THE LATE IRON AGE (THE CELTS)

(3-1 century BC)

The Celtic tribes which populated Western and Central-Europe settled the area of Western Hungary in the 4^th century BC and conquered the whole Carpathian basin at the turn of the 4^th and 3^rd centuries. The numerous and warlike Celts migrated here from the Rhine region, and they achieved their victories mainly due to their dreadful iron weapons. In the first quarter of the 4^th century BC, the Celts attacked Italy and robbed Rome, and one hundred years later they destroyed the shrine of Delphi during their frequent raids in the Balkans. The rich archaeological finds show the great professional knowledge of the Celtic blacksmiths, iron artisans and goldsmiths. From the 2^nd century BC they also made coins from silver - according to Greek examples. Some important historical facts of the Celts, such as the names of tribes and the description of their customs were preserved in ancient Latin and Greek written sources.

From the early period of the Celtic expansion we know of scattered settlements around Budapest. The Celtic invaders did not chase away the local population. A grave in Rákospalota (Mogyoródi street) proves that the natives of the Scythian period in Pest lived on into the Late Iron Age. In the first century BC however, Budapest and its surroundings were especially densely populated. According to ancient historical and geographical data, the right bank of the Danube, present day Pest, and large areas of the Fejér and Tolna counties were settled by the Eravisk tribe.

On the highest point of Gellérthegy (Gellért Hill), and on the southern and northern slopes of the hill the central settlement of the Eravisk tribe was established, which was strengthened by fortifications. This settlement (oppidum) was the centre of the tribe's political, economical, commercial and religious life. The houses, the bronze moulds and the potters’ workshops with ovens for baking pots were built on the terraces of the rocky slopes.

The plan of the house was mainly square, and the wattle-framed walls, pugged with clay on both sides, were supported with wooden beams. The Celts used oak to build their houses on Gellérthegy. Based on the hand-mills, baking ovens and stoves made of clay found inside some houses, the grinding of wheat and the preparation of food must have been done inside the houses. From the remains of animal bones on the settlements of Gellérthegy and Tabán, we can deduce that the people kept livestock (horses, pigs, cows, sheep and goats) and the role of hunting was very important as well.

At the beginning of the first century BC, as a result of the Roman invasion, the flourishing tribal centre on Gellérthegy disappeared, its religious role however was preserved by the former inhabitants and their descendants long after the establishment of the Pannonia province. During Roman rule the old Celtic (eravisk) population’s life continued at the foot of Gellérthegy and the Caste hill, and on the plains along the Danube; meanwhile they were slowly romanised, adopting the Roman cultural values and customs.

Several large village-like settlements were discovered along the Danube, which were also established in the first century BC (Békásmegyer, Tabán, Nagytétény) and where pottery workshops produced painted ceramics typical of the era. There are archaeological finds of small, farm-like settlements on the opposite Pest side of the Danube and on Csepel-sziget. In the Celtic villages of the plains simple pothole houses with gable roof were common (Szigetszentmiklós, Dunakeszi, Békásmegyer).

We do not know the location of cemeteries in this era because we have not discovered any Celtic burial sites yet. We can only suppose that according to the general customs of the Celts during different centuries, there were both skeleton and cremation rituals. The oldest Celtic artefacts found around Budapest (iron swords, spear, bronze arm- and ankle bands) were possibly accessories of burial rituals.

Literature

Ph. Barral: Bilan des recherch franco-hongroises sur l’oppidum de Gellérthegy-Tabán à Budapest (1990-92, 1996). Acta Arch. Hung. 50 (1998) 343-379.

B. Bónis Éva: Die spätkeltische Siedlung Gellérthegy-Tabán in Budapest. Arch. Hung. 47 (Budapest 1969).

Fitz Jenő: Herkunft und Ethnikum der Eravisker. Acta Ant. Hung. 6 (1958) 395-.

Mócsy András: A gellérthegy-tabáni telep és az eraviszkuszok problémája. Ant. Tan. 15 (1968) 275-279.

Nagy Lajos: Békásmegyeri késő La-Tène fazekaskemence. Arch. Ért. (1942) 162-172.

Nagy Lajos: A késő vaskor. Az eraviszkuszok Buda földjén. Az eraviszkusz kultúra emlékei Budapest környékén. Budapest története I. (Budapest 1942) 121-171., 236-265.

Nagy Tibor: La Tène-kori szkíta-jellegű sírlelet Rákospalotáról. Bud. Rég. 19 (1959) 123-138.

Pető Mária: A Gellérthegy története az őskortól napjainkig. (Gemini Budapest Kiadó, 2000).

Szabó Miklós: A kelták nyomában Magyarországon. (Hereditas, Budapest 1971).

PAINTED CERAMICS  (Budapest – Békásmegyer)

POT WITH GEMMA PRINT  (Budapest - Tabán)

COOKING POTS: CERAMICS MADE ON A POTTER’S WHEEL (Budapest – Tabán)

CLAY STOVE  (Budapest – Gellérthegy house number 9, first century BC)

ERAVISCAN COINS (Budapest)