S5002309

166 Mfteckć Żebro vico in Bohemio

Sito, feature	Pottery characteristics						1
	1 fine 1 wheel-t ^1 TE1, MA 1+2	Igraphit | mat. MA 8+9	e1 sandy mat. TE2, MA4	I grated surf TE2, P07	grainy surf. TE2, P08	blnck of slip VY201 -203	Sherd count
1 Mś. 2ehrovicc 20/84	28.0	2.2	32.0	21	5.1	6.3	899
1 Lovosice LT C2-D1	I 24.8	0.3	7	5.1	0.3	4.3	2152
j Poćerady 1/68	17.7	0.1	7	-	-	0.1	787
I Zńvist-bailey S	8.6	0.3	87.4	7	5.1	7	2113
1 Zavist-bailey 112	7.0	0.2	87.8	7	0.9	7	944
I Zavist-gate A, hor. II	15.9	0.7	67.2	7	15.7	7	1360
1 Zśvist-gate A, hor. III	10.9	0.2	63.7	7	3.7	? i	2126
1 Zavist-gate A, hor. IV	12.3	0.9	66.4	7	3.2	7	3010
I Zdvist-gate A, hor. V - features	6.8	0.6	73.0	7	4.5	7	471
1 ftićany 24	1.9	-	7	40.7	7	5.6	108
1 PriSimasy 1/76	1.2		7	58.9	7	5.3 |	1534

Tbble 20. LT C2-D1 features and horizons in Central and NW Bohemia: potteiy characteristics (in %). Explanationa: hor. horizon; mat., MA materiał; surf, PO surfacc; TE technique of manufacture; VY decoration; ? data not available; - not presenL Aften Sałat 1990a, tab. 2 and 4; Koutecky-Vendovi 1979; Motykovś - Drda - Rybovń 1990, tab. 1 to 4; Kuna -Waldhauser - Zavfel 1989, 18, 31; Vendova, find report in Al Prague.

Except for the afore mentioned cases, the LT C2-Dl assemblage from Mśeckć 2ehrovice has a Central European (if not pan-European) charac-ter. The closest paraliels to the fine wheel-tumed pottery and wheel-finished potteiy come from the Central Bohemian oppida, particularly Stradonice (painted pottery) and Zavist (e.g. grainy potteiy). Om amen tal elementa and motife on coarse pottery have parallels in Northwestern Bohemian settlements, especially along the middle course of the Ohre, but also in the Bflina region, not being unknown in oppida, again for ezample in Stradonice or Manching.

The comparison of the percentages of pottery characteristics of the La te Horizon in Mśeckó 2ehrovice with other regions and sites is biased, similarly as in the Early Horizon, by the lack of quantified data. A number of attributes were not recorded at all. Find complexes ofTering com-parable data are presented in Table 20.

Some comments should be offered to Table 20. The results are certainly deformed by the fact, that indi vidual features are compared to horizons, and feature fills to complexes from settlement layers. Nevertheless, some of the trends are apparent.

It is remarkable, that the percentage of fine wheel-tumed pottery does not increase in time, as it has been stated for the LT Cl period, but decreases on behalf of the utility wheel-tumed and

wheel-finished pottery (type TE2 techniąue in the Description system used here). This is apparent namely in the case of the oppidum of Zóvist where this high-quality utility w are had probably been produced, as well as on the sites situated in a rela-tively smali distance from Zśvist. (On Table 20, either sandy fabric, or grated and grainy surface are displayed, depending on the data given by dif-ferent authors.) While grated and grainy pottery was madę mostly of sandy clay, is this clay repre-sented (on the table) by a higher percentage, as it includes the unroughened parts of (grated and grainy) vessels. When only grating has been recorded, then the percentage of the wheel-finished utility pottery of sandy fabric should, in reality, be higher. On the morę distant sites this tendency is less apparent; a relatively high percentage of fine wheel-tumed pottery is typical there, accompanied, though, by an increase of wheel-finished utility ware (MSeckć Żehrovice). With increasing distance (towards NW) the situa-tion changes again: the high percentage of fine wheel-tumed pottery is conserved but the wheel-finished utility pottery (grated pots) are poorly represented (Lovosice: 5.1%) or absent (Poćerady 1/68). The fashion of replacing the fine wheel-tumed pottery by the wheel-finished utility ware was delayed here, or was not accepted by local populations at all.

Chronology and cultural background of artofacts

167

It in diaputnble, whethor tho wheel-finished utility pottery of tho "Central-Bohcmian" typc w nu not roplocod in NW Bohumia by tho grey raicaccous pottery including the typea B1-B2 aftcr VIćko-va, preaumably showing tracea of wheel-tuming or finishing (Pohlody: Vlćkovś 1991, 539*542, Tub. II). In Mśeckć 2ehrovice, though, the grey niicaccouM pottery (type 6 fabric) ahowed tracea of wheel-finishing only cxcoptionally. A relatively high percentage of fine wheel-tumed pottery, aa in Lovoaice, might imply the existencc of a local workahop.

In the analyaiB presented, the tiroe factor must play an important role: it haa not been poaaible to cBtablish an inner diviaion of the LT C2-D1 period as yet, and therefore the find collectiona compared need not be concurrent.

The Late Horizon in Mśeckć Źehrovice is, similar-ly as the Early Horizon, characterized by its rela-tively high content of graphite potteiy, ezceeding that of the Zóvist oppidum (and, naturally, that of the o pen settlements in Prague region presented in Table 20, where graphite veaaela are present in a very smali number or not at all). The grey grainy pottery occurrence in Mśeckć Żehrovice (5.1% in feature 20/84, 4.7% in the whole Late Horizon) is comparable to that found at Zóvist, where the percentage of grainy pottery is higher only in the Horizon II. This pottery type has not been considered and recorded until recently, and related data are not available with the erception of the sites of Poćerady (1% in feature 4/67: Kou-teck^ - Venclovś 1979, 55,92-93 with ref.), Lovo-sice (0.3%), Sobćsuky (0.1%: SalaS 1990a, 625, Tab. 4) and Pohlody (0.2% in feature 3/81: Vlćko-vś 1991, 528) not mentioning other unąuantified references. i

Chronologically non-diagnostic pottery There is a great variety of chronologically non-diagnostic potteiy types comprising, above all, a greater part of coarse undecorated hand-made pottery and a part of graphite combed pottery. Fragments of two strainers with holes in the base or walls were found in the settlement layer in the NE comcr of the enclosure. Their occurrence is not time-specific. One sherd of a piąte found in the ploughsoil (Fig. 62:17) gives evidence of the use of this infrequent ceramic form.

Evidence of repairs to broken vessels are provided by the reparation holes, or iron clamps that may have been preserved on the vesśels (e.g., on a graphite vessel in feature 9/81, Fig. 66:14). Reparation holes were identified in the Mśeckć 2ehrovice collection on 13 vessels from the Early Horizon features and from settlement layers. It may be assumed, from the type of vessels, that repairs were madę both in the Early and Late

Horizon. In six cases coarse hand-made pottery was involved, scven wure wheel-tumed or wheel-finished utility vessels and one fine (graphite) wheel-tumed vessel. Graphite fabric was identified (3x) as well as sandy fabric (3x), the rest being coarse pottery. The repaired vessels were pots (3x), bowls (6x), strainer (lx), and formally unidentifiable vessels.

Secondarily used pottery Spindle whorla from aherda. Discs cut-out from sherds of various parta of vessels with a hole in the middle (Fig. 63:17; 79:2,5,6; 80:21) are usually interpreted as spindle whorls. 8 items were uncovered in the fili of Early and Late Horizon features. Their fabric was mostly coarse hand-made pottery, but a graphite sherd, a sandy wheel-finished sherd and two fine wheel-tumed fragments were also used for the purpose. Roughly formed discs without a central perforation may represent half-finished spindle whorls unless they had a diflerent purpose, such as toys etc. Potter's knioes. The sherds deliberately shar-pened or polished on one or morę edges might have been used as potter’s knives. The graphite fragment (Fig. 57:9) showing the above characteristics might have been used for applying a graphite coat-ing to vessels.

CLAY ARTEFACTS

Apart from vessels, the find collection also com-prises rare objects madę from clay. These are rounded biconical spindle whorls found in the ploughsoil above feature 2B/79 (Fig. 62:18), in feature 20/84 (Fig. 79:3) and in the settlement layer above feature 20/84. They prove the concur-rent use of these modelled spindle whorls and the spindle whorls madę from sherds. Both types of spindle whorls occured in feature 20/84 of the La ter Horizon. The modelled spindle whorls are not chronologically distinctive within the La Tćne period.

Fragments of clay weights with a circular base and conical sides come from the settlement layer near storage pit 1/83 (Fig. 13:11), other fragments (of the same weight?) from the pit 1/83. They belong apparently to the Late Horizon.

SAPROPELITE ARTEFACTS AND INDUSTRY

Black (mostly Kounov-type sapropelite, according to the analysis results, cf. 2akovś forthcoming; Valterovś forthcoming) bracelets in Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia are dated, according to the finds in graves, to the LT B2b to Clb horizon (Waldhauser 1978,1,133-134, Abb. 53-54,56; Wald-hauser et al. 1987, Abb.4). The ring from Rado-vesice, grave 21, has been dated to the LT B2a/b