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Determining the provenience of archaeological objects relies on the so-called “provenience postulate,” namely, that sources of these objects are more compositionally distinct from each other than they are internally variable. For ceramics, it can be relatively straightforward in geologically heterogeneous environments to determine where vessels were produced, and whether they were traded or not. In geologically homogeneous regions, this can be far more complicated. In this study, we mineralogically and chemically compare Bronze Age ceramics (primarily Middle Bronze Age) from five archaeological sites on the Great Hungarian Plain to a large regional clay sample. The Great Hungarian Plain is comprised almost entirely of Pleistocene loess deposits, yet prior compositional studies have identified patterned variability between ceramics from different sites. Our results show that chemical variation in the region is continuous and clinal, making it difficult to strictly apply the provenience postulate to identify distinct production locations. However, we show that this clinal chemical variability can be used to make broad statements about whether most ceramics at any given site were produced relatively locally or were obtained from further distances (c. 50 km or more). We show that while production at most of our study sites was likely relatively localized, in one instance (the tell at Berettyóújfalu-Herpály-Földvár), many ceramics may have been obtained from other Bronze Age communities, including those in the Körös River drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the long-debated issue of technological knowledge and potters in the Early Copper Age (4500–4000/3900 cal BC) through the analysis of the forming technology of a typical, small-scale settlement at Polgár-Király-ér-part (Northeastern Hungary). A complex technological know- ledge of forming was identified, in which most of the vessel types have their own forming technique. This technological knowledge presumably originated in the local Neolithic. However, a few smaller technological differences nuance this picture, raising the possibility of distinct learning networks and multiple potters at the settlement.

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The Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is a common breeder in Hungary. It is a resident bird of open areas, staying near nesting sites in winter. Its population is strongly influenced by food availability, weather conditions and several anthropogenic activities. One of the most important factors of these in recent decades has been road mortality. In this work, we processed data of roadkilled individuals and field observation records in the Csanádihát region in south-eastern Hungary from the period 1995–2022. In Battonya, we have been recording roadkill individuals since 1995, while observations of Barn Owl individuals from Kevermes have been available since 2005. The species is a regular, but scarce breeder in the area, so both the number of roadkilled individuals and the number of field observations were relatively low. Nevertheless, we had the opportunity to examine how the number of individuals of the species that were killed in the traffic varied over time and within years. According to our data, more birds collided during the winter, and also between July and November. This can be explained mostly by the seasonal lack of food and the fledging time of inexperienced juveniles. The temporal distribution of field observations were different from the dynamics of the roadkills, as the species was mainly observed during the breeding season. The exact population size of the area can be difficultly estimated, as it breeds mainly in attics of stable, granary and church buildings. The breeding population of Kevermes was estimated at 3–4 pairs and did not change significantly in the studied period. Over the same 28-year period, using the same methods to the two other most common nesting owl species of the region, we found that the within-year roadkill dynamics of the Little Owl (Athene noctua) and the Northern Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) differed from that of the Western Barn Owls, which may be due to the different feeding habits of the species. We can conclude that the number of roadkilled birds was proportional to the local population of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation into the utilitarian function of mortuary vessels is often a neglected aspect of ceramic examination. Since, in most cases, a direct link can be assumed between the vessels’ size, form, and most optimal utilitarian function, morphometry-based ceramic categories – along with ethnoarchaeological examples – can help to understand the role of these vessels in funerary contexts. This article focuses on the relationship between the utilitarian function of ceramics and their roles in graves through the analysis of eight Early Copper Age (4400/4300–4000/3900 BC) burial sites, associated with Tiszapolgár and Bodrogkeresztúr ceramic styles, from the Upper Tisza Region (Hungary). The deposition of ceramic assemblages in graves became common in this period; however, a systematic analysis of their function has never been carried out before. In this study, a morphometry-based methodology was developed to establish the vessels’ utilitarian function. These functions were considered in the analysis of the composition of mortuary assemblages, and how they may reflect social status or gender roles of the deceased individual. Results indicate that the Tiszapolgár and Bodrogkeresztúr assemblages cannot be unequivocally distinguished from each other based on morphometric and functional criteria, suggesting similar functional roles in the past funerary contexts.

The issues of intra-urban suburbanization tend to be received increasing attention during the last decades. The rapidly growing possibilities through the GIS-based methods provide new ways to analyse the processes. In the current research, a new methodology of dataset building was implemented in order to cover different types of resources (topographic maps, orthophotos, satellite images) and to create basis for a longitudinal analysis by the example of Debrecen. The resulted parcel level point layers ensured detailed grid-based analyses to discover changes between the early 1980s and 2000 and after the millennium until nowadays. The investigation drew the attention to the different tendencies of intra-urban suburbanization in which some areas proved to be continuously dynamic (some parts of the urban fringe or the external part of the inner areas), some garden zones’ role changed and unambiguous decrease was represented by some agricultural territories. The most dynamic territories were characterised by quick densification and by extension of the built-up areas at the fringes. The rapid suburbanization process slowed down after the 1990s, but it has not stopped in Debrecen. These findings tend to be regarded as spatial concentration process within the frame of relative deconcentration of the population (as part of intra-urban suburbanization). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) has very large populations in the European cities. However, the urbanisation of the species in the Maros–Körös köze region (Maros–Körös Interfluve) is recent and is happening before our eyes. In our study, we summarized our observations on the urbanised populations of the species in the region. Populations of the species in populated areas are currently spreading rapidly in the Maros–Körös köze region. In the past, it was a breeding species in the landscape of suburban areas far from populated areas. In recent years, it has appeared in towns and villages. It did not gradually arrive from the outer area of the settlements towards the interior of populated areas, but it was precisely in the park areas of the centres of settlements that the first pairs in these areas appeared and spread outwards. During the study, we also surveyed the nesting populations of the Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto [Frivaldszky, 1838]) in the sampling areas, using the same methodology, so that we could also examine the proportion of both urbanised species. The population of that species was decreasing during the study period. The pairs of Common Wood Pigeons were more common in the central, more parked parts of the settlements, while the Eurasian Collared Dove was mainly found in peripheral areas. The increase in the population of the Common Wood Pigeons will cause major problems for agriculture, for which there is no solution at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abandoned channels are essential in the Quaternary floodplains, and their infill contains different paleoenvironment recorders. Grain-size distribution (GSD) is one proxy that helps characterize the alluviation and associated sedimentological processes of the abandoned channels. The classic statistical methods of the grain-size analysis provide insufficient information on the whole distribution; this necessitates a more comprehensive approach. Grain-size endmember modeling (EMM) is one approach beyond the traditional procedures that helps unmix the GSDs. This study describes the changes in the depositional process by unmixing the GSDs of a Holocene abandoned channel through parameterized EMM integrated with lithofacies, age–depth model, loss-on-ignition (LOI), and magnetic susceptibility (MS). This approach effectively enabled the quantification and characterization of up to four endmembers (EM1-4); the characteristics of grain-size endmembers imply changes in sedimentary environments since 8000 BP. EM1 is mainly clay and very fine silt, representing the fine component of the distribution corresponding to the background of quiet water sedimentation of the lacustrine phase. EM2 and EM3 are the intermediate components representing the distal overbank deposits of the flood. EM4 is dominated by coarse silt and very fine sand, representing deposition of overbank flow during the flood periods. This paper demonstrates that the parametrized grain-size EMM is reasonable in characterizing abandoned channel infill sedimentary depositional and sedimentation history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bucket-shaped pendants were broadly diffused in various cultural environments from the area comprised between the north-east of the Black Sea and Central Europe. This study attempts, without aiming at being exhaustive, to analyse the objects of this type within the Sarmatian environment. The author examines these pendants from the Sarmatian environment compared to that of other cultural settings, within a broader context and concludes that in the Sarmatian environment, bucket-shaped pendants come mainly from either richly and poorly furnished children and women graves. The author notes that earliest specimens of such pendants are found in the north-Pontic area and originate in features that date to the 2nd – 1st century BC, which suggests that their origin, beside other pendant types, lies in the north-Pontic region. In the 1st century BC, these pendants are present with the late Scythians and the Sarmatians from the north and north-west of the Black Sea, but also in the Geto-Dacian and Germanic milieu (the Poieneşti-Lucășeuca culture). Once with the 1st century AD, the number of the bucket-shaped pendants increases significantly in the late Scythian, Sarmatian, Geto-Dacian environments but also in the cemeteries of the towns and settlements from the north-Pontic area. Still in this period, they start to be recorded in the Przeworsk culture area, as well. Subsequent to the analysis of bucket-shaped pendant finds from the Sarmatian environment, it was concluded they were not extensively used by the Sarmatians, like in the case of other pendant types. The author notes that the majority of bucket-shaped pendants from the Sarmatian environment of the north and north-west Pontic area come from graves dating to the chronological interval comprised between mid 1st century AD – early/first decades of the 2nd century AD. Furthermore, these artefacts are rare in second half of the 2nd century – first half of the 3rd century AD Sarmatian graves and are missing from the second stage of the late Sarmatian period (the second half of the 3rd century – 4th century AD). Following the analysis of the Sarmatian funerary features of the Great Hungarian Plain in which bucket-shaped pendants were discovered, it is concluded that the custom of wearing such pendants by women and children was carried to this area in the second half of the 1st century AD by the first groups of Sarmatians that settled the region. Last but not least, it was noted that in the Sarmatian environment of this geographical area these artefacts were used, to a more or less extent, on the entire duration of their inhabitancy of this area. In the end it is concluded that the massive use of bucket-shaped pendants in the 2nd – 4th century AD in various cultural environments of the area comprised between the north of the Black Sea and Central Europe evidences they became “supranational” artefacts, being produced and used by different populations from this geographical area

A Copper Age settlement and cemetery was fully excavated at Rákóczifalva-Bivaly-tó Site 1/C in 2005-2007, making it possible to compare the use of its material culture in closely related, coeval, but different archaeological contexts. Such a rare set of circumstances allows the authors to highlight methodological issues associated with the distorting effect of archaeological finds made on sites where only settlement or burial data are available, and on the importance of choosing appropriate analytical units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kitaibelia is the property of University of Debrecen and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Tengelic Sands (Central Hungary), small patches of black poplar woods have been discovered recently. The habitat they grow in is very similar to that of juniper-poplar wood (Junipero-Populetum albae (Zólyomi ex Soó 1950) Szodfridt 1969) and oak steppe wood (Populo canescenti-Quercetum roboris (Hargitai 1940) Borhidi in Borhidi et Kevey 1996) distributed mostly east of the Danube. We carried out a comparative vegetation analysis to determine their phytosociological characteristics and their affinities to juniper-poplar wood and oak steppe wood, their presumed relatives. Reference material was collected in the Kiskunság Sands, where we sampled juniper-poplar woods either with white poplar or black poplar or with both in addition to oak steppe woods and closed pedunculate oak forests. Our analysis revealed substantially stronger similarity of black poplar steppe woods to the juniper-poplar wood than to the oak steppe woods. The proportion of dry grassland species (Festuco-Brometea s. l. and Festucetea vaginatae s. l.) exceeded that of forest species (Querco-Fagetea s. l. and Quercetea pubescentis-petraeae s. l.) in all three types of poplar woods, as opposed to that of the woods dominated by oaks. The proportion of Festuco-Brometea s. l. species also exceeded that of Festucetea vaginatae s. l. species. The difference between these values was essentially the same in pairwise comparisons of poplar woods, but was increasingly greater in comparisons with the oak steppe wood and the closed oak forest. However, the proportion of mesic forest species (Querco-Fagetea s. l.) was substantially higher, and the proportion of the Festucetea vaginatae s. l. species was one third lower in the black poplar steppe woods than in the juniperpoplar woods. The relatively high proportions of ruderal species (Chenopodio-Scleranthea) and introduced aliens indicated an elevated level of disturbance. Results of binary cluster and principal coordinates analyses showed that the com pared three vegetation units are approximately equally differentiated floristically from one another. We concluded that the available research material on the different types of sand steppe woodland is very limited, and as a consequence, we cannot determine the syntaxonomic status of these black poplar woods at the current level of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abandoned channels are essential in the Quaternary floodplains, and their infill contains different paleoenvironment recorders. Grain-size distribution (GSD) is one proxy that helps characterize the alluviation and associated sedimentological processes of the abandoned channels. The classic statistical methods of the grain-size analysis provide insufficient information on the whole distribution; this necessitates a more comprehensive approach. Grain-size endmember modeling (EMM) is one approach beyond the traditional procedures that helps unmix the GSDs. This study describes the changes in the depositional process by unmixing the GSDs of a Holocene abandoned channel through parameterized EMM integrated with lithofacies, age–depth model, loss-on-ignition (LOI), and magnetic susceptibility (MS). This approach effectively enabled the quantification and characterization of up to four endmembers (EM1-4); the characteristics of grain-size endmembers imply changes in sedimentary environments since 8000 BP. EM1 is mainly clay and very fine silt, representing the fine component of the distribution corresponding to the background of quiet water sedimentation of the lacustrine phase. EM2 and EM3 are the intermediate components representing the distal overbank deposits of the flood. EM4 is dominated by coarse silt and very fine sand, representing deposition of overbank flow during the flood periods. This paper demonstrates that the parametrized grain-size EMM is reasonable in characterizing abandoned channel infill sedimentary depositional and sedimentation history.

In the late Avar period (eighth to ninth century ad), vast quantities of utilitarian artefacts were produced in series in the Carpathian Basin, a phenomenon not seen since the end of the Roman period. The distribution of these articles reflects not only the region's settlement pattern, but also how these artefacts were disseminated. The communication network in the Carpathian Basin underwent a significant transformation between the early and late Avar period: its major nodes, equated with population centres but not necessarily with elite centres, contributed to moulding a social and cultural milieu that included specialized craftsmen. An early single hub in southern Transdanubia was replaced by multiple centres by the late Avar period. Around ad 700, a bipolar settlement pattern emerges in the southern part of the Carpathian Basin. It seems that the Great Hungarian Plain began to play an equal, if not dominant, role in the communication network of the Carpathian Basin at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

57 bryophyte taxa were recorded in semi-natural forests of the Pannonian sandy forest steppe in the northern part of the Great Hungarian Plain. Four species are included (Eurhynchium striatum, Fissidens viridulus, Nyholmiella obtusifolia, Orthotrichum patens) in the national red list of bryophytes. 24 taxa (22 epiphytes and two terricolous species) are regarded as forest specialists, among them several species are very rare in the Great Hungarian Plain, like Dicranum tauricum, Hypnum pallescens var. reptile, Polytrichum formosum, Pterygynadrum filiforme. Two of them (Plagiothecium laetum, P. succulentum) are reported for the first time from the Great Hungarian Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The settlements and the population of the central, lowland area of the Carpathian Basin suffered from both the Mongol Invasion and the Ottoman occupation, which greatly reduced the built heritage, too. The number of written sources about the region is poorer than average even in Hungarian conditions. Archaeological research alone has brought a large number of medieval finds, but in the absence of written sources, placing them in a historical context is difficult, sometimes impossible. However, the development of informatics has opened up new possibilities in research. Large databases and GIS allow the simultaneous analysis of previously unimaginable amounts of data. The essence of the method used in this paper is the analysis of spatial patterns of various geographically located (written, archaeological and topographical) data that are well typeable and available in large quantities. On the one hand, the mapping provides data on the spatial distribution of the population (relative population density) and its changes, and on the other hand, some conclusions can be drawn regarding the economic activity of certain areas. The paper aims at revisiting some aspects of the traditional historical model used to describe the transition from steppic to feudal state and suggests some new ones to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the phytosociological characteristics of open steppe woods growing on alkaline soil (Galatello-Quercetum roboris) along the Körös rivers in Southeastern Hungary. These woods develop from hardwood riparian forests (Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum) through an intermediate closed oak wood (Melico altissimae-Quercetum roboris) stage, in response to the gradual desiccation of the habitat. During this process, the number and abundance of characteristic species of Fagetalia and Alnion incanae syntaxa strongly decline, while species characteristic of dry oak woods (Quercetea pubescentis-petraeae and Aceri tatarici-Quercion) become more numerous. As the forest canopy opens and the forest floor becomes drier, the number of Festuco-Bromea elements increases, and salt-tolerant species (Artemisia pontica, A. santonicum, Aster sedifolius, Juncus gerardii, Limonium gmelinii subsp. hungaricum, Peucedanum officinale, Podospermum canum, Rumex pseudonatronatus) establish themselves. The association is classified in the suballiance Aceri tatarici-Quercenion roboris Kevey 2008 within the Aceri tatarici-Quercion Zólyomi et Jakucs 1957 alliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Th is paper presents the phytosociological description of a drained swamp community, Veratro albi-Fraxinetum angustifoliae, encountered so far only in the following localities in the Danube-Tisza Interfluve, Central Hungary: Dabas: Turjános; Soltszentimre: Kullér-erdő; Páhi: Pecznyik-erdő, Közös-erdő; Tabdi: Tabdi-erdő; Kiskőrös: Szücsi-erdő; Kecel: Berek-erdő. Th e habitat of this community is transitional between that of alder swamps (Fraxino pannonicae-Alnetum glutinosae) and hardwood riparian forests (Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum), but its direction of succession tends more towards the lily-oaks forests (Polygonato latifolii-Quercetum roboris). Th e association is characterized by high proportions of character species of Alnion glutinosae and Molinion coeruleae as well as Quercetea pubescentis-petraeae s. l., whereas character species of the order Fagetalia are almost completely absent. Th e undergrowth of this forest association hosts several rare, oft en threatened species, such as Dryopteris carthusiana, Iris sibirica, Leucojum aestivum, Listera ovata, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Veratrum album, Vitis sylvestris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jazygi, the westernmost tribe of the steppe Sarmatian coalition, migrated to the Great Hungarian Plain in the 1st century AD followed by several later waves. Their material culture changed in some generations, for they arrived into a completely new political and geographical environment and were separated from their steppe relatives. For several generations Hungarian scholarship has been dealing with a search for the eastern roots of the Alföld Sarmatians. Our study summarises this research, dealing also with some cultural phenomena imported from the Romans and with the possible ways of re-interpretation of the foreign ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although various works had been dealt with Roman money circulation of the Great Hungarian Plain some phenomena remained undiscovered for the research. This paper deals with republican and early imperial mints came to light in the territory of Szolnok County. The Jászdózsa hoard with its 114 pieces of Roman republican and early Roman period denars from P. Sulla (151 B.C.) to Emperor Nero (AD 64–68) belongs here. The Roman coins had appeared in large numbers only since the first century AD in the Great Hungarian Plain. The republican coins are very rarely represented, though they are very common in Transylvania. From the Zagyva mouth area to the river Tisza, and from the territory of the Jászság some hoards and scattering finds are known. It is difficult to interpret the circulation of these coins due to the lack of written sources and archaeological finds. Because of the Aurei the role of Roman politics should also be taken into consideration. Which gentes had lived in the territory of the Jászság and what role they had played in the relationship system of the Carpathian Basin we have rarely any information about. The hoard of Jászdózsa was probably hidden at about the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69) or shortly thereafter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Békés 103, a primarily Middle Bronze Age (c. 1600–1280 calBC) cemetery and settlement on the Great Hungarian Plain, has been investigated by the BAKOTA project since 2011. Ceramics from the site are covered in dense white concretions, and it has been noted during compositional analyses that these vessels exhibit elevated concentrations of several potentially mobile elements in comparison to vessels from regional tell sites. Here, we use a multimethod (optical mineralogy, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, PXRF, SEM-EDS, and LA-ICP-MS) mineralogical and chemical approach to characterize the composition of surface encrustations on ceramics samples from Békés 103. We also chemically map interior paste composition using LA-ICP-MS to identify potential leaching of mobile elements into or out of vessel bodies. We demonstrate that the surface encrustations are primarily composed of calcite but also contain a variety of other mineral and organic constituents indicative of deposition of soil carbonates, phosphates, nitrates, and other inorganic and organic components. We further document the leaching of several mobile elements into ceramic pastes as well as formation of secondary calcite along void, pore, and temper boundaries. The presence of cremated bone and possibly bone ash in close vicinity to many of the studied vessels may also have contributed to the observed patterns of diagenesis. It is likely that similar post-burial processes might affect ceramics from other sites located in low-lying, seasonally inundated contexts.

This article explores the development and evolution of a Neolithic tell on the Great Hungarian Plain, with a particular focus on the depositional and functional changes over time. Recent, multi-disciplinary research in conjunction with the reassessment of old excavation records allows us to identify three major phases in the morphological and functional development of the Szeghalom-Kovácshalom tell. The original primary use of the tell was residential in nature. After several generations, as the settlement expanded into the surrounding landscape, the tell was used for more communal behaviors until, during the latest phase, it was used primarily for burials. This evolution of the tell—from a residential space to a cemetery—underscores the complexity of social processes that unfolded at prehistoric tell sites in southeastern Europe. The method we employ demonstrates how information from old and new research projects can be integrated successfully to model the development of complex, multi-period settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is not to explore the unknown facts, but to sum up the common knowledge about the topic to systematize them in an unified international context. The economic crisis of 1929-1933 - whose first signs appeared in the agriculture - affected several rural areas disadvantageously. These were those regions, which were the losers of the capitalist economic development as well as the fulfillment of the nation state with their unfavorable demographic indices, high migration rates, and frequent environmental problems. In the end, it was the Great Depression which forced the states to start launch programs to catch up on these undeveloped regions. First of all, these programs tried to help the indebted agricultural producers, but parallely it was intended to connect them with some restructuring, too. Therefore in America the electricity-production, in Italy the drainage and the expansion of the cultivable land were bought into focus. Whereas in Germany it was also a focal point to develop the infrastructure. Although, in Hungary there was not any similar program to a specific region - because the farmer's suffered equally from their debts in every area of the country. Nonetheless the Great Hungarian Plain must be highlighted, because this was the only Hungarian region which the contemporaries were particularly interested in. Out of these programs the historians are mostly interested in the „Eastern Help“ as a misguided initiation which was the last straw to come the party of Hitler into power. Not neglecting these threads, the study strives to approach the issue in a technocratic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the phytosociological description of a drained swamp community, Veratro albi-Fraxinetum angustifoliae, so far found only in the Nyírség at Nyírábrány "Kis-kőrises", "Mogyorósi-erdő"; Vámospércs "Jónásrész-Kőrises"; and Vámospércs "Jónásrész-Buzita". The habitat of the community is transitional between that of alder swamps (Fraxino pannonicae-Alnetum glutinosae), and hardwood riparian forests (Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum). The community is characterised by high proportions of character species of Alnion glutinosae and Molinion coerulei as well as Quercetea pubescentis-petraeae s. l. whereas character species of the order Fagetalia are almost completely absent. It hosts several rare, often threatened species, such as Angelica palustris, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Trollius europaeus and Veratrum album. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common problem with research into farmsteads is that, at present, there is no universally- accepted definition of a farmstead. Another problem specific to the Hungarian context is that no exact data are available for the number of farmsteads on the Great Hungarian Plain in recent decades. Recognizing this problem, a farmstead survey targeting the delineation of the Farmstead Development Programme was carried out in 2016. The authors of the study attempted to collect the data and databases currently available about farmsteads and peripheral residential areas and present a background to the survey carried out in 2016. The results of the survey allow to identify new trends, such as farmsteads becoming territorially more fragmented and the transformation of farms away from their traditional functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world of myths and legends about the mounds of the Great Hungarian Plain is unbelievably rich. This article discusses the ancient mounds (especially the ‘kurgans’) in the area of the Körös-Maros National Park Directorate and in the Transtisza Region of Csongrád County and in Békés County. The population of this area was always intrigued by questions about the mounds, such as what they hide inside or who they were built by. Human imagination has kept the mysterious stories alive, though many legends or details have been lost, deformed or transformed during the centuries. In spite of the fact that the oral tradition of the Ottoman era is full of mysterious elements, such as castles, tunnels, buried treasure, dragons, shaman-priests (‘táltos’) and witches, the stories were frequently based on historical facts. In the present article, the most beautiful and most interesting pieces of these myths are cited. Our aim was to present one or two examples of every myth-category, in order to give an overall picture about the folklore of the region. We quote most of these stories word for word, so as to honour the informants and the sources and to reveal the unique atmosphere of these tales.

Results of both porosity and permeability can be used by geologists, petrophysicists, and petroleum engineers to evaluate reservoir rock, heterogeneity, and pore space history through the time of deposition and lithifaction. On the other hand, reservoir quality as well as reservoir classification could be performed based on these data correlation. The Szolnok Formation is composed mainly of turbidity elastic deposits while siltstones are intercalated by sandstone beds and streaks of marls. In the present study, 213 core samples are obtained from the Szolnok Formation of the Great Hungarian plain, Hungary. Both horizontal and vertical permeability are measured. The Szolnok Formation has two main lithologic groups: 1. clean sandstone (141 samples) and 2. siltstone – marl (72 samples), it can easily differentiate between good, intermediate or even bad reservoirs. Acoustic laboratory measurements have been carried out for only 30 sandstone rock samples parallel to the bedding plane (horizontal). This paper aims to evaluate some petrophysical relationships. On the other hand, both Wyllie and Raymer models were applied for porosity estimation from seismic velocity. It is worthy to mention that reservoir diagnosis of the Szolnok Formation was our target as well. Both the porosity and permeability variation range characterizing the detected lithologic facies of the Szolnok Formation are useful for reservoir zonation. The relationship between helium and mercury porosity for whole studied samples and sandstone samples as well, are supported by a high correlation coefficient and allow its application for prediction of porosity while it reduces costs and time of laboratory measurements. The evaluation of different calculated equations for porosity from compressional wave velocity data of the Szolnok Formation are studied and the relationship between velocity and porosity displays a clear inverse trend. The comparison between laboratory porosity and sonic derived porosity shows that the values determined by Wyllie and Raymer equations are not applicable to predict it from velocity data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation focuses on the transformation of the settlement pattern of a lowland landscape as a social response to the hydrological challenges emerging in the late 13th century (c.) overture of the Little Ice Age (LIA). Results of the applied zonal analysis suggested a strong spatial connection between the geomorphological conditions, the agro-ecological suitability (good-excellent, medium and low) and the stability or instability of settlement patterns. The elevation means of archaeological sites in the deserted zones proved significantly lower than those in zones with permanent settlement pattern (Brunner-Munzel test p ≤ 0.01; n = 377). Additionally, the late medieval (14th-mid-16th centuries) site group was situated, on average, significantly higher than the high medieval (late 10th-13th centuries) site group within the permanent zones (Brunner-Munzel test p ≤ 0.01; n = 219). These outcomes statistically confirm that not only did low-lying inhabited areas shrink significantly, but they also displaced vertically in the first phase of the LIA. When analysing the relation of settlement pattern to soil conditions, the proportion of areas with good-excellent agro-ecological suitability proved 1.5–2 times higher in the permanent zones than in the deserted and uninhabited settlement suitability zones. Using the linear model, different regression coefficients appeared between the extension of the high and medium agro-ecological suitability zones and the number of high and late medieval settlements. The different coefficients in the studied two periods suggest that the issue of agroecological suitability in the High Middle Ages did not bear such importance as in the late Middle Ages. The findings of the paper may contribute to answering the question why the relatively dense settlement pattern of the deserted zones was abandoned almost completely by the end of the 13th c. in areas where flood proneness and weak agro-ecological suitability both meant a serious risk for human communities. Finally, we presumed that if hydro-climatic changes increased water levels, they must have changed the plant composition of the studied landscape as well. Chi-squared test of macrofossil plant remains (narchaeological site = 55; ntaxon = 330) shows that the second part of the 13th c. saw the ratio of species from humid habitat types grow (Χ² = 7.81; df = 1; p = 0.02). Comparison of the two studied processes indicates a broad synchronism between the shrinkage of inhabited areas and the increasing proportion of plants with humid environment tolerance during the second part of the 13th c. The reconstructed transformations in the composition of plant remains and settlement structure signal not a mere transitional change, but a 'longue durée' structural transformation of the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jelen tanulmany a Magyarorszag deli reszen levő Duna-arter fehernyar-ligeteinek (Senecioni sarracenici-Populetum albae) tarsulasi viszonyait mutatja be 25 conologiai felvetel alapjan. Laza onteshomok alapkőzeten es nyers ontestalajon kialakult allomanyaik az alacsony arter viszonylag magasabb szintjeit foglaljak el. Faji osszetetelukkel es fejlett cserjeszintjukkel jol elkulonithetők a mintegy 1-1,5 m-rel melyebben fekvő, kotott es iszapos talaju, cserjeszint nelkuli fűzligetektől (Leucojo aestivi-Salicetum albae), valamint a magasabb arteri szinten fejlődő tolgykőris- szil ligetektől (Scillo vindobonensis-Ulmetum). Aljnovenyzetukben egyes -- reszben szubmontan jellegű -- novenyek is megjelenhetnek, amelyek az Alfold egyeb tajain ritkak, vagy teljesen hianyoznak: Anemone ranunculoides, Carex brizoides, Carex remota, Carex strigosa, Carpesium abrotanoides, Fritillaria meleagris, Galanthus nivalis, Leucojum aestivum, Scilla vindobonensis, Veronica montana, Vitis sylvestris. Az asszociacio a szuntaxonomiai rendszer „Populenion nigro-albae Kevey 2008" alcsoportjaba helyezhető. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the third part of a series describing and analyzing steppe woodlands in the westernmost part of the Great Hungarian Plain, the Mezőfold, Hungary, this paper presents the major findings of the analysis of 20 phytosociological samples collected in the northern part of our study area, closest to the Central Transdanubian Mountain Range. We found steppe woodland remnants in this area mostly at locations that were indicated as forested on historical maps drawn in the fourth quarter of the 18th century. These stands were highly similar to one another in structure (layers, canopy openness, height), species composition, and ecological and phytogeographical features. We compared the phytosociological parameters of these samples to those from the Mezőfold. The proportion of characteristic species of selected syntaxa were by and large similar between the two locations, with the notable difference in the proportions of Fagion s. l. and Fagetalia s. l. and Orno- Cotinion and Orno-Cotinetalia s. l. with excess values in the samples from the Northern Mezőfold, and also Chenopodio-Scleranthea s. l. with an excess value in the samples from the Mezőfold. The proportion of Orno-Cotinion species substantially exceeded that of Aceri-Quercion s. l. as opposed to the samples from the Mezőfold. The distribution of proportions of different floristic elements was also similar to that in the Mezőfold except for the species with sub-Mediterranean s. l. range of distribution. Their value was notably higher than that in the Mezőfold.Multivariate comparisons revealed strong similarity to the samples from both, the Velence Hills and the Mezőfold, whereas they were expressly distinct from pubescent oak forests (Vicio sparsifl orae-Quercetum pubescentis), a closely related community of the Vertes Hills. We concluded that the studied stands most likely represent the sub-Mediterranean variant of steppe woodlands with Tatarian maple sensu Zolyomi (Aceri tatarici-Quercetum pubescentis-roboris ornetosum). These steppe woodlands exhibit a much more pronounced sub-Mediterranean character in species composition than the ones in the Mezőfold, and, as such, are more closely related to the steppe woodland remnants in the neighboring Velence Hills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical geographyical conditions and their changes influence the appearance, spatial pattern and state of the objects of nature conservation (e.g. species, communities, landscapes). In the Southeastern Hungarian part of the Great Hungarian Plain the surface deposits, water supply and the geomorphological conditions have an increased role in the determination of the patterns of soils and biologic entities instead of macroclimatic features. On the base of the geographical background sand, loess and floodplain landscape types can be identified in this area. Sand landscapes are differed according to the matrix forming geomorphological forms in the landscape, namely according to the dominance of blow-out dunes or sand sheets. The habitat pattern of the deflation hollows is influenced by the near-to-surface deposits, precipitation income, evapotranspiration and the accumulation of salt. The habitat-pattern of the loss-covered alluvial cones is determined by the Pleistocene form-heritage, but the erosion of salt-berms driven by both surface runoff and grazing have an important role as well. In floodplains the unpredictable inundation or its lack influence the landscape pattern mostly beside the geomorphological conditions and landscape use resulting high habitat diversity. The habitat maps used as a tool for vegetation-mapping refer to the spatial patterns of the geographical background as well. Recent Hungarian geographical databases can usually be used just on landscape-level scale in order to understand the vegetation pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Great Hungarian Plain (GHP), one of the most complex fluvial systems of Europe developed through tectonic and climatic factors and vegetation change. The aim of the present study is to summarise these controlling factors and to describe the evolution of the GHP. Special attention is paid to the latest results on late Weichselian and Holocene development in the Tisza River and their effects on the river's largest tributary: the Maros River. Several tectonically active subsiding basins existing in the GHP have determined the direction of river courses and erosional–accumulational fluvial processes. As a result of uneven subsidence, the river's flow routes have shifted frequently. For example, the Danube and the Tisza shifted 80–100 km, abandoning their alluvial fans where extensive aeolian processes started. Upstream from the subsiding areas, incision propagated headward, which resulted in the development of floodplain levels and terraces. Though climate and vegetation changes also simultaneously influenced the rivers' hydro-morphology, channel pattern changes were found just along the margin of the plain, and only meandering paleo-channels remained in the center of the GHP. During dry and cold periods, braided patterns appeared in the alluvial fans, most likely the result of abundant sediment supply and due to the inability of sparse riparian vegetation to stabilise the banks effectively. Based on paleo-discharge calculations, by the end of the Pleistocene the rivers of the GHP produced three to eight times more discharge than they do currently, and discharge levels continuously decreased during the Holocene. However, due to the long length of the rivers, there is a considerable time lag between the response rates of the different river sections, which makes creating paleo-hydrological reconstructions even more difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Soil profiles buried as a result of the ritual manifestation of late Copper and Early Bronze Age cultures provide unique opportunity to examine the former environment and to evaluate soil forming processes. The origin of the habitats linked to the appearance of alkaline soils on the Great Hungarian Plain has always been in the lime light of pedological and geochemical research. To assess the different scientific theories, we carried out pedological, geochemical and mineralogical examinations at Csípő-halom kurgan, situated in the Hortobágy region. Not only the buried soil horizons, but the cultural layers of the structure were analysed in order to understand vertical soil chemical processes within the kurgan. Steppe and alkaline steppe dominated soil evolutionary patterns underneath and on the surface of the earth mound were detected, which preseumes similar environmental conditions of the ancient landscape as it is seen today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores a past climatic controversy dealing with the efforts and influences of the afforestration and water regulation in the Great Hungarian Plain. This debate had two amplitudes; the first in the mid' 1860s, after a summer drought, and the second in the interwar period of the 20th century. In the article I investigate the circumstances and present the milestones of the debate, and discuss how the changing historical context transformed the meaning of the clashing ideas during their afterlife. The theory of global climate change rearranged the position of the opposing sides; the idea of permanent climate in human history become history. The context of early socialist Hungary in the 1950s produced a similar situation. We can find also the losers of the controversy during the interwar period on the other side, i.e. the promoters of the afforestration due to climatic effects. The study offers the parallels of the past and present climate debates as conclusions: the faults of scientific communication, the problem of the limits of scientific knowledge and uncertainty, the polarizing effects of the debate as well the extreme weather and the visible scientific and lobby groups in background could be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]