the material type could be defined as native gold
in-depth analyses of these finds’ production technological, and use-wear traces, as well as the identification of
their modern damages. Several tools, e.g., a bronze chisel, stone hammers, bronze, and hardwood awls, were
used to make these exceptional finds based on surface traces. The parallels of these tools are well-known from
the contemporaneous archaeological material. Our results suggest that both ornaments can be described as finished products. In the case of the Tápióbicske armlet, it was possible to identify abrasion traces related to long or
intensive use. We also propose that the craftsmen working on these ornaments had an advanced technological
knowledge. This statement can be applied particularly to the Tápióbicske armlet whose ornaments were made by
a highly experienced, professional metal smith.
Its best parallel is the Bilje (HR) gold armlet. The results of stylistic analysis of the patterns on the Tápióbicske
gold armlet suggest that these sheet metal gold armlets may be associated with the gold and bronze products from
the Br A2 (Hajdúsámson horizon) and Br B1 (Koszider horizon) periods. Pottery discovered during the field survey of the site also supports the Middle Bronze Age dating. It seems plausible that the find was manufactured and
probably deposited around the time of the Koszider period (Br B1, 1600–1450 BC), based on the chronological
range of parallels, especially gold ones and the fine analysis and comparison of the chased, and embossed patterns
on the Tápióbicske gold armlet, as well as on the general tendency of gold object deposition during the Middle
Bronze Age in the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin. Regarding the material of the armlet, its technological
and stylistic character, along with its symbolical depictions, it is undoubtedly a special product intentionally
made for a member of the Middle Bronze Age elite, probably at the highest level of the local hierarchy
being the casting of lead on the hilt of bronze swords. There are many practical reasons for that, including changing the sword’s point of balance, repairing casting defects, and improving the fastening of metal hilts and hilt
plates. Some theorise that the addition of lead may even have a ritual explanation. In this study, handheld XRF
analyses of three Late Bronze Age (Br C–Br D) flange-hilted bronze swords from river and lake environments in
Hungary, Komárom-Szőny-Oil Refinery-River Danube (Komárom-Esztergom County), Lake Balaton, and Gyomaendrőd (Békés County), were carried out. The results of the measurements were used to determine whether
the thick, pale, grey residue on the handles of the swords could be identified as lead.
in the previous chapter, scholars have argued that some of these shifts were facilitated by the appearance of more aggressive elite groups and ‘warrior’ specialists,5 whose bellicose activities literally left marks on the besieged settlements and on hundreds of weapons recovered from Late Bronze Age sites. Through the exploration of weaponry and its development, technology, and use, this chapter focuses on violence in the Late Bronze Age as it related to broader sociopolitical developments. This era in the northern and central parts of the Balkans began around 1500 BC and terminated around 900 BC, with some regional differences. During this long period of time, due to intensive interactions between these regions, the material culture of modern-day Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and southern Hungary showed many similarities, especially with regard to bronze weaponry. By discussing the archaeological evidence, this chapter provides an overview of the weaponry and the warrior identities that emerged in the northern and central Balkans.
left unpublished in the prehistoric collection of the Hungarian National Museum for more than
half a century following its accidental discovery in 1956. The Tornyospálca-Sírkútgaz sword is a
unique weapon compared to other Middle Bronze Age (Koszider Period, Br B1) Carpathian weapons. The Valsømagle swords have a few related finds from this area and from the wider territory of
Europe. This study introduces the weapon to the scientific public with a brief discussion of related
finds and their relative chronological position. The production technology, use-wear traces, and
the deposition condition of the Tornyospálca-Sírkútgaz sword have been studied by metalwork
production and use-wear analysis, and the results are also compared to the swords and the dagger
of the eponymous Zajta hoard (Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, Hungary
on the examples of two hoards. One was found in Rinyaszentkirály (Somogy County / H) and conventionally dated to
the Ha A1 period, the other is originating from Keszőhidegkút (Tolna County / H) and it can be identified as a multiperiod
assemblage. The main goal of the study was the characterization of weapon selection in these assemblages
based on the evaluation of craft, use-wear and manipulation traces observed by macro-photographs and microscopecamera
images, and the comparison of these observations with previous experimental, archaeometrical, and usewear
data. This work allowed to gain »fragments of information« on the object’s »generalized« prehistoric and
modern biography and identify weapons with potentially »specific« prehistoric life-paths. Based on our results, the
Rinyaszentkirály hoard belongs to an exclusive category of Late Bronze Age weapon equipment. It was a personal set
(greave, metal-hilted sword, spearhead) of an individual with high social status. All objects were used, and at least two
of them could have had a specific biography. All weapons were intentionally destroyed and manipulated. The weapons
in the Keszőhidegkút hoard could represent complex sets that belonged to multiple local individuals who were part- or
full-time combatants. The use-wear analysis revealed that these weapons were indeed applied in combat, some were
intensively used, repaired, and maintained for a long period of time. During the act of deposition, these weapons were
broken into pieces, probably by plastic deformation. The selection of these large scrap hoards followed a pars pro toto
concept, they are highly structured regarding the types, technological traits, treatment and symbolic meaning of the
objects. They may have been ritual offerings by several individuals or even by an entire community during some crucial
life-cycle events. The weapon sets and their associative elements reflected the »combatant« or »warrior« identities
within these groups.
“armguard”. Both objects come from the collection of Dr. Zoltán Repkényi. The cheek guard was allegedly found
at “Kapospula-Halastavak” decades ago as part of a larger Ha A1 hoard. According to the Collector, the “arm
guard” or “armband” came to light together with a repoussé decorated knob. This “assemblage” originate from the “south Balaton region, north of Kaposvár”. These finds are most likely to be dated to the same period as the “Kapospula” assemblage or earlier (Rei. Br A2), based on a find from Unín.
We presume that they have belonged to two assemblages. Assemblage ‘A’ consists of fragments of a burnt
flange-hilted sword, an armspiral, fragments of a Type B1 cauldron and two metal sheets of uncertain function
that might have belonged to a Hajdúböszörmény-style metal vessel and a miniature greave. Assemblage
‘B’ contains only two fragments of a melted sword. Macroscopic characterization of the finds revealed that
all objects were finished products which were intentionally manipulated before their deposition. The sword
fragments were partially melted and hacked into pieces, the valuable sheet metal products were broken and
only small parts of them were buried. Assemblage ‘A’ is unique from a typological point of view as well as
object selection. It can be dated to the Ha B1 based on the metal vessels. It has a unique combination lacking
parallels among Ha B1 burials, however known among hoards from this territory and especially from the
Northeast Carpathian Basin. These finds from Tatabánya-Bánhida were previously interpreted as burials
because of the presence of melted objects. Within this study, several examples are also introduced for the
selection of melted bronzes and human remains to hoards. The combination of finds in the Tatabánya-Bánhida
assemblage and the above examples suggest that Assemblage ‘A’ could have been a rare type of hoard
(funeral hoard), which is known from the only excavated context from Pázmándfalu.
all examined by petrographic analysis. Due to the ‘dig in spits’ excavation method, two moulds were found in
diverse arbitrary spit levels, while one could be connected to a pit. This article discusses their exact location,
material, possible use, and potential analogies. In addition to an analysis of the site that relied on nearby raw
materials, we also present a collection of all settlements with metalworking activity of the period (Fig. 7). The
results show that Poroszló-Aponhát was one of the leading settlements of the Ha B1 period in many respects,
including metallurgy.
https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/s95z5xp5sr
The database comprises the elemental-composition analysis results made on Late Bronze Age (Rei. Br B2–Ha B2) bronze objects from the territory of Transdanubia, West Hungary between 1889 and 2021.
The database contains the updated and corrected literature data and the revised dating of each find. Updates have been made by Dr. János Gábor Tarbay (Hungarian National Museum) in 2021. This is the 0.0 version of this legacy database, feel free to contact the author ([email protected]) for updates and corrections.
A special thanks goes to Ádám Kőszegi and László Kolonits for their kind assistance in re-identifying Savaria Museum finds.
The database is part of the "The Technology, Use and Manipulation of Weapons from the Late Bronze Age Transdanubia" project (ID no. 134910). Project no. 134910 has been implemented with the support provided by the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary, financed under the PD-2020 funding scheme.
jewellery. Even though a prestige role is often accorded to passementerie fibulae, there is no conclusive evidence to support
this. However, it must in all fairness be noted that the manufacture of these jewellery pieces called for a complex metallurgical chaine opératoire and advanced metalworking skills. Passementerie fibulae fall into the same jewellery category as gold ornaments. Diadems, inger-rings, passementerie necklaces and spiral bracelets, whose production called for superior metallurgical knowledge. Both intact pieces and fragmentary ones come from the period’s major sites such as Velem and Sághegy. It seems to me that passementerie fibulae of Types B and C were part of the elite’s possessions because of their size, sophisticated manufacturing technique and rarity. This study will hopefully provide a irm basis for further studies on how Late Bronze Age fibulae were worn. There are still many unresolved questions regarding passementerie ibulae; the re-publication of old inds would enable an analysis of this artefact type based on exact metrical data. New, well-documented grave assemblages will no doubt contribute to a better understanding of the function of this remarkable jewellery type and to answering a set of perplexing questions.
öntést és a használati nyom elemzését kombinálja anyagvizsgálati módszerekkel és szimulációs eszközökkel.
Munkánk során szimulációs eszközökkel vizsgáljuk egy késő bronzkori tokosbalta gyártási körülményeit.
A szimuláció kiindulási és peremfeltételeit, valamint az eredmények validálását a prompt-gamma aktivációs
analízis, a neutrontomográfia és a metallográfia eredményei szolgáltatják.
- hoards from the Bronze and Iron Ages;
- additionally, by analyzing them, you use a multidisciplinary approach;
- especially if you propose the use of methods that were previously not used in research of hoard finds;
- and/or would like to propose a new theoretical approach to interpretation phenomenon of mass deposition of valuables.
We would like to invite you to participate in our session and we hope that it will be very scientifically inspiring.
In the present paper we discuss the reconstructed production technology of small, middle and outsize bronze spirals, as revealed by the results of non-destructive analyses (portable XRF, PGAA, neutron tomography and radiography). Seven artefacts were included in the survey from the collection of the Hungarian National Museum (Fig. 2.). The result of the former TOF-ND texture analysis of the Abaújdevecser spiral was also included (Kiss et al. 2015, pp. 691).
After a preliminary macro- and microscopic examination of the objects at least three different technological groups could be defined. During the XRF and PGAA testing, we focused on tracing possible differences in elemental composition in relation to the shaping of the artefacts.
The final aim was to establish the main stages of the chaîne opératoire within each technological group. Therefore, we supplemented our previous observations with results from neutron radiography and tomography.
and high-developed technological background:
to this date pre-, protohistoric and classical
weapons have been some of the most appreciated
items by warfare specialists all over the world.
Modern archaeology goes beyond the interest
in the exterior appearance of ancient weapons
and focuses on the study of the single objects
to explore new research avenues.
Technological transfer, social interaction and
conflict dynamics of ancient societies can be
investigated through the analysis of weapons
and warfare considering their material and
symbolic features. Far from being objects for
amateurs and collectors, ancient weapons
become protagonists in historical and scientific
reconstructions, with a huge potential as sources
of knowledge.
This conference is dedicated to the comparison
of different research strategies on ancient
weapons and warfare. The discussion will focus
on weapons and on their archaeological and
cultural contexts, their practical and symbolic use,
and the complexity of their technological features.
A selection of case studies presented in four small
thematic sessions will offer the opportunity to
develop interdisciplinary debates and define
future research paths.
a loop (Variant 1: with a spur, Variant 2: without a spur) made of bronze, called by the author Mikulovice-type. Based on the finds from Špičák Mountain in Mikulovice and Gór-Kápolnadomb, these tools can be dated to the Ha B1 period. They are essentially West-Central European forms, appearing in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria. Based on casting moulds, of which the Celldömölk-Ság-hegy is presented here again after Jenő Lázár, these objects were also made in the territory of the Transdanubian Urnfield culture.
The advantage of the Mikulovice type is that it can be associated with several casting moulds, which helps us see more clearly the details of its casting techniques, particularly the design of the negatives. These objects were cast with two-piece casing moulds with two negatives and one casting core. The surviving finds show similarities, but mostly unique and varied solutions were used by metalworkers in different areas. The placement of the pouring cup, the gating system, the multiple casting, and the placement of the risers are all examples of unique solutions.