An unusual community in death – Reconsidering of the data on the mortuary practices of the Balaton-Lasinja culture in the light of bioarchaeological analyses.

Abstract

The paper is based on findings and finds from the Middle Copper Age Balaton-Lasinja culture were discovered at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszentegyháza site in June, 2000. Based on the results of archaeological, anthropological, and ancient DNA analyses these pits can be evaluated as archaeological records for a previously unknown secondary mortuary practice of the Balaton-Lasinja culture in Hungary which, however, has already been known from several coeval from the neighbouring countries. On the one hand, the manipulation with skulls and postcranial skeleton parts can be traced back to Early Neolithic roots (LICHTER 2001, KUIJT 2008; ZALAI-GAÁL 2009), furthermore, Features 45 and 46 can well be compared to Copper Age ritual activities in deep shafts and wells. The diversity of the mitochondrial DNA lineages of the studied Balaton-Lasinja individuals does not support the explanation of execution or sacrifice of a single family, but rather speaks for the secondary inhumation of certain individuals from a larger community. This is supported by the evidence from δ13C, δ15N and 87Sr/86Sr isotopes that exhibit a range of variation indicative of individuals of heterogeneous, in some cases potentially non-local, origins. The number of the individuals concerned, the loose kinship connections between them, and the peripheral situation of the pits inside the settlement suggests a communal ritual, enacted by the whole community (probably the inhabitants of the village).

Full text

Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense 7
Eszter Bány und Judit P. Barna (Hrsg.)
„Trans Lacum Pelsonem”
„TRANS LACUM PELSONEM”
PRÄHISTORISCHE FORSCHUNGEN
IN SÜDWESTUNGARN (5500–500 v. Chr.)
PREHISTORIC RESEARCH
IN SOUTH-WESTERN HUNGARY (5500–500 BC)
Herausgegeben von
Eszter Bány und Judit P. Barna
CPP
7
Die Reihe Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense wurde 2010 gegründet, um die Ergebnisse
archäologischer Forschungen in und um die spätantike Befestigung von Keszthely-
Fenékpuszta, in der Klein-Balaton-Region und in Südwestungarn vorzulegen. Dieses Areal
weist auch ein dichtes Netz an Fundplätzen vom Neolithikum bis zur Eisenzeit auf und
liefert Hinweise auf Okkupationsprozesse auf einer überregionalen, komparativen Ebene.
Die systematische Erforschung der prähistorischen Besiedlung des südwestlichen
Transdanubiens begann 1979. Ein großes Projekt mit Prospektionen und Ausgrabungen
wurde vor der Rekultivierung der Feuchtgebiete am südwestlichen Ende des Balaton
durchgeführt. In den 1980er und 1990er Jahren folgten Projekte in den Hahót- und
Kerkatälern, die weitere westungarische Gebiete erfassten. Die Forschungen wurden im
Rahmen des Autobahnbaus M7 entlang des Südufers des Balaton und in Richtung Kroatien an
mehreren Orten fortgesetzt. Im vorliegenden Band werden Ergebnisse aus diesen drei großen
Projekten vorgestellt, ergänzt durch aktuelle Ergebnisse aus Rettungsgrabungen. Einige
Beiträge setzen sich mit neuen naturwissenschaftlichen Methoden, wie aus dem Bereich der
historischen DNA-Forschung auseinander, andere liefern wichtige Materialauswertungen
älterer Ausgrabungen.
The Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense series was established in 2010, its aim being to
publish the results of archaeological investigations in and around the late antique fortication
of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, in the Little Balaton region and Southwest Hungary. This area
is home to a dense network of sites from the Neolithic through to the Iron Age, thereby
providing signicant insights into occupation processes at a supra-regional comparative
scale.
Systematic research into the prehistoric settlement pattern of south-western Transdanubia
began in 1979. A large project with surveys and excavations was necessary before the re-
cultivation of the wetland area in the south-western part of Lake Balaton. This was followed
by project during the 1980s and 1990s in the Hahót and Kerka valleys, covering segments
of Western Transdanubia. Finally, the investigations conducted before the M7 motorway
was built in the 1990s along the southern shore of Lake Balaton and towards Croatia gave
the opportunity to investigate further sites. This volume contains results from the three large
projects and from recent eldwork undertaken by contract archaeology. Completely new
natural scientic methods like ancient DNA research are applied; meanwhile, the long-
overdue publication of some old material has also been included.
ISBN 978-3-89646-157-5
ISSN 1869-9901

„TRANS LACUM PELSONEM“

CASTELLUM PANNONICUM PELSONENSE
Vol. 7
Redigunt
A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont Régészeti Intézet
(Archäologisches Institut des Geisteswissenschaftlichen Forschungszentrums
der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften)
Leibniz Institut für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Europas (GWZO)
Balatoni Múzeum (Balatoni-Museum)
Römisch-Germanische Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts
Budapest • Leipzig • Keszthely • Frankfurt/M. • Rahden/Westf.
2019

„TRANS LACUM PELSONEM”
PRÄHISTORISCHE FORSCHUNGEN IN
SÜDWESTUNGARN (5500–500 v. Chr.)
PREHISTORIC RESEARCH
IN SOUTH-WESTERN HUNGARY (5500–500 BC)
Herausgegeben von
Eszter Bánffy und Judit P. Barna

430 Seiten, 174 Abbildungen, 19 Tabellen, 26 Tafeln
Gedruckt mit Unterstützung
der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts
Bibliographische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek
Eszter Bánffy, Judit P. Barna (Hrsg), „Trans Lacum Pelsonem”. Prähistorische Forschungen in
Südwestungarn (5500–500 v. Chr.) – Prehistoric Research in South-Western Hungary (5500–500 BC).
Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense, Bd. 7, hrsg. v. Archäologischen Institut des Geisteswissenschaftlichen
Forschungszentrums der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, dem Leibniz Institut für Geschichte
und Kultur des östlichen Europa (GWZO), dem Balatoni-Museum, der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission
des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts.
ISBN 978-3-89646-157-5
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliograe.
Detaillierte bibliograsche Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.
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© 2019
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ISBN 978-3-89646-157-5
ISSN 1869-9901
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sowie Vervielfältigung auf Datenträgern wie CD-ROM etc. nur nach schriftlicher Zustimmung des Verlags.
Umschlagentwurf: Anita Mezei, Zalaegerszeg
Umschlagvignette: Vorne: Gétye-Gyomgyáló-lejtős, 3D-Modellierung der geomagnetischen Vermessung
(s. Barna et al., Fig. 5 in diesem Band); Hinten: Rekonstruktion des Südtores der Festung von Keszthely-
Fenékpuszta, Grak: Natascha Vogt, LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn.
Satz und Layout: Anita Mezei, Zalaegerszeg
Scans und Bildbearbeitung: Krisztián Kolozsvári, Budapest
Redaktion: Judit P. Barna (MNM, Budapest), Orsolya Heinrich-Tamáska (GWZO)
Sprachlektorat: Magdaléna Seleanu (Englisch), Michèle Eller (Deutsch)
Druck und Produktion: druckhaus Köthen GmbH, Friedrichstr. 11-12, D-06366 Köthen

Introduction
The Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense series was established in 2010, its
aim being to publish the results from archaeological investigations in and
around the Roman fortifi cation of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta. Chronologically,
it focuses on Late Antiquity, but volumes in the series soon began to include
pre- and protohistoric contributions (CPP4) or articles concerning the Middle
Ages (CPP6). The Little Balaton region that includes Fenékpuszta and south-
western Hungary in a wider regional sense is home to a dense network of
pre- and protohistoric sites which also give signifi cant insights into occu-
pation processes at a supra-regional comparative level. The rich spectrum
of fi nds and contexts in the area led to the idea of assembling a volume that
presents older and newer research in the region from the Neolithic to the Iron
Age. This objective could not have been reached without the support of the
Romano-Germanic Commission (RGK). Eszter Bánffy, director of the RGK,
approved the project and worked towards developing the concept a longside
Judit P. Barna. The substantial contribution of the RGK, both fi nancial and
in terms of the content of this volume, is acknowledged by including the
Commission to the other Institutions as a co-editor of this series. Orsolya
Heinrich-Tamáska oversaw the gestation of the book – as she had done for
previous volumes – on behalf of the institutions involved in its publication.
The contributions are arranged chronologically, starting with the Neoli-
thic. The main focus of the volume is on the Copper and Bronze Ages, with
an excursus into the Late La Tène period at the end. While the volume con-
tains results from recent fi eldwork undertaken by contract archaeology and,
even more importantly, those of completely new methods like ancient DNA
research, the long-overdue publication of some material has also been includ-
ed. The studies also refl ect the decades-long, intensive Neolithic and Chal-
colithic research activity of Zsuzsanna M. Virág and Judit P. Barna and their
teams on behalf of the Balatoni Museum of Keszthely.
Research into the prehistoric settlement pattern of south-western Trans-
danubia kicked off in 1979. A governmental decision came into force at that
time to re-inundate the former marshland in the estuary of the Zala river
and the south-western part of Lake Balaton, in the Little Balaton region. Ever
since the nineteenth century, the land, which had been intentionally drained
in the hope of promoting agricultural use, failed to be productive. Thus, be-
fore the re-cultivation of the area, which today is under strict natural protec-
tion, the archaeological and heritage sites of the region had to be surveyed.
Fieldwalking, surveys and excavations were carried out in cooperation with
the Thury György Museum (Nagykanizsa), the Göcseji Museum (Zalaeger-
szeg), the Balatoni Museum (Keszthely) and the Archaeological Institute of
the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Some of the contributions to the present
volume are intended to belatedly offset the debt owed to this past research.
The years of the Little Balaton project proved to be an initial step in long-
term and large-scale survey and excavation activity further west, in the valley

6Introduction
connecting Nagykanizsa to Zalaegerszeg (e.g. the Hahót project, 1986–1993)
and eventually the basin lying close to the Austrian and Slovenian border
(the Kerka project, 1995–2002). These projects triggered further research into
prehistory and produced some conclusive results from the Neolithic to the
Iron Age in the broader region of western Transdanubia. Finally, the investi-
gations conducted before the M7 Motorway was built in the 1990s along the
southern shore of Lake Balaton and towards Croatia gave the opportunity to
record further sites.
The present volume could draw on this long research tradition. Yet, it is
not unusual that the publication of such a composite volume takes time to
come to fruition. Most of the manuscripts were handed in by their authors as
early as the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016. Thus, the lack of references
to literature published after that time is not the authors’ fault, but a symptom
of the “sickness” affecting multi-authored volumes and hence the result of
the long-drawn-out editing process. We would like to thank all our authors
for their patience and hope that the resulting volume has been worth the long
wait.
One of the authors, László Horváth, sadly did not see this book come out.
He had long been committed to the archaeology of the Iron Age and Roman
period in south-western Hungary and took part in the investigations and ex-
cavations of the Little Balaton project and at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta. His es-
say in our volume was to be the last in a distinguished series of publications.
We hope that this collection of studies on the late prehistoric settlement
and occupation of the Little Balaton region is not merely redeeming an old
debt, but a presentation of useful and stimulating results from current re-
search and an inspiration to all those interested in the lives of the early sett-
lers of this region.
Frankfurt am Main, Budapest and Leipzig, May 2019
Eszter Bánffy, Judit P. Barna and Orsolya Heinrich-Tamáska

Inhalt / Contents
Introduction
9 KRISZTIÁN OROSS, LÍVIA SIMMER and PÉTER STRAUB
Regionality in fl uidity: the Linearbandkeramik site at Keszthely-Lendl Adolf
út in western Hungary and its hinterland
73 JUDIT P. BARNA, BRIGITTA TÓTH, EMÍLIA PÁSZTOR, ZITA MÁRIA TOKAI,
K
ATALIN BIRÓ, SÁNDOR PUSZTA, ISTVÁN EKE, ADRIÁN PUSZTA, JÁNOS BUSZNYÁK,
NAPSUGÁR KOCSIS, CSILLA SZÁRAZ and BEÁTA TUGYA
Non-invasive investigations of a Late Neolithic rondel at Gétye,
western Hungary
95 KATALIN T. BIRÓ
Lithic material from Keszthely-Fenékpuszta-Halászrét
117 JUDIT P. BARNA, GÁBOR SERLEGI, ZOLTÁN FULLÁR and ESZTER BÁNFFY
A circular enclosure and settlement from the mid-fi fth millennium BC at
Balatonmagyaród-Hídvégpuszta
161 ANNA SZÉCSÉNYI-NAGY, JUDIT P. BARNA, ALEXANDER MÖRSEBURG, CORINA KNIPPER,
ESZTER BÁNFFY and KURT W. ALT
An unusual community in death – Reconsidering of the data on
the mortuary practices of the Balaton-Lasinja culture in the light of
bioarchaeological analyses
187 ZSUZSANNA M. VIRÁG
with contributions by JÁNOS DOBRÁNSZKY and IVÁN GRESITS
Data on the Copper Age metallurgy of Transdanubia
217 MÁRIA BONDÁR
The Archaeological Legacy of Late Copper Age communities in the
Keszthely area and the Little Balaton region
237 VIKTÓRIA KISS
Bronze Age anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations in Hungary
253 GÁBOR ILON
Die Entstehung und Zeitstellung der Hügelgräberkultur (≈1650/1600–
≈1350/1300 BC) in Westtransdanubien. Ein Versuch mittels
Typochronologie und Radiokarbondaten
329 RÓBERT MÜLLER
Der spätbronzezeitliche Hortfund von Várvölgy, Szebike-tető
367 JÁNOS GÁBOR TARBAY
Disc cuirasses or costume sets? A Late Bronze Age ribbed “phalera” type
from East-Central Europe

8
Inhalt / Contents
385 JÁNOS GÁBOR TARBAY and BÁLINT HAVASI
Wheels, vessels and Late Bronze Age fi bulae – An „elite hoard“ from
Szentgyörgyvár-Felsőmánd, Site B (Hungary, County Zala)
417 LÁSZLÓ HORVÁTH (†)
Bemerkungen zum spätlaténezeitlichen Urnengrab aus Keszthely-
Fenékpuszta
427 Bildnachweis
429 Autoren

An unusual community in death – Mortuary practices of the
Balaton-Lasinja culture in the light of bioarchaeological analyses1
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper,
Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
Introduction1
Two pits (Features 45 and 46) containing
the remains of at least twenty individuals, dat-
ed to the Copper Age Balaton-Lasinja culture,
were discovered at the Keszthely-Fenékpuszta,
Pusztaszentegyháza site in June 2000 (Fig. 1).
The following paper is made up of two parts:
the fi rst reports on the site, together with a de-
scription of the archaeological contexts and the
fi nds from the features, while the second covers
the bioarchaeological analyses and their results,
performed within the framework of a German-
Hungarian bioarchaeological research project
led by K. W. Alt and E. BÁNFFY (2013; SZÉCSÉNYI-
NAGY 2015, 57–72). Our fi rst goal was to deter-
mine the possible maternal relations among the
individuals buried in Features 45 and 46 and to
identify the skeletal elements of the same indi-
viduals buried in separate pits. Secondly, we
performed stable isotope analyses on teeth and
bones to gain insights into the dietary habits
and mobility patterns of the people involved.
Part I: The archaeological contexts
Large-scale excavations with the aim of inves-
tigating a Migration period cemetery were con-
ducted by Róbert MÜLLER (2001; 2002) at the site
between 1998 and 2000, during which a 900 m²
large part of the site was uncovered. Nine pits
1 This project was supported by the German Research
Foundation (AL 287-10-1). Technical support during
sample preparation and the analyses of the stable iso-
tope samples by Marc Fecher, Willi Dindorf, Sigrid
Klaus, Gerlinde Borngässer and Bernd Höppner at
the Institute of Anthropology and Organic Chemis-
try at the University of Mainz and the Curt Engel-
horn Center for Archaeometry GmbH at Mannheim,
Germany, are gratefully acknowledged.
dated to the Balaton-Lasinja culture (Features
45, 46/2000, 56, 58, 61, 62, 68, 70/2001 and
53/2002) were uncovered alongside archaeo-
logical features dating to various other periods.2
The Copper Age settlement features were found
in the south-eastern section of the excavated
area, partly beneath graves from later periods
(from the Late Bronze Age and the early medi-
eval period; Fig. 2).
In order to learn more about the nature of the
Balaton-Lasinja settlement site, the intensity of
its occupation and its extent, new excavations
were conducted by J. P. Barna in 2001 and 2002.
The 1,145 m² large excavated area lay south and
east of the previously investigated part of the
site. Since a total of 174 archaeological features
dating to the Middle Ages and only six features
of the Balaton-Lasinja culture came to light, it
became clear that the excavation of the Copper
Age settlement made up of dispersed, sporadic
features would be virtually impossible. There-
fore, the further investigation of the site was not
continued.
Features 45 and 46 were located on the
north-western boundary of the settlement’s
area investigated during the fi ve excavation
campaigns, far from the other settlement fea-
tures. The single Balaton-Lasinja feature (Fea-
ture 53/2002) found in the test trenches opened
in 2002 lay some 110 m south of the two pits
discussed here. The core of the settlement was
not found: it presumably lies to the south and
east of the area investigated in 2001. Based on
these data, the minimal north to south extent of
the settlement can be estimated as roughly one
hundred metres.
2 We wish to thank R. Müller for kindly permitting us
to publish the Copper Age features and material ex-
cavated by him at the site.

162
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
Description of Features 45 and 46
Feature 45: The pit lay at a depth of about
0.80 m from the current surface. The small,
1.35 m x 1.20 m large amorphous pit (Fig. 3.1)
was cut by earthen walls separating the excavat-
ing sections and accordingly it was unearthed
in parts. The powdery, greyish-black fi ll mixed
with pieces of charcoal and burnt daub frag-
ments could be clearly observed underneath
the medieval level (Fig. 3.2). It contained a high
number of pottery sherds, human skeletal re-
mains, including calcined fragments, several
bone and stone artefacts, and animal bones.
The pit had a dished fl oor, its southern part
was covered with a layer of brownish-yellow
sand mixed with 0.25 m thick lime lumps. Only
a few sporadic fi nds were recovered from this
layer. The maximum depth of the pit was 1.13 m
measured from the modern surface and about
0.30 m from the pit’s mouth.
The seven completely or fragmentarily pre-
served human skulls were the perhaps most re-
markable fi nds from the pit. Five lay on the pit’s
fl oor, beside its northern and southern wall.
Two children’s skulls (Nos 1–2) were found in
the pit’s south-western part, which was excavat-
ed fi rst. Pottery fragments and several human
bones were found randomly around and on the
top of the skulls. The other fi ve skulls (Nos 3–7)
lying on top of each other were discovered in
the pit after the section wall was removed (Fig.
3.1; 4). Pottery sherds and burnt daub fragments
lay above the skulls. Additional skull fragments
were discovered during the excavation of the
pit’s eastern part; however, we were unable to
determine, either during the excavation or dur-
ing the anthropological examination, whether
they came from the same skulls or from other
ones.3
Feature 46: The feature with a roundish
ground plan originally serving as a storage pit
was cut by an early medieval burial (Grave
3 The anthropological examination of the skeletons
was undertaken by ZS., K. ZOFFMANN (2005) of the
Hungarian National Museum.
Fig. 1 Location of the Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszentegyháza site.
0 100 km
0 500 m
0 100 m
b
a
c

163
An unusual community in death
148) in the south-west and by Grave 1464 in the
south-east, which wholly destroyed some parts
of it (Fig. 5.1). The black fi ll of the pit could be
clearly distinguished from the yellow sand sub-
soil. The fl oor of the beehive-shaped pit was fl at,
its walls curved outward fairly evenly from the
pit’s mouth (Fig. 5.2). Distinct layers could not
be identifi ed, except for an about 8 cm thick lay-
er of charcoal with indistinct edges in the pit’s
southern part. The fi ll of the pit contained large
chunks of charcoal and burnt daub fragments.
It was rich in fi nds, yielding a high number of
pottery sherds, bone awls and human skeletal
4 A considerable number of Copper Age sherds was
also found in the fi ll of the west to east oriented child
burial that cut Feature 46.
remains. Most of the skeletal remains probably
came from two new-born babies or children
(Inf. I–II). Most of the human bones did not lie
in anatomical order, but in a random position
along the pit’s wall, the single exception being
the upper part of a child’s body, found in ana-
tomical order, although without the head and
the arms. These remains were found on the fl oor
by the pit’s western wall (Fig. 6). A few lumps of
a reddish, slightly burnt daub-like material was
observed roughly in the place where the head
should have been, together with another patch
of charcoal measuring 0.35 x 0.20 m. The size of
the pit was 1.38 m x 1.46 m at the mouth and
1.75 m x 1.95 m at the fl oor. Its maximum depth
was 1.33 m measured from the modern surface
and about 0.53–0.56 m from the pit’s mouth.
Fig. 2 Plan of the excavation showing all excavated features at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszentegyháza.
Features dated to the Middle Copper Age are shown in dark grey.
0 20 m

164
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
Fig. 4 Part of Feature 45 containing human skulls.
Fig. 3 3.1 Plan of Feature 45: 1–7 Human skulls; 8 pottery sherd; 9 animal burrow; 10 fragment of a skullcap;
3.2 Cross-section of Feature 45: 1 Ploughed layer (grey); 2 mixed layer (brownish-grey); 3 disturbed layer
(reddish-brown); 4 powdery fi ll of the pit (greyish-black); 5 animal burrow;
6 sand mixed with lime lumps (brownish-yellow).
Accidentally
excavated
sub-soil
Present surface
Earthen wall
1
2
3
4
5
67
8
9
1
2
123456
10
A
B

165
An unusual community in death
Fig. 6 Skeletal remains of a child lying in anatomical order on the fl oor of Feature 46.
Fig. 5 5.1 Plan of Feature 46: 1 Upper part of the body of a child in anatomical order; 2 patch of charcoal;
5.2 Cross-section of Feature 46: 1 Homogeneous fi ll of the pit; 2 layer of charcoal with indistinct edges;
3 pottery fragments.
Grave 148
Grave 146
A
B
AB
1
2
3
1
2

166
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
Fig. 7 Selection of the pottery fi nds (1–13) from Feature 45.
0 10 cm
123
456
7
8
910
11a–b
12 13

167
An unusual community in death
Fig. 8 Selection of the ceramic fi nds (1–12b) from Feature 46.
0 10 cm
123
45
67
8
9
10 11
12–-b

168
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
Description and dating of the fi nds
excavated in Features 45 and 46
Because this paper focuses primarily on the
results of the DNA analyses of the samples ex-
tracted from the human remains uncovered in
Features 45 and 46, only a broad description of
the ceramic material is presented here.
A selection of the most typical vessel types
and their decoration among the fi nds recovered
from Features 45 and 46 is shown in Figures
7 and 8. The most characteristic vessel forms
are represented by one-handled biconical cups
decorated with incisions and stabs (Fig. 7.1; 8.1),
kantharos-like cups with two high-drawn han-
dles (Fig. 8.3), biconical bowls with indrawn rim
and sharply carinated shoulders (Fig. 7.7–11;
8.4–7), spouted bowls (Fig. 7.11a–b), large am-
phoras with cylindrical neck (Fig. 7.5), mugs
with cylindrical neck (Fig. 7.6), one-handled
biconical mugs (Fig. 8.8), biconical storage ves-
sels with indrawn rim (Fig. 7.12; 8.10–11), large
pedestalled bowls (Fig. 7.13) and handled pots
(Fig. 8.9). Other artefacts include two clay spoon
fragments (Fig. 7.3), a fan-shaped end-scraper
made of north Transdanubian (Sümeg) silex5
(Fig. 9.1), the fragment of an artefact made from
a fi ne tubular bone (Fig. 9.3), fi ve polished bone
5 Length: 1.0 cm, width: 1.0 cm. We are grateful to
Katalin T. Biró (Hungarian National Museum) for
her examination of the lithic fi nds.
Fig. 9 Stone and bone fi nds (1–7) from Features 45 and 46.
0 20 cm
1 2
34
5
6
7

169
An unusual community in death
awls (Fig. 9.2, 4–7) and several small calcined
animal bones.
Two fragments of a biconical storage vessel
that could be refi tted (Fig. 8.12a–b) are of par-
ticular importance because one was found in
Feature 45 (Fig. 8.11), while the other one lay in
Feature 46 (Fig. 8.10). The fi nd contexts of these
two sherds indicate that the two pits had been
infi lled at roughly the same time, which must
by all means be borne in mind in the assessment
of the individuals whose remains were found in
the two features.
Only a few stone artefacts came to light from
the two features. All of them are blades, not a
single polished stone tool was found.
No copper fi nds were recovered during the
excavations; however, according to the personal
communication of a private collector, a fl at cop-
per axe resembling the one published from Za-
lavár-Basasziget6 lying nearby had earlier been
found as a surface fi nd at the site.
The ceramic fi nds from both pits are typical
wares of the Balaton-Lasinja culture and date
the assemblage to the Middle Copper Age. The
6 A symmetrical, fl at, Szakálhát-type copper axe. For a
detailed discussion, see Zs., M. Virág’s study in this
volume.
Balaton-Lasinja culture followed the Lengyel
cultural complex and was distributed in Lower
Austria, Slovenia, north-western Croatia, Trans-
danubia and eastern Bavaria. Its local variants
are designated under different names in Austria
and southern Germany (SOMOGYI 2000, 5). Since
no radiocarbon dates are available for the site
and its excavated features, the absolute chrono-
logical position of this fi nd assemblage can only
be determined through a comparison with other
sites. Only a few radiocarbon dates are avail-
able for the Balaton-Lasinja culture in western
Hungary, according to which it can be dated
between 4300 and 4000 cal BC. The culture was
contemporaneous with the Ludanice culture
farther to north in the western Carpathian Ba-
sin and with the Bodrogkeresztúr A horizon in
eastern Hungary (OROSS et al. 2010, 401).
Part II: The anthropological results for
Features 45 and 46
The anthropological fi nds from Features 45
and 46 have already been published by Zsuzsan-
na ZOFFMANN (2005) and are briefl y introduced
here. Feature 45 yielded two human skulls lying
beside each other and another fi ve skulls were
Fig. 10 Photos of KEFP 8–12 before the DNA sampling in 2010.
12345
0 10 cm
KEFP8 KEFP9 KEFP10 KEFP11 KEFP12

170
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
found in a farther part of the pit. Additional
bones were recovered from the pit’s fi ll. The
mandibles and between one and three cervical
vertebrae were found together with the skulls,
suggesting that the heads had been placed on
the fl oor of the pit before the epicrania were de-
composed. However, traces of animal bites on
Skull 4/45 indicate that it had lain uncovered
for some time prior to its burial. Faint traces
of burning were documented in a few cases,
which can be regarded as secondary events af-
ter the inhumation. Traces of perimortem trau-
mas were not attested and cut marks were also
missing at the cervical vertebrae of the human
remains from Feature 45. Only signs of earlier
injuries were documented, which had healed
without any infection in two cases (Skulls 3 and
5/45). Based on the anthropological fi nds and
their age distribution, Zoffmann interpreted the
human remains from Feature 45 as representing
a family that had been executed or sacrifi ced
(Table 1).
In Feature 46, the most signifi cant fi nds were
the chest part of a child in anatomical order but
lacking the scapula, the clavicle and the sternum,
accompanied by the long bone remains of at
least eight children of the infans I–II age groups,
the skull of a neonate, a young (juvenile) male
and an adult female. ZOFFMANN (2005, 55) inter-
preted the child’s chest as resulting from some
Laboratory
code Feature Inventory
number
Type of
excavated
skeletal
remain
Age Basis of
the age
determination Sex DNA sample
type A DNA sample
type B
KEFP1 45. 2000.01.01 skull 6-7
teeth
and
ossifi cation
of cranial
sutures
male? m2 (65) m1 (64)
KEFP2 45. 2000.01.02 skull 1.5-2 indet. right petrous
bone left petrous
bone
KEFP3 45. 2000.01.03 skull 17-22 female M1 (46) PM (24)
KEFP4 45. 2000.01.04 skull adultus female M1 (16) M3 (28)
KEFP5 45. 2000.01.05 skull 6-8 male? m2 (65) m1 (55)
KEFP6 45. 2000.01.06 skull adultus male M1 (46) PM (44)
KEFP7 45. 2000.01.07 skull 6-7 indet. m2 (65) m1 (64)
KEFP13 45. 2000.01.08 stray fi nd:
mandible adultus-
maturus teeth male? M1 (36) M3 (38)
KEFP8 46. stray fi nd 37-46
sizes and
morphological
features of the
bones
female? left femur -
-46. 2000.01.09 chest: ribs,
vertebrae 2-4 indet. not sampled not sampled
KEFP14 46. 2000.01.10 stray fi nd 17-18 male? left femur -
KEFP9 46. stray fi nd infans II-
juvenis indet. left humerus -
KEFP10 46. stray fi nd infans I-II indet. right humerus -
KEFP11 46. stray fi nd infans I-II indet. left humerus -
KEFP12 46. stray fi nd infans I-II indet. right humerus -
Table 1 Basic data of the investigated samples. The age and sex determinations were performed by ZOFFMAN
(2005). The laboratory codes of the samples were assigned during the ancient DNA and stable isotope
analyses in Mainz, Germany. The teeth are numbered in brackets according to the FDI (Fédération
Dentaire Internationale) dental notation.
Lowercase letters denote deciduous teeth and capital letters denote permanent teeth used as DNA samples.

171
An unusual community in death
ritual practice that included the removal of the
heart and lungs, although there were no visible
cut marks on the bone fragments. Of the thirteen
humeri from Feature 46, fi ve could be paired
with each other and two of the four femora
also formed a pair. There were no cut marks or
burns on the children’s long bones either.
DNA analyses
The human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
is an extranuclear part of the human genome,
which is present in multiple (up to several thou-
sand) copies per cell, even in bone tissues. Its
abundance makes it easy to study in the re-
mains of ancient organisms, which suffer post-
mortem degradation and DNA decay. The mi-
tochondrial genome is exclusively maternally
inherited in humans (GILES et al. 1980), which
enables genealogical researchers to trace mater-
nal lineages far back in time. There is usually
no change in mtDNA from parent to offspring,
since mtDNA recombines only with copies of it-
self. Phylogenetic and population genetic analy-
ses are therefore free of the complexities that are
imposed by the biparental recombination of the
nuclear autosomes. On the other hand, extranu-
clear mtDNA has a much higher mutation rate
than nuclear DNA. The polymorphic nature of
mtDNA makes it useful in assessing the genetic
relationships of individuals or groups. The re-
lated (usually monophyletic) lineages have
been classifi ed into haplogroups, which contain
lineages (also called haplotypes) sharing com-
mon ancestors.
In 2010, we sampled the human remains
from the Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszent-
egyháza site in the Balaton Museum for DNA
and stable isotope analyses. We sampled all
skulls from Feature 45, and all separable (pairs
of) long bones from Feature 46 for the ancient
DNA analyses.7 The sampling preferred the
petrous bone, teeth and long bones because
previous analyses showed that these skeletal
elements usually contain more DNA than ribs,
vertebrae or other specimens (Fig. 10; Table 1).
All ancient DNA analyses were performed in
the ancient DNA facilities of the Anthropologi-
cal Institute of the Johannes Gutenberg Univer-
7 Individualisation was performed by B. G. Mende.
sity in Mainz. The ancient DNA work was car-
ried out following earlier published protocols.
The decontaminated samples were ground to
fi ne powder using a mixer mill. The DNA was
extracted using the phenol-chloroform method
(BRANDT et al. 2013, Supplementary information)
and amplifi ed in the HVS-I (nucleotide positions
16000–16409) and HVS-II (nucleotide positions
35–394) regions of the mitochondrial genome by
standard PCR, Sanger sequencing and cloning
techniques (SZÉCSÉNYI-NAGY et al. 2015, Supple-
mentary information). Besides the HVS regions,
further 22 positions were detected in the cod-
ing region of the mitochondrial genome in or-
der to ascertain the mitochondrial haplogroup
classifi cation. The analyses were subsequently
repeated, and contamination was monitored
with blank controls in the experiments. We took
two samples from the skulls; these samples
were treated in independent reactions, validat-
ing the results after the alignments of the se-
quences (SZÉCSÉNYI-NAGY 2015, 72–81). The DNA
sequences were assembled and aligned to the
revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (ANDER-
SON et al. 1981; ANDREWS et al. 1999). The mito-
chondrial haplogroups were determined with
the HaploGrep software (KLOSS-BRANDSTÄTTER et
al. 2011) checking the results manually on the
mitochondrial phylotree version 14 (VAN OVEN/
KAYSER 2009).
Results and discussion of the ancient DNA
analyses
We managed to determine the mitochon-
drial haplotype of six individuals of the eight
analysed skull remains from Feature 45. The
results showed that the skulls of three chil-
dren, one male and two females belonged to
fi ve different maternal lineages. Only an adult
female (KEFP4) and an adult male (KEFP 13)
may have been maternally related to each other,
as their HVS-I and HVS-II regions of the mito-
chondrial DNA were identical (Table 2). The
obtained haplotype of haplogroup H is unique
among the 559 individuals from the Neolithic
and Copper Age in Hungary (SZÉCSÉNYI-NAGY
2015; KEERL 2013). This rarity speaks for direct
kinship relations among the individuals. How-
ever, the level of their maternal kinship cannot
be determined by mtDNA. They may have been

172
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
siblings, cousins or more distant relatives. The
three typed children were not the offspring of
any of the two females.
The mitochondrial lineages of the six typed
skeletal remains from Feature 46 revealed that
they represent fi ve different, maternally un-
related individuals. We did not fi nd any proof
for the simultaneous deposition of parts of the
same skeleton in both pits; however, not all of
the human remains from Feature 46 were test-
ed. Only one inter-features match was detected
among the remains. A 17–22 years old female
(KEFP3) from Feature 45 may have been mater-
nally related to an infant from Feature 46 (KEFP
10). Their haplotype of the T1 haplogroup has
already been identifi ed in western Hungary in
the sixth millennium BC. While evidence for the
presence of this haplotype is lacking in the Late
Neolithic, the results presented here confi rm
its reappearance in a Balaton–Lasinja context
(SZÉCSÉNYI-NAGY 2015, Supplementary Table 3).
From a population-genetic perspective, this may
indicate a newly infi ltrating population dur-
ing the Copper Age, which would be consistent
with the archaeological record regarding sever-
al waves of impacts that had probably reached
Transdanubia from the south-east (BÁNFFY 2002).
Nevertheless, because Transdanubia is a large ge-
ographic area with an extensive series of cultural
formations during the sixth–fi fth millennia BC
and the German-Hungarian bioarchaeological
project did not investigate the entire region, evi-
dence for the T1 haplogroup from the intermedi-
ate periods may have remained undetected (SZÉC-
SÉNYI-NAGY 2015, Fig. 6). In particular, the western
fringes of Transdanubia have not been sampled
and studied suffi ciently, and therefore we cannot
compare the Balaton-Lasinja record from Kesz-
thely-Fenékpuszta with the gene pools of pre-
vious local populations. This site, however, lies
near an assumed “green corridor”, which might
have served as the “western route” through the
Carpathian Basin during the Neolithic as well as
the Early to Middle Copper Age (BÁNFFY 2002).
Movements along this route may have led to the
reappearance of certain haplogroups of southern
origins, which have remained undetected in the
eastern part of Transdanubia.
Laboratory
code Feature Inv. no. HVS-I haplotype compared to rCRS HVS-II
haplotype mtDNA
haplogroup
KEFP1 45. 2000.01.01 16157c 16311c n.d. HV
KEFP2 45. 2000.01.02 16069t 16126c 16193t 16278t n.d. J2b1a
KEFP3 45. 2000.01.03 16126c 16163g 16186t 16189c
16294t n.d. T1a
KEFP4 45. 2000.01.04 16291t 263g 315.1c H
KEFP5 45. 2000.01.05 16126c 16294t 16296t 16301t n.d. T2
KEFP6 45. 2000.01.06 n.d. n.d. n.d.
KEFP7 45. 2000.01.07 n.d. n.d. K
KEFP13 45. 2000.01.08 16291t 263g 315.1c H
KEFP8 46. 16311c n.d. HV
KEFP9 46. n.d. n.d. HV
KEFP10 46. 16126c 16163g 16186t 16189c
16294t n.d. T1a
KEFP11 46. 16126c 16187t 16189c 16294t 16296t n.d. T2f
KEFP12 46. 16192t 16270t n.d. U5
KEFP14 46. 2000.01.10 16093c 16129a n.d. H
Table 2 Results of the mitochondrial DNA analyses. Abbreviations: n.d.: no data; HVS: hyper variable
segment, mt: mitochondrial, rCRS: revised Cambridge Reference Sequence. In two cases (KEFP7 and KEFP9),
we could determine the mtDNA haplogroup with a multiplex analysis of 22 positions of the mitochondrial
genome, but could not reproduce the HVS-I sequences. KEFP3/KEFP10 on the one hand and KEFP4/KEFP13
on the other hand have identical mtDNA haplotypes .

173
An unusual community in death
Stable isotope analyses
Carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses (δ13C
and δ15N) of archaeological bone collagen is a
well-established method for identifying past
dietary patterns, while strontium isotope ratios
(87Sr/86Sr) of tooth enamel and bone apatite pro-
vide information on mobility and can be used
to identify non-local individuals at archaeologi-
cal sites. The summary of the theoretical back-
ground of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope
analyses follows the same outline as described
in MÖRSEBURG/ALT/KNIPPER (2015). Due to their
different kinetic and thermodynamic proper-
ties, these light stable isotopes have differing re-
action rates in physical, chemical and biological
processes, an effect known as isotope fractiona-
tion (SCHOELLER 1999).
The isotopic composition of bone collagen
largely refl ects that of the dietary protein (AM-
BROSE 1993; TIESZEN/FAGRE 1993), which is infl u-
enced by a wide range of environmental and
physiological factors. Carbon isotopes – ex-
pressed as δ13C, i.e. the normalised ratio of 13C
to 12C – can distinguish aquatic from terrestrial
ecosystems and C3 plants from C4 plants as ma-
jor dietary sources. C3 plants dominate in tem-
perate climates and encompass nearly all food-
relevant plants in the Neolithic. They exhibit
signifi cantly more negative δ13C values than C4
plants, which are adapted to warm and dry cli-
mates (AMBROSE 1993). The extent of the forest
cover (DRUCKER et al. 2008) and humidity levels
(KOHN 2010) are sources of smaller variations
within the C3 regime. The carbon isotope values
of organisms from freshwater aquatic habitats
are highly variable, but on average more nega-
tive than those of terrestrial origin (DUFOUR/BO-
CHERENS/MARIOTTI 1999; NEHLICH et al. 2011).
Nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) depend mainly
on the position of an organism in the food chain.
On average, there is an enrichment of 3–5‰ of
the heavy 15N isotope in human bone collagen
compared to the respective diet (SCHOENINGER/
DENIRO 1984). However, enrichment values may
vary, which complicates quantitative inferences
of the animal protein fraction of the human diet
(HEDGES/REYNARD 2007). Moreover, manuring
causes an increase of the nitrogen isotope values
in the soil and infl uences all following trophic
levels accordingly (BOGAARD et al. 2007). Other
infl uences on an individual’s tissue δ15N values
are of a physiological as well as environmental
nature such as lactation effects, malnutrition
and water stress (FULLER et al. 2006).
The retrieval of strontium (Sr) isotope ratios
from human and faunal remains allows archae-
ologists to examine past mobility patterns di-
rectly (reviewed, e.g., by SLOVAK/PAYTAN 2012).
Strontium is a trace element found in all types
of rock. There are four naturally occurring sta-
ble isotopes of Sr, of which 86Sr and 87Sr will
be considered here. 87Sr is radiogenic and re-
sults from the radioactive decay of Rubidium
(87Rb) (FAURE/MENSING 2005), so that the relative
amount of 87Sr in a rock depends on its Rb con-
tent and its age.
87Sr/86Sr ratios of groundwater, vegetation
and fauna largely refl ect the isotope values of
the underlying bedrock and soils because iso-
topic fractionation of strontium is almost negli-
gible in biologically relevant chemical reactions
(BENTLEY 2006). Humans and animals take up
strontium with their food, in which it substitutes
for the main element calcium, and incorporate it
in the mineral fraction (hydroxyapatite) of teeth
and bones. Because tooth enamel is not remod-
elled after its initial formation, its 87Sr/86Sr ratios
refl ect childhood diet, while those in the bones
may change if food from other locations is con-
sumed later in life. Assuming the consumption
of local food sources, strontium isotope ratios
in teeth go back to the location where a hu-
man individual grew up, while those in bones
refl ect the last years or decades prior to death.
There are, however, several caveats to this ap-
proach. Firstly, bones are highly susceptible to
diagenetic alteration while being buried in the
ground, so that 87Sr/86Sr of archaeological bone
fi nds rather refl ects the burial environment than
in vivo values. Secondly, the traceability of hu-
man mobility depends on the geological condi-
tions of the study area and a knowledge of the
isotopic composition of the local biologically
available strontium. Therefore, archaeological
or modern baseline samples need to be analysed
along with the human tissues of interest (ERIC-
SON 1985; PRICE/BURTON/BENTLEY 2002).
We obtained carbon and nitrogen isotope
data from seven individuals and evaluated

174
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
them for dietary information (Table 3). The ana-
lytical procedure followed G. MÜLDNER and M.
P. RICHARDS (2005) with modifi cations as given
in C. KNIPPER et al. (2013). Duplicates of 0.5 to
2 mg from each sample of fi ltered and freeze-
dried collagen were weighted into tin capsules
and combusted to CO2 and N2 in an elemental
analyser (vario EL III, Elementar Analytical Sys-
tems) connected to an IsoPrime High Perform-
ance Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer
(VG Instruments) at the Johannes Gutenberg
University in Mainz. The isotope values are
given in δ notation in per mille relative to the
standards V-DPB for carbon and AIR for ni-
trogen. The normalisation of the raw data was
achieved by a two-point calibration based on
USGS 40 or IAEA N1 and IAEA N2 for nitrogen
and CH6 and CH7 for carbon (PAUL/SKRZYPEK/
FÓRIZS 2007). The analytical error, as calculated
from repeated analyses of internal and interna-
tional standards, was 0.2‰ for δ15N and 0.1‰
for δ13C.
Strontium isotope ratios were determined
for up to three teeth from eight individuals from
Feature 45. For some of them we also sampled
cranial bones (Table 3). Sample preparation and
analysis followed previously described methods
(KNIPPER et al. 2012; 2014; 2016). Strontium sepa-
ration using Eichrom Sr-Spec resin was carried
out at the clean lab facilities of the Curt Engel-
horn Center for Archaeometry at Mannheim,
Germany. Sr concentrations were determined
by Quadrupole-Inductively Coupled Plasma-
Mass Spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS) and 87Sr/86Sr
Sa mple
ID Bone Collagen
yield [%] N[%] C[%] δ13C (‰ vs.
V-PDB)
δ15N (‰ vs.
AIR) Sr source 87Sr/86Sr +/- 2 SD
KEFP1 costa 4.5 14.7 39.6 -19.8 10.4 m1 (64) 0.70924 0.00004
KEFP2 cranium 1.7 14.4 39.3 -19.6 13.6 m1 (54) 0.70961 0.00005
----- -
pars
petrosa 0.70953 0.00005
KEFP3 cranium 1.6 13.9 37.8 -20.4 9.4 M1 (46) 0.71017 0.00001
- - - - - - PM (24) 0.71027 0.00005
- - - - - - M3 (28) 0.70992 0.00001
KEFP4 cranium 1.5 13.1 36.4 -20.2 10.7 M1 (16) 0.70850 0.00001
- - - - - - M2 (17) 0.70852 0.00001
- - - - - - M3 (28) 0.70851 0.00005
- - - - - - cranium 0.70948 0.00005
KEFP5 cranium 1.5 13.8 38.9 -20.5 10.3 m2 (65) 0.70937 0.00004
- - - - - - M1 (46) 0.70932 0.00001
- - - - - - cranium 0.70964 0.00004
KEFP6 cranium 1.2 9.1 26.1 -20.3 11.3 M1 (46) 0.70933 0.00001
KEFP7 - - - - - - m2 (65) 0.70941 0.00004
- - - - - - M1 (46) 0.70938 0.00003
- - - - - - cranium 0.70966 0.00001
KEFP13 - - - - - - M1 (36) 0.70859 0.00001
- - - - - - M3 (38) 0.70863 0.00001
KEFP14 costa 3.4 15.2 41.2 -20.8 9.3 - - -
Table 3 Results of the stable isotope analyses. Abbreviations: AIR: air; V-PDB: Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite;
SD: standard deviation. Collagen yields, nitrogen and carbon contents, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of
human collagen, and strontium isotope ratios of human teeth and bones from the site of Keszthely-
Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszentegyháza. The teeth are numbered in brackets according to the FDI
(Fédération Dentaire Internationale) dental notation.

175
An unusual community in death
ratios by Multi Collector-ICP-MS (VG Axiom) at
the same institution. Raw data were corrected
according to the exponential mass fractionation
law to 88Sr/86Sr = 8.375209. Blank values were
lower than 10 pg Sr for the whole clean labora-
tory procedure. The Eimer & Amend (E & A)
standard run along with the samples yielded
87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70797 ± 0.00002, 2 σ; n = 20.
Results and discussion of stable isotope
analyses
The analyses of carbon and nitrogen stable
isotopes yielded seven samples, which fulfi lled
the quality criteria (C and N content, atomic
C/N ratio and collagen yield as described by G.
J. VAN KLINKEN 1999, Fig. 11; Table 3). The δ13C
values varied between -20.8‰ and -19.6‰,
which indicate a diet primarily consisting either
of C3 plants or of animal resources derived from
them. The adult individuals (n = 3) exhibited
a mean of -20.3 ± 0.1‰. While it should be in-
terpreted with caution due to the small sample
size, this value falls well within the range re-
ported for Copper Age sites in the Great Hun-
garian Plain a few hundred kilometres to the
east (GIBLIN/YERKES 2016).
The δ15N values showed a wider variation,
ranging from 9.3‰ to 13.6‰, with the mean
for the three adults being 10.5 ± 1.0‰. While,
as mentioned above, these results are subject
to the limitations of sample size, they suggest
a signifi cant contribution of animal protein to
the human diet and are comparable to those
obtained for contemporaneous sites in eastern
Hungary (GIBLIN/YERKES 2016). As the site dis-
cussed here lies in close proximity to Lake Bala-
ton, aquatic sources of protein could have been
of importance for at least the male individual
exhibiting a nitrogen isotope value of 11.3‰. It
should, however, be noted that in most cases,
fresh water fi sh exhibit a δ13C depletion in their
tissues (e.g. NEHLICH et al. 2011), which would
also make the carbon isotope value in human
collagen more negative. The later cannot be ver-
ifi ed given the scarcity of the data.
The youngest of the four children analysed
here (KEFP2, 1.5–2 years old) has an elevated
δ15N value of 13.6‰, which is consistent with
a trophic enrichment relative to the mother’s
Fig. 11 Scatter plot of δ13C and δ15N values of human collagen from Keszthely-Fenékpuszta,
Pusztaszentegyháza. Please note that one individual (KEFP3), a 17–22 year old woman,
was categorised as an adult for this presentation of the data.
Category Adult female Adult male Infans I Infans I/II

176
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
tissue due to breastfeeding (e.g. JAY et al. 2008).
It has been shown using genetic data in combi-
nation with H and O isotope values from hu-
man bone collagen, which are derived from
an individual’s diet similarly to C and N, that
individuals belonging to one family who lived
in the same household exhibit homogeneous
closely clustered stable isotope values (CUI et al.
2014). The available C and N isotope data from
Keszthely-Fenékpuszta (Fig. 11) rather indicate
a considerable degree of variation in the sample
set, especially regarding δ15N.
In the context of the investigations at the Mi-
gration period cemetery of Szólád, we estimat-
ed the strontium isotope baseline range at sites
on the southern and western shoreline of Lake
Balaton as 0.7090–0.7100 based on vegetation,
water, soil and bone samples (ALT et al. 2014).
This spectrum of values is comparable to those
reported for other European loess landscapes. A
slightly different, but partly overlapping range
of 0.7088–0.7093 was estimated based on Roman
and early medieval individuals from later set-
tlement phases at the Keszthely-Fenékpuszta
site (SCHWEISSING/HEINRICH-TAMÁSKA 2011) .
However, fi ve bones from these individuals
prepared at the University of Mainz and ana-
lysed at the Curt Engelhorn Center for Archae-
ometry in Mannheim exhibited higher 87Sr/86Sr
ratios of between 0.70927 and 0.70976 (mean:
0.70961 ± 0.00042 [2 σ]) and overlap with Sr iso-
tope data of four pig teeth, three of which exhib-
ited 87Sr/86Sr ratios between 0.70951 and 0.70956,
and one an 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.70818 (Table 4).
The Sr isotope data of the teeth of the eight in-
dividuals of the Balaton-Lasinja features ranged
from 0.70850 to 0.71027, with a mean of 0.70925
± 0.00060 (Fig. 12; Table 3). All the values de-
rived from tooth enamel in children (KEFP1,
KEFP2, KEFP5 and KEFP7) and all sampled
bones (n = 4) fell into a narrow spectrum of val-
ues from 0.70924 to 0.70966 and were in agree-
ment with the local range as described above. In
contrast, three of the four adults (KEFP3, KEFP4,
KEFP13) exhibited Sr isotope values outside of
this spectrum, among which the female KEFP4
and male KEFP13 yielded very similar 87Sr/86Sr
ratios below the local range and the female
KEFP 3 above it (Table 3; Fig. 12). This would
be consistent with these three individuals living
at least their early life at locations different from
Keszthely-Fenékpuszta. The analysis of multi-
ple teeth of different mineralisation periods al-
lowed some inferences about the age at which
these non-local individuals moved to Keszthely
or an environment similar to it. The Sr isotope
ratios of the fi rst and the third molar of the male
KEFP13 fell below the local range and indicate
Sample Context Material Dating 87Sr/86Sr ± 2 SD
KESZ 1 Grave 1999/40 Human bone
(Humerus) Lombard/Avar
Period 0.70976 0.00001
KESZ 2 Grave 1977/6/11 Human bone
(Metacarpus) Carolingian Period 0.70956 0.00004
KESZ 3 Grave 1980/13/25 Human bone
(Metacarpus) Carolingian Period 0.70974 0.00003
KESZ 4 Grave 2000/89 Human bone
(Metacarpus) Roman/Late
Antique 0.70927 0.00003
KESZ 5 Grave 1978/2/12 Human bone
(Metatarsus) Roman/Late
Antique 0.70973 0.00003
KESZ T 1
Inside of tower.
Between 2nd and
3rd layer of charred
material
Pig enamel
(Molar) 5th century AD 0.70952 0.00006
KESZ T 2 10. working area,
Pit A, 1980 Pig enamel
(Molar) Late Roman 0.70956 0.00002
KESZ T 3
Inside of tower.
Between 2nd and
3rd layer of charred
material
Pig enamel
(Molar) 5th century AD 0.70951 0.00003
KESZ T 4 6th working area,
1983 Pig enamel
(Premolar) -- 0.70818 0.00006
Table 4
87
Sr/
86
Sr ratios of comparative samples of human bones and pig enamel from Keszthely-Fenékpuszta.

177
An unusual community in death
that he spent his life at least until his early ado-
lescence at a location with less radiogenic bio-
available strontium. This was also the case for
the female KEFP4, whose fi rst, second and third
molar exhibited tightly clustered and compara-
tively low Sr isotope ratios. Intriguingly, these
individuals also had the same mitochondrial
DNA haplotype and were probably maternally
related to each other.
Finally, KEFP3 is a young female for whom a
shift of the non-local Sr isotope ratios over time
towards the local range can be observed. Be-
cause her third molar has the lowest 87Sr/86Sr ra-
tio and mineralised during late childhood/early
adolescence, this female probably moved to the
site during this period. As mentioned above, all
enamel Sr isotope values exhibit a rather wide
range and a relatively high standard deviation
of 0.0006 (considering the small sample of n = 8).
Following the interpretations of A. M. POLLARD
(2011) and M. A. TAFURI et al. (2016), this sug-
gests considerable variation regarding the use
and access to food and environments among the
analysed individuals. Although the variation of
Sr isotope ratios largely depends on the local ge-
ological conditions, this can be contrasted to the
Fig. 12 87Sr/86Sr ratios of tooth enamel and bone apatite from the site of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta,
Pusztaszentegyháza. The hatched lines represent the local range as estimated from a combination of
data from bones of the investigated individuals, earlier analyses at Keszthely of samples from the fi rst
millennium AD [grey bar] (SCHWEISSING/HEINRICH-TAMÁSKA 2011) and data from the Migration period
cemetery of Szólád on the south shores of Lake Balaton [black bar] (ALT et al. 2014). Please note that
the dark grey symbols represent results from independent analyses by our group on the
individuals presented by M. SCHWEISSING/O. HEINRICH-TAMÁSKA (2011). One individual (KEFP3),
a 17–22 year old female, was categorised as an adult.
Category bone decidouous tooth M2, M3 female pig teeth PM, M1 male
bone 1 st millenium AD PM, M1 femaleM2, M3 maleM1 child

178
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
homogeneity of Sr isotope values observed at
other sites among individuals who were closely
maternally related based on ancient mtDNA. An
example for this is the Late Neolithic site of Alto
de Reinoso in Castile and León, Spain, where
the average Sr isotope value from the teeth of
19 individuals was only 0.70902 ± 0.00027 (ALT
et al. 2016). The overall pattern of strontium iso-
topes for the analysed individuals is therefore
inconsistent with a small family group, among
which very homogeneous 87Sr/86Sr ratios would
be expected, but rather implies that the individ-
uals originated from different groups.
Taken together, the δ13C, δ15N, and 87Sr/86Sr
stable isotope data from Keszthely-Fenékpusz-
ta support the hypothesis that the assemblage
from Feature 45 represents the skeletal remains
of individuals from a larger community and/
or various groups spread over a geographical
range as opposed to close relatives.
Discussion: Cultural background of the
fi nd assemblage: mortuary customs in
the Balaton-Lasinja and related cultures
The former functions of Features 45 and 46
are not clear, and thus the determination of their
purpose and the interpretation of the fi nd as-
semblages call for a more detailed inquiry. ZOFF-
MANN (2005) offered an overview of the burial
customs of the Balaton-Lasinja culture, taking
the Keszthely-Fenékpuszta site as her starting
point, while L. A. HORVÁTH and K. H. SIMON
(2003, 109–110) covered this topic with regard
to the sites of the Balaton-Lasinja culture in Zala
County. C. SACHSSE (2009) also addressed this is-
sue in her survey on the unusual, deviant buri-
als in the western Carpathian Basin. According
to these works, fairly diverse burial practices
including inhumation and cremation as well as
single or multiple burials can be observed. The
deceased were either laid to rest in a regular or
irregular position, and removed skeletal parts
have also been occasionally found. The dead
were sometimes interred in settlement features
in a secondary position or as foundation depos-
its associated with houses (SACHSSE 2009, 170).
The unique child burial found in a structured
sacrifi cial pit at Balatonmagyaród-Homoki-
dűlő (Zala County) with calcareous concretions
deposited near the body was also interpreted as
a foundation sacrifi ce (BÁNFFY 1985; 1993).
Secondary burial was also practiced by the
Lasinja and Balaton-Lasinja communities. A
large burial pit of the Lasinja culture uncovered
at Potočani (Croatia), from which the remains of
fi fty individuals were recovered, points beyond
an ordinary multiple burial and is interpreted as
a mass grave. It is dated to the period between
4230 and 4040 cal BC (BALEN 2007, 116–119; REED
2016, 6; Table 1).
The manipulation of the skull or postcranial
parts is one of the most frequent occurrences
among post-mortem mortuary practices, which
has been documented at Veszprém-Jutasi Street
for example (REGENYE 2006, 13). The perhaps
best-known Copper Age example for secondary
manipulation has been reported from a nearby
site, from Keszthely-Nádgazdaság, where the
remains of fi ve domed ovens were uncovered
inside a large house (BAKAY/KALICZ/SÁGI 1966,
79).8 The building dated to the Protoboleráz
horizon (following the Balaton-Lasinja period)
was interpreted as having a communal nature
(its size was about ca. 52 x 3–4 m). There were
human skulls lying around two ovens. A cer-
emonial trumpet of fossil Triton sea shell found
in the same house is perhaps an indication of
the assumed ritual nature of the fi nds (KALICZ
1969; 1991, 375; Fig. 19). According to a recent
argumentation, Copper Age ritual activities
were directed towards the “underworld”, and
were in this sense in sharp contrast to the orien-
tation of Neolithic sacral activities, which were
directed towards the “upper world”, i.e. the sun
and the celestial bodies in the sky (RACZKY/AN-
DERS 2012). The general nature of these rituals
can perhaps also be applied to these ritual pits.
Sporadic burials and settlement features
containing the remains of a few individuals
have been reported from the Ludanice culture
as well, and we now know that in contrast to
the Balaton-Lasinja culture, this culture had
also established small cemeteries containing a
few burials (LICHARDUS/VLADÁR 1964, 91–106;
PAVÚK/BÁTORÁ 1995, 112–115; VIRÁG 1995, 67–68;
ZSIDI/REMÉNYI 2004, 194; REMÉNYI 2004, 197). A
8 The site is mentioned as Fenékpuszta I by N. KALICZ
(1991) in one of his later works.

179
An unusual community in death
cemetery with twenty-two crouched inhuma-
tion burials, including also multiple burials,
was excavated at Budapest XVII, Rákoscsaba,
Major-hegy. Five individuals – an adult and
four children – had been buried in one of the
cemetery’s pits (VIRÁG/TÓTH 2006, 211). In gen-
eral, no differentiation in the body placement
of the deceased according to sex can be noted
in the cemeteries. Most burials were west to
east oriented (LICHTER 2001, 381). The human
remains uncovered on a settlement at Jelšovce
(PAVÚK/BÁTORÁ 1995) have been interpreted as
a sacrifi ce showing traces of violence. The skel-
etons of six persons were unearthed in several
layers in a shaft-like circular pit with a depth of
2.73 m at Bajč-Ragona (TOČIK 1991, 307–308; Fig.
4). Based on the few known examples, which
may preserve no more than a few segments of
the former diversity, the Ludanice communi-
ties had a wide variety of mortuary practices,
among them the re-use of former Lengyel enclo-
sures as burial places, cremations and burials in
caves (SACHSSE 2009, 170).
Crouched inhumation burials with grave
goods and cremations make up the mixed
burial rites of the eastern Austrian Balaton-
Lasinja group (known as the Bisamberg-Ober-
pullendorf group in that region), for example at
Schleinbach, Stillfried and Siegendorf (HAHNEL
1992; RUTTKAY 1995, 120). Skeletal remains re-
fl ecting manipulation were also found in sev-
eral settlement features. The Sommerein site is
of particular interest: the skulls of the former
occupants were discovered under the debris of
a burnt house (RUTTKAY 1995, 124). Cremation
was also practiced in the Alpine Kanzianiberg-
Lasinja group (TIEFENGRABER 2015, 227).
In Moravia, Bohemia and Silesia, the local
coeval culture is the Jordanów group, in whose
distribution no larger cemeteries have yet been
found. A few sporadic graves, both inhumation
and cremation burials, have been found on set-
tlements (SMÍD 2008, 264).
The classifi cation of the Münchshöfen cul-
ture is still debated: it is either designated as
the north-western regional group of the Bala-
ton-Lasinja complex or as a related cultural
phenomenon. Its late phase, earlier called the
Wallerfi nger facies, dates to the same, Balaton-
Lasinja horizon (SOMOGYI 2000, 5). No formal
cemeteries of this culture are known; its com-
munities deposited their dead into pits (“Si-
lobestattungen”). D. MEIXNER (2009) analysed
the skeletons and skeletal remains of 121 indi-
viduals from 54 Münchshöfen sites.9 According
to the overall picture painted by the data, the
category of “special burials” (“Sonderbestattun-
gen”) no longer adequately describes most of
these graves. In addition to regular inhumation
burials in cemeteries that are conspicuously low
in number, the practice of burial in settlement
pits can be likewise be considered as normal.
While burials in storage pits can have a ritual
dimension, their sacrifi cial nature remains con-
troversial. Meixner only regards the remains of
more individuals in an atypical deposition, the
intentional manipulation of articulated skel-
etal parts or traces of lethal injuries as genuine
special burials. It is clear that “dangerous” in-
dividuals and deceased who did not conform
to norms were treated differently than was cus-
tomary. The uniquely varied burial customs
of the Münchshöfen culture contradict the as-
sumption that a set of strict rules governed bur-
ial customs – instead, an abundance of “norms”
can be demonstrated. The differential treatment
of the dead could refl ect social status, affi liation
with a particular family or clan, local traditions,
different religious beliefs or lifeways of individ-
uals. Parts of the skeletons of two dwarves were
found in a pit in Landau a.d. Isar-Thalham: one
of them lacked the arms, bones and the mandi-
ble. In addition to the incomplete skeleton, the
round form of the pit and its content of pottery
sherds, animal bones, burnt daub fragments
and a quern stone (BÖHM 1998, 53) were also
similar to Feature 46 at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta.
In sum, the evidence reviewed in the above
indicates that the mortuary practices of the
Balaton-Lasinja horizon were characterised
by a great variety: one common feature is the
lack of formal cemeteries (with the exception
of the Ludanice culture). Cemeteries fi rst ap-
9 These include the following deposition modes: cre-
mation, burials in settlement pits which originally
had a different function; burials located farther from
the settlements; single, double or multiple burials;
multi-phase burials; secondary burials; incomplete
burials; and so-called mixed forms, representing
transitional types between the former categories.

180
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Judit P. Barna, Alexander Mörseburg, Corina Knipper, Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt
pear at the close of the Middle Copper Age in
greater number in the western Carpathian Basin
(SACHSSE 2009).
Set in this broader context, Features 45 and
46 at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta are not as unique
and unusual as at fi rst sight – rather, they can
be interpreted as refl ecting secondary mortu-
ary practices that can be noted across the entire
distribution of the cultural complex. The most
visible and archaeologically attestable aspects
of post-mortem mortuary practices are the ma-
nipulation of the skulls and the postcranial skel-
etal remains. Comparable fi nd assemblages can
principally be cited from the late Münchshöfen
culture, for example from Altdorf-Aich II, Re-
gensburg (MEIXNER 2009, 11–112) and Landau
a.d. Isar-Thalham (BÖHM 1998, 53), but compara-
ble burials can also be mentioned from the Lasin-
ja culture (Potočani: BALEN 2007), the Ludanice
culture (Bajč-Ragona: TOČIK 1991, Fig. 4) and the
Bisamberg-Oberpullendorf group (Sommerein:
RUTTKAY 1995). At the same time, there was no
clear-cut evidence for a sacrifi cial dimension
in the Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszent-
egyháza pits, unlike in the case of the sacrifi cial
pit with a child’s skeleton at Balatonmagyaród
(BÁNFFY 1985).
The results of the archaeological, anthropo-
logical, mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope
analyses can be summed up as follows:
The chronological position of Features 45
and 46 at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszent-
egyháza is clear: they can be assigned to the
Copper Age Balaton-Lasinja culture, and they
were contemporaneous as shown by an inter-
features match among the ceramic fi nds.
The human remains cannot be considered as
regular burials in a pit. Based on the fi nd con-
text and the review of the comparable fi nds of
the Balaton-Lasinja culture, Features 45 and 46
can be interpreted as evidence for secondary
mortuary practices, including the manipulation
of human skulls and postcranial skeletons.
The mortal remains of at least twenty indi-
viduals have been manipulated (Feature 45: at
least eight, Feature 46: at least twelve). The high
number of individuals does not seem to sup-
port the interpretation of Features 45 and 46 as
sacrifi cial pits, especially in view of the size and
intensity of the settlement features.
On the testimony of the ancient DNA analy-
ses, the twelve individuals successfully exam-
ined here belonged to ten different maternal
lineages. Based on the haplotype data, only two
kinship connections could be traced between
them. Only one pair of individuals in Feature
45 may have been maternally related (an adult
female and an adult male). Additionally, one of
the individuals from Feature 46 could have been
maternally related to one from Feature 45. This
second relation also supports the close connec-
tion between the two pits.
The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data
suggest a C3 plant-based diet, as was typical for
most prehistoric sites in Central Europe, with a
considerable proportion of animal protein.
The strontium stable isotope analyses yield-
ed a relatively wide range of values. They sug-
gest that some of the adult individuals might
have been of non-local origin. Furthermore, the
potential pair of maternal relatives had similar
87Sr/86Sr isotope values in their tooth enamel
that differ from the local range.
In sum, the stable isotope data indicate con-
siderable variation in the use of and access to
dietary resources. This belies a close family unit
and rather indicates individuals coming from
a wider community and/or different groups,
with some potentially of non-local origin. This
supports the interpretation of the burial in a
ritual context.
Given the loose kinship connections, the
number of the individuals concerned and the
peripheral location of the pits within the set-
tlement, it is possible that the ritual had been
performed by the entire community (the inhab-
itants of the village), rather than by a single fam-
ily.
Although a closer identifi cation of the nature
of the ritual is not possible according to the cur-
rent evidence, we can nonetheless agree with
Zs. Zoffmann that it did not involve the extrac-
tion of the marrow or the cerebrum.
The location of the pits at the edge of the set-
tlement is consistent with the use of indepen-
dent, separate ritual activity areas, a phenom-
enon noted from the beginning of the Copper
Age (BÁNFFY/BONDÁR/VIRÁG 2003). In fact, it
must be taken into consideration that the pits
originally probably had a domestic function as

181
An unusual community in death
storage pits, and that they became “ritual” fea-
tures only after being secondarily re-used. Buri-
als within settlements, especially in pits, and
mortuary practices performed there, as well as
the post-mortem manipulation of the skulls and
skeletal parts can be derived from Neolithic tra-
ditions (ZALAI-GAÁL 2009).
Conclusion
The archaeological remains from Features 45
and 46 at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszent-
egyháza can be evaluated as refl ecting the sec-
ondary mortuary practices of the Balaton-Lasin-
ja culture in Hungary, which was so far only
attested on contemporaneous sites in the neigh-
bouring countries. On the one hand, the post-
mortem manipulation of the skulls and post-
cranial skeletons can be traced back to the Early
Neolithic (LICHTER 2001; KUIJT 2008; ZALAI-GAÁL
2009), while on the other hand, Features 45 and
46 evoke Copper Age ritual activities in deep
shaft-like pits and wells. The re-assessment of
the anthropological data in the light of the re-
sults of the ancient DNA and stable isotope
(δ 13C, δ 15N and 87Sr/86Sr) analyses rather sug-
gest the secondary inhumation of certain indi-
viduals from a larger community instead of hu-
man sacrifi ces or the execution of a single family.
Thus, Features 45 and 46 can be interpreted as
the material remains of communal rites associ-
ated with Copper Age mortuary practices.
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Summary
The paper presents the fi nds and fi ndings from a site of the Copper Age Balaton-Lasinja culture
investigated at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszentegyháza in 2000. The archaeological and anthro-
pological analyses of two pits (Features 45 and 46) and the human remains from at least twenty in-
dividuals discovered in them shed light on the post-mortem mortuary practices of the Balaton-La-
sinja culture in Hungary, which have until now been only documented at contemporaneous sites
in neighbouring countries. The manipulation of the skulls and parts of the postcranial skeleton is a
practice attested from the Early Neolithic onward, and the observations discussed here share numer-
ous similarities with the remains of ritual activities documented in deep shaft-like pits and wells of
the Copper Age. Most of the fourteen sampled individuals of the Balaton-Lasinja culture have differ-
ent mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, which contradicts an explanation of the execution or sacrifi ce of
a single family. Taken together with the incompleteness of the skeletons, the evidence rather points
towards the secondary inhumation of certain individuals from a larger community. Carbon, nitrogen
and strontium isotope data support this interpretation and point to individuals of heterogeneous and,
in some cases, potentially non-local origins. The number of the affected individuals, the few potential
kinship ties between them and the peripheral location of the pits within the settlement suggest a com-
munal ritual enacted by the entire community (probably the inhabitants of the village).
Zusammenfassung
Eine ungewöhnliche Gemeinschaft im Tode. Bioarchäologische Analysen an Skelettresten
der Balaton-Lasinja Kultur
Grundlage des folgenden Beitrags sind Funde und Ergebnisse bioarchäologischer Untersuchungen
aus dem Kontext der Balaton-Lasinja Kultur der Kupferzeit. Die Ausgrabung von zwei kupferzeitli-
chen Gruben (Nr. 45 und 46) in Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Pusztaszentegyháza, fand im Jahr 2000 statt.
Von archäologischer und anthropologischer Seite wurde vermutet, dass es sich bei den Toten in den
Siedlungsgruben um Sekundärbestattungen handeln könnte. Diese Bestattungsart war bisher in der
Balaton-Lasinja Kultur in Ungarn nicht bekannt, sondern lediglich auf verschiedenen zeitgleichen
Fundplätzen in benachbarten Regionen belegt. Die beobachteten Manipulationen an den Schädeln
und am postkranialen Skelett sind für das frühe Neolithikum und später, wie bei den Befunden 45
und 46, aus rituellen Kontexten der Kupferzeit bekannt. Die hohe Diversität der mitochondrialen
DNA-Linien der 14 untersuchten Individuen spricht gegen Manipulationen oder Opferhandlungen
an den Mitgliedern einer einzigen genetisch zusammengehörigen Familie. Vielmehr scheint es sich
um bestimmte Individuen einer Gemeinschaft zu handeln, denen eine besondere Totenbehandlung
zuteil wurde. Diese Schlussfolgerung wird von den Ergebnissen der δ13C, δ15N und 87Sr/86Sr-Isotopen-
analyse gestützt, welche eine Variationsbreite aufweisen, die auf Individuen heterogener, teilweise
sogar nicht lokaler Herkunft hindeutet. Die Anzahl der Betroffenen, die sporadischen Verwandt-
schaftsbeziehungen zwischen ihnen und die periphere Lage der Gruben in der Siedlung deuten auf
ein Ritual hin, das von den Mitgliedern der ganzen Gemeinschaft – wahrscheinlich den Bewohnern
der Siedlung – gemeinsam ausgeführt wurde.

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2012, Fig. 10.5; 5.19 nach ILON 1999, Pl. 6.2; 5.20 nach ILON 2012, Fig. 8.3; 5.21 nach EGRY 2004, Fig. 6.3;
5.22 nach EGRY 2004, Fig. 6.1; 5.23 unpubliziert; 5.24 nach ILON 2014a, Fig. 8.2; 5.25 nach ILON 2014a, Fig.
8.1; 5.26 nach HORVÁTH 1994, Fig. 2.8; 5.27 nach HORVÁTH 1994, Fig. 2.10; 5.28 nach HORVÁTH 1994, Fig.
2.1; 5.29 nach HORVÁTH 1994, Fig. 1.2; 5.30 nach NAGY 2007, Pl. 3.3; 5.31 unpubliziert; 5.32 nach KÁROLYI
1979/80, Fig. 11.2; 5.33–37 unpubliziert; 5.38 nach HORVÁTH 1994, Fig. 3.10; 5.39 unpubliziert; 5.40 nach
HORVÁTH 1994, Fig. 3.7; 5.41 unpubliziert; 5.42 nach ILON 2014b, Pl. 2.5; 5.43 nach HORVÁTH 1994, Fig.
12.1; 5.44 nach FEKETE 2004, Fig. 13.6; 5.45 nach HONTI 1996, Fig. 4.7; 5.46 nach HONTI 1996, Fig. 3.3; 5.47
unpubliziert; 5.48 nach EGRY 2010, Fig. 4.6; 5.49 nach ILON 2014b, Pl. 4.9; 5.50 nach ILON 2012, Pl. 16.2;
5.51 nach NÉMETH/TAKÁCS 2003, Fig. 4.1; 5.52 unpubliziert; 5.53 nach ILON 2014b, Pl. 14.14; 5.54 nach
ILON 2012, Pl. 2.2. – Abb. 6 Fotos: T. Tárczy. – Abb. 7.1 Zeichnung: Z. F. Tóth; 7.2–3, 5 Zeichnung: I.
Ughy; 7.4 Zeichnung: P. Skriba; 7.6 Foto: Zs. Oszkó. – Taf. 6, 26 Zeichnung: T. Csuti, H. Binder. – Taf.
7 Zeichnung: A. Radics.
329–366 Róbert Müller: Abb. 1 Magyar Királyi Honvéd Térképészeti Intézet, 1938. – Abb. 2–15 Grafi k und Ta-
felzusammenstellung: R. Müller.
367–384 János Gábor Tarbay: Fig. 1–2; 3.1–2, 4.1–3, 5, 9 Photos: É. L. Horváth. – Fig. 3.3; 4.4 Drawings: J. G.
Tarbay. – Fig. 6 Map: J. G. Tarbay. – Fig. 7 Graph: J. G. Tarbay. – Fig. 8 Photos: J. G. Tarbay.
385–416 János Gábor Tarbay/Bálint Havasi: Fig. 1–3, 11–12, 14–15 Map, photos and drawings: B. Havasi. – Fig.
5, 7, 13 Photos: J. G. Tarbay. – Fig. 4, 6, 8–10 Photos: É. L. Horváth, drawing: E. Ambrus. – Fig. 16 Draw-
ing: J. G. Tarbay. – Fig. 7 Graph: J. G. Tarbay.
417–426 László Horváth: Abb. 1 Angefertigt von L. Horváth. – Abb. 2.1, 2a, 3a Grafi k: L. Horváth. – Abb. 2.2b–c,
3b Fotoarchiv Balatoni Mus. Keszthely. – Abb. 3 Zusammengestellt von L. Horváth auf der Grundlage
der im Text erwähnten Daten.
Bildnachweis / Sources of illustrations

429
Autoren / Authors
Un iv.-Prof. Dr. Kurt W. Alt
Danube Private University
Fakultät Medizin/Zahnmedizin
Steiner Landstraße 124
A–3500 Krems-Stein
kurt.alt@dp-uni.ac.at
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Eszter Bánffy
Römisch-Germanische Kommission
des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts
Palmengartenstr. 10–12
D–60325 Frankfurt/M.
eszter.banffy@dainst.de
Dr. Judit P. Barna, PhD
Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Régészeti
Örökségvédelmi Igazgatóság
Daróczi u. 1–3.
H–1113 Budapest
p.barna.judit@hnm.hu
Dr. Katalin T. Biró
Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum
Múzeum krt. 14–16.
H–1088 Budapest
tbk@ace.hu
Dr. Mária Bondár, CSc.
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont
Régészeti Intézet
Tóth Kálmán u. 4.
H–1097 Budapest
bondar.maria@btk.mta.hu
Dr. János Busznyák, PhD
Pannon Egyetem Georgikon Kara
Gazdaságmódszertani Tanszék
Pethe Ferenc u. 7.
H–8360 Keszthely
bjs@georgikon.hu
Dr. János Dobránszky
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia –
Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi
Egyetem Kompozittechnológiai Kutatócsoport
Műegyetem rkp. 3.
H–1111 Budapest
dobranszky.janos@eik.bme.hu
István Eke
Göcseji Múzeum
Batthyány u. 2.
H–8900 Zalaegerszeg
eke.istvan@zmmi.hu
Zoltán Fullár
VÁRKAPITÁNYSÁG Integrált
Területfejlesztési Központ Nonprofi t Zrt.
Daróczi u. 1–3.
H–1113 Budapest
fullar.zoltan@várkapitányság.hu
Dr. Iván Gresits
Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi
Egyetem
Műegyetem rkp. 3.
H–1111 Budapest
gresits@mail.bme.hu
Bálint Havasi
Balatoni Múzeum
Múzeum u. 2.
H–8360 Keszthely
balint.havasi@balatonimuzeum.hu
Dr. László Horváth (†)
Gábor Ilon
Kossuth u. 2.
H–9662 Mesterháza
ilon.gabor56@gmail.com
Dr. Viktória Kiss, PhD
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont
Régészeti Intézet
Tóth Kálmán u. 4.
H–1097 Budapest
kiss.viktoria@btk.mta.hu
Dr. Corina Knipper
Curt Engelhorn Zentrum Archäometrie
D6,3
D–68159 Mannheim
corina.knipper@cez-archaeometrie.de

430
Napsugár Kocsis
Pannon Egyetem Georgikon Kara
Növénytermesztési és Talajtani Tanszék
Deák F. u. 16.
H–8360 Keszthely
kocsisnapsugar@freemail.hu
Alexander Mörseburg MPhil
University of Cambridge
Department of Archaeology
Fitzwilliam Street
UK-Cambridge, CB2 1QH
alexandermoerseburg@gmail.com
Dr. Róbert Müller, DrSc.
Balatoni Múzeum
Múzeum u. 2.
H–8360 Keszthely
mullerrobi@gmail.com
Dr. Krisztián Oross, PhD
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont
Régészeti Intézet
Tóth Kálmán u. 4.
H–1097 Budapest
oross.krisztian@btk.mta.hu
Dr. Emília Pásztor
Türr István Múzeum
Deák Ferenc. u. 1.
H–6500 Baja
pasztoremilia@tolna.net
Adrián Puszta
COSSICUS Ltd.
Óda u. 37.
H–1155 Budapest
cossicus @gmail.com
Dr. Sándor Puszta
COSSICUS Ltd.
Óda u. 37.
H–1155 Budapest
cossicus @gmail.com
Dr. Serlegi Gábor, PhD
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont
Régészeti Intézet
Tóth Kálmán u. 4.
H–1097 Budapest
serlegi.gabor@btk.mta.hu
Lívia Simmer
Göcseji Múzeum
Battyhány u. 2.
H–8900 Zalaegerszeg
simmer@zmmi.hu
Péter Straub
straubpeter01@gmail.com
Csilla Száraz
Thúry György Múzeum
Zrínyi u. 62.
H–8800 Nagykanizsa
szcsilla.muzeum@gmail.com
Dr. Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, PhD
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont
Régészeti Intézet
Tóth Kálmán u. 4.
H–1097 Budapest
szecsenyi-nagy.anna@btk.mta.hu
János Gábor Tarbay
Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum
Múzeum krt. 14–16.
H–1088 Budapest
tarbayjgabor@gmail.com
Zita Mária Tokai
VÁRKAPITÁNYSÁG Integrált
Területfejlesztési Központ Nonprofi t Zrt.
Daróczi u. 1–3.
H–1113 Budapest
Tokai.Zita@várkapitányság.hu
Dr. Brigitta Tóth, PhD
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Agrártudományi Kutatóközpont
Talajtani és Agrokémiai Intézet
Herman Ottó út 15.
H–1022 Budapest
toth.brigitta@agrar.mta.hu
toth.brigitta@georgikon.hu
Beáta Tugya
Thúry György Múzeum
Zrínyi u. 62.
H–8800 Nagykanizsa
tbea82@gmail.com
Dr. Zsuzsanna M. Virág, PhD
Budapesti Történeti Múzeum
Ős- és népvándorláskori Osztály
Záhony u. 4.
H–1031 Budapest
zsuzsanna.m.virag@gmail.com
Autoren

Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense 7
Eszter Bány und Judit P. Barna (Hrsg.)
„Trans Lacum Pelsonem”
„TRANS LACUM PELSONEM”
PRÄHISTORISCHE FORSCHUNGEN
IN SÜDWESTUNGARN (5500–500 v. Chr.)
PREHISTORIC RESEARCH
IN SOUTH-WESTERN HUNGARY (5500–500 BC)
Herausgegeben von
Eszter Bány und Judit P. Barna
CPP
7
Die Reihe Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense wurde 2010 gegründet, um die Ergebnisse
archäologischer Forschungen in und um die spätantike Befestigung von Keszthely-
Fenékpuszta, in der Klein-Balaton-Region und in Südwestungarn vorzulegen. Dieses Areal
weist auch ein dichtes Netz an Fundplätzen vom Neolithikum bis zur Eisenzeit auf und
liefert Hinweise auf Okkupationsprozesse auf einer überregionalen, komparativen Ebene.
Die systematische Erforschung der prähistorischen Besiedlung des südwestlichen
Transdanubiens begann 1979. Ein großes Projekt mit Prospektionen und Ausgrabungen
wurde vor der Rekultivierung der Feuchtgebiete am südwestlichen Ende des Balaton
durchgeführt. In den 1980er und 1990er Jahren folgten Projekte in den Hahót- und
Kerkatälern, die weitere westungarische Gebiete erfassten. Die Forschungen wurden im
Rahmen des Autobahnbaus M7 entlang des Südufers des Balaton und in Richtung Kroatien an
mehreren Orten fortgesetzt. Im vorliegenden Band werden Ergebnisse aus diesen drei großen
Projekten vorgestellt, ergänzt durch aktuelle Ergebnisse aus Rettungsgrabungen. Einige
Beiträge setzen sich mit neuen naturwissenschaftlichen Methoden, wie aus dem Bereich der
historischen DNA-Forschung auseinander, andere liefern wichtige Materialauswertungen
älterer Ausgrabungen.
The Castellum Pannonicum Pelsonense series was established in 2010, its aim being to
publish the results of archaeological investigations in and around the late antique fortication
of Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, in the Little Balaton region and Southwest Hungary. This area
is home to a dense network of sites from the Neolithic through to the Iron Age, thereby
providing signicant insights into occupation processes at a supra-regional comparative
scale.
Systematic research into the prehistoric settlement pattern of south-western Transdanubia
began in 1979. A large project with surveys and excavations was necessary before the re-
cultivation of the wetland area in the south-western part of Lake Balaton. This was followed
by project during the 1980s and 1990s in the Hahót and Kerka valleys, covering segments
of Western Transdanubia. Finally, the investigations conducted before the M7 motorway
was built in the 1990s along the southern shore of Lake Balaton and towards Croatia gave
the opportunity to investigate further sites. This volume contains results from the three large
projects and from recent eldwork undertaken by contract archaeology. Completely new
natural scientic methods like ancient DNA research are applied; meanwhile, the long-
overdue publication of some old material has also been included.
ISBN 978-3-89646-157-5
ISSN 1869-9901