The Neolithic of the Great Hungarian Plain and the Vinča Complex (New Archaeological Evidences for the Relations)

Abstract

The Great Hungarian Plain has always been closely connected to the prehistoric development of Southeast Europe because of its geographic-climatic characteristics. These connections were especially well expressed during the Neolithic when several cultural phenomena of the territory display obvious Southern origins. The new archaeological finds of the Tisza region hint at the partial contemporaneity of the Körös culture, the Alföld Linear Pottery and the Vinča A. These results offer a possibility for the rethinking of the "Proto-Vinča" problem. Important evidences about the contacts extending into deeper spheres are the sacrifi cial pits from the Hungarian Plain (sites of Tiszaug-Vasutállomás and Tiszaigar- Homokbánya) in which traces of Vinia cultural phenomena may be detected. The diffusion of the Tisza and Herpály culture tells and their geographical distribu tion, suggest essential cultural links with the relevant settlements in Transylvania and the Banat. The material results of the Tisza and the Vinia exchange networks and the strong connections of the two cultural entities have been described by several authors. The Vinča import wares from the site of Öcsöd-Kovashalom enrich the earlier picture.