Forschungsprojekt: Reiterkrieger, Burgenbauer
Die frühen Ungarn und das "Deutsche Reich" vom 9. bis zum 11. Jahrhundert
10th -11th- Century Ceramic Finds from Fortifications, Settlements and Burials in North-Western Hungary/ Szabina Merva
Theories connected with the chronology of these fortifications are not really concordant. By the help of using data from Anonymous’ Gesta Hungarorum, architectural, stratigraphic, archaeomagnetic, TL-, C14 results and written sources about events in the 11th century, these objects can be dated back to 10th century, to the turn of 10-11th century and to the mid 11th century. The subproject’s aim is to work up the ceramic chronology of the region and date the objects with the help of finds more exactly, to answer the question: when were these fortifications built: before the foundation of Hungarian state, e.g. around 1000, in the reign of St. Stephan, or later, during the reign of Samuel and Andrew I?
Beside evaluating ceramic finds from the investigated fortifications of this region, in consideration of both the fortifications and the inner part of the objects (Sopron, Moson, Györ and Velem) we plan to work up completely one settlement (Ménföcsanak-Szeles-dülö;, near Györ) and the ceramic finds of a cemetery with ca. 230 graves (Oroszvár-Rusovce, Slovakia). 
On the early Árpádian age settlement 27 houses, 45 ovens, 7 pits and 68 ditches were excavated. The site is dated certainly to this period with metal finds from the 10th century and a coin (Béla I), which indicates the end of the settlement. The graveyard consists of 81 graves with whole vessels, which is a very high percentage comparing with other contemporary graveyards in the Carpathian Basin.
Besides creating classification and chronology of the region’s ceramic finds, we would like to emphasise the importance of ceramic technology, too.
Current Research
Within the context of the project collecting the ceramic finds from the bund dyke of the fortifications from Sopron, Győr and Moson, the dating of these prior finds is confirmed by additional finds from contemporary sites (settlements and one cemetery).
According to the present-day research, I could establish diversity by the ceramic technology in the early Árpádian ages, as in other regions of the Carpathian Basin. In contrast to the Hungarian research tradition (the 14-15th century was established as the date of appearance of the throwing wheel), beside the predominantly hand wheel turned ceramic (91 %), we have to keep count of fast wheel turned handmade ceramic and a mixed technology at the same time. There are more explanations for the occurrence of the fast wheel turned ceramic finds dated back to the 10-11th century in NW-Hungary. We can’t exclude, that this phenomenon was a result of a separate development, a survivorship of an earlier pottery tradition, being some kind of import wares or a case of technology transfer. The importance of this observation on the one hand is, that in contrast of the earlier opinions the hand wheel turned technology can’t be a handhold anymore by dating ceramic from the Árpádian ages, on the other hand it can point out to economical processes, possibly to Byzantine linkages.
According to our research, a territorial diversity can be outlined connected with the matter of a special vesseltype: the clay cauldron. In Sopron and in its surroundings it is not detected, but around Győr, for example, at the site of Ménfőcsanak-Szeles it appears in a small percentage. On the ground of the ongoing research, it does not seem to be proved, that the beginning of the clay cauldron’s usage is only from the 11th century. 
At the present time it is not possible to separate the ceramic finds from the 10th and 11th century. The single fix chronological help can be the time of the so called „cog wheel“-decorations appearance, which is likely not from earlier time than the 11th century. Because of this fact, the chronology of the early fortifications can’t be from the 10th century, but after the Hungarian state formation.
Between the 14th and 16th of June, some scientists from the project (Miklós Takács, Péter Tomka, Ádám Bíró and Szabina Merva) had the opportunity to cooperate with the Austrian colleagues of an adjacent project (Hannes Herdits, Helena Novak) to visit the contemporaneous sites and its finds (from Drassburg/Darufalva), which are organically related to the present-day NW-Hungary.
Head of sub-project: ass. Prof. Dr. István Feld
Stipendiatin: Szabina Merva M.A.