Duration of tell settlements at four prehistoric sites in Hungary

Abstract

The chief objective of this paper is to improve our understanding of the Neolithic in eastern Hungary using absolute chronological data. To accomplish this we calibrated new measurements as well as previously published dates. The up-to-date, standardized evaluation of 147 calibrated measurements showed temporal overlaps between archaeological cultures defined on the basis of ceramic styles. The average timespan of tell settlements of 285 yr was obtained using radiocarbon dates from four major settlements in eastern Hungary: Berettyoujfalu-Herpaly, Hodmezovasahely-Gorzsa-Cukortanya, Ocsod-Kovashalom and Polgar-Csoszhalom.