ESZTER BANFFY CULT OBJECTS OF THE NEOLITHIC LENGYEL CULTURE COO e CM Cog Cae LHe ARCHAEOLINGUA Series MinorARCHAEOLINGUA Editors: ERZSEBET JEREM and WOLFGANG MEID ‘The Cover Photograph represents four Neolithic Altarpieces from SW-Hungary excavated by E. Banfly (Photo: R. Fenyvesi) ISBN 963 8046 16 3 HU-ISSN 1216-6847 ) ARCHAEOLINGUA Foundation AVL Fights exerved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored i 1 (eainilted (n gny form of by any means, electronic, mechanical, digits. feconding oF otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher 1997 ARCHAEOLINGUA ALAPITVANY H-1250 Budapest, Uri utca 49 Word Processing and English Translation by the Author Revised by Lyn Sellwood and Lészlé Bartosiewicz Desktop Editing by Rita Kovacs Lay-out by Erzsébet Jerem Printed by AKAPRINT Budapest 9722795 retrieval system, . photocopying, Contents |. Introduction p - New finds from Hungary 21. Za 2.2. Hahét-Szartori 1... aszentbalizs-Széldhegyi mezé 2.3, Balatonmagyaréd-Hidvégpuszta. 2.4. Other unpublished pieces. Catalogue of geometric and zoomorphie altarpieces of the Lengyel-Moravian Painted culture 4. Typological features 4.1. Common features of geometric and zoomorphic pieces within the Lengyel area. Changes in types and distribution during the carly, al and late periods 4.2. Altarpieces in other neolithic cultures Early Neolithic ... Middle Neolithic Late Neolithicn: oscrteesseenccnns Problems in the Chalcolithic.. Conclusions... 5. Contextual analysis . 5.1. A technical argument, Why not oil lamps? Contextual argument. Parallel finds from Southeast Europe with well observed archaeological contexts 6. The place and function of the altarpieces within late neolithic ritual life 6.1. Neolithic “sanctuaries” 6.2. Cult comers in dwelling houses 6.3. The place and function of altarpieces within houses 7. Conclusion1. Introduction The peculiar clay objects | shall discuss in this study have always belonged {o the category of interesting small finds, occurring in different regions of the lirgely extended late neolithic Lengyel-Moravian Painted culture. Publications of such finds are known since the second half of the last century Geographically, the Lengyel and the Moravian Painted cultures, being closely related to each other, extend from the Moravian Plain through Eastern \ustria (Niederdsterreich and Burgenland), Southwestern and Middle Slovakia to the whole area of Transdanubia. The southern border of the Lengyel culture, especially in its latest phase even crosses the river Drava and reaches the Slavonian part of Croatia. Using the relative chronological sequence adapted for the Carpathian Basin, the Lengyel and the related Moravian Painted Ware culture covers the whole late neolithic development of the region (in Austria, © 84 this period is called Middle Neolithic). The final phase of the culture sur- ‘ives into the Early Chalcolithic, being coeval with the Eastern Hungarian liszapolgar and the Balkanic-Lower Danubian Karanovo VI-Gumelnita cul- lures, In absolute terms the beginning of the culture can be put at about 1800 BC (calibrated), while the latest phase ends at approximately 4300 BC (calibrated), Distribution of the Lengyel-Moravian Painted Ware culture