New data on the Late Neolithic settlement structure in South-East Transdanubia

Abstract

The paper presents the recent survey results achieved at four Late Neolithic sites with rondels in Baranya County, Hungary (Villánykövesd-Jakabfalusi út mente, Zengővárkony-Igaz-dűlő, Szemely-Hegyes, Belvárdgyula-Szarkahegy). The combined use of non-destructive archaeological prospecting methods (aerial survey, field survey, magnetometer survey) and occassional trial trenching revealed new pieces of information that change our view of the Late Neolithic settlement structure in the region. Such observations are: the fact that rondels are present at virtually every major site in South-East Baranya the presence of special structural elements known only in South Transdanubia, like U-shaped blocking of entrances, special gate structures the large size of rondels when compared to other areas of longer history of research, like Lower Austria and Slovakia. These phenomena suggest the existence of a local „architectural style“ and may be indicative of a local group within the Lengyel Culture sphere.