Symbolism and traditions in the society of the Bell Beaker - Csepel group

Endrődi, Anna and Pásztor, Emília (2006) Symbolism and traditions in the society of the Bell Beaker - Csepel group. Archaeologiai Értesítő, 131 (1). pp. 7-25. ISSN 0003-8032

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Abstract

In the present paper, we called attention to a so far unknown religious idea of the Bell Beaker - Csepel group after observations made at the excavation of Budapest-Albertfalva, archaeo-astronomical analyses, two special shards with channelled knob ornaments and their analogues. The schematic representation of the Sun symbol appears, although rarely, in the accompanying material (“Begleitkeramik”) of the Csepel group (on grave ceramics, the Albertfalva fragment was probably originally intended to be placed in a grave). The custom of the building of round houses in the western group of the Bell Beaker culture and the burials with round ditches in the eastern group make us think. The orientation of the houses according to the winter solstice at Albertfalva and the existence of a territory enclosed by a round ditch between the houses render the role of the Sun in the daily and religious life of the population of the Csepel group even more emphatic. The representation of the Sun in various forms (gold discs, incised Sun motives) can be observed on nearly the entire territory of the Bell Beaker culture yet we do not want to interpret this phenomenon as a Sun cult. The religious beliefs of the Bell Beaker culture are extremely complicated, complex and colourful, and Sun, an environmental factor that defines daily life, could only be an element in it.

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