The idol was found in a ritual pit of a vast (220 000 m2) Early Bronze Age settlement. A clay cone was daubed on the bottom of the pit, into this a pot was dug under which lay six larger stones, most of them grinding stones.

Morphology of the object:

Although the body of the idol is missing, based on its cylindrical neck and the widening at the surface of the fracture it belongs to the cylindrical bodied group of idols. The head is represented by the face depicted on the upper part of the cylindrical neck, while a semicircular headdress connects to it. The features of the idol are realistic: the eyes, mouth, nose, and even the nostrils are well discernable. The upper part of the face is framed by the elongated curve of the eyebrows in relief. The ears are portrayed realistically as well, the hole representing the ear-hole bordered by a semicircular pricked-in rib. The headdress is separated from the head by the incised line drawn above the eyebrows, which continues behind the ears after a break, probably representing a diadem. The semicircular headdress connects to the head with an almost 45 degree angle. The semicircular part is framed in front by a line made up of 25 punched dots. From the vertex of the semicircular arch a prominent ridge runs along the reverse side, which curves across the whole head. The ridge could belong either to the headdress, holding it up from the rear end, or represents plaited hair.

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Börzönce, Nagybörgő, Dörgicse (Hungary). Headdress: Franzhausen I.cemetery

A similar headdress was found in grave 110. of the Early Bronze Age Franzhausen I. cemetery. A woman buried with a wealth of metal objects had a headdress on her skull made of two larger metal sheets bent in the middle, onto which 25 pieces of smaller metal sheets with punched decoration were inflected. The headdress is formally the equivalent of that of the idol from Kőérberek. In the grave the skull had a copper diadem, which lets us conclude that the line running along the forehead of the idol’s head represents a diadem. The skeleton in the grave had several earrings near the ear, which may let us interpret the dotted lines framing the ears as depicting earrings. The idol of Kőérberek represented an individual of outstanding status.

Horváth, L. A., Korom, A., Terei, Gy., Szilas, G., Reményi, L., Előzetes jelentés az épülő Kőérberek, Tóváros-Lakópark területén folyó régészeti feltárásról. Preliminary report on the archaeological excavation conducted parallel to the construction on the territory of the Kőérberek, Tóváros Residental District. Aquincumi Füzetek 11 (2005), p. 137-167. Bondár, M., Early Bronze Age Settlement Pattern in Southwest Transdanubia. Antaeus 22(1995), p. 197-268. Neugebauer, Ch. – Neugebauer, J-W. 1997 Franzhausen das frühbronzezeitliche Graberfeld I. FÖ Materialhett A 5. Wien 1997.